Initially introduced in the 1970s, ketamine is a popular medication used during minor surgeries. With time, ketamine’s popularity as a recreational drug has grown due to its pain-relieving and muscle-relaxing abilities. Once you use it for recreational use, you must visit an addiction medicine specialist Charlotte.
Today, it is widely used in several medical procedures and mental health conditions. If you want to know more about ketamine treatment, keep reading!
In this article, we will talk about ketamine treatment in detail and cover all the essential points.
Table of Contents
What Is Ketamine?
Ketamine, commonly called “ketalar,” is a dissociative anesthesia healthcare experts use to induce loss of consciousness during medical procedures. It is different from general anesthesia as it gives the effect of disconnecting from the world. On the other hand, general anesthesia only takes the patients in a sleeping state. Similar to other drugs like PCP, LSD, or angel dust, ketamine tends to produce hallucinations. Since it contains dissociative properties, ketamine is often used illegally if not suggested by superior medical authorities.
How Does Ketamine Affect The Body?
Ketamine is often used medically to stimulate cardiac and breathing functions, making it a popular anesthetic choice for emergency surgical procedures. Ketamine helps doctors to provide partial sedation to the patients. However, if the ketamine dosage gets even more, it does not allow the patient to breathe properly.
Ketamine should only be used per medical procedures; otherwise, it can negatively impact the body. For example, people who use it recreationally may suffer from rapid eye movement, difficulty sleeping, incoordination, skin redness, slurred speech, restlessness, or form a habit. People who consume ketamine in large quantities may experience difficulty breathing, cognitive changes, numbness, or hallucinations. These effects generally last for one year or more.
Types Of Ketamine
1. R, S-Ketamine:
R, S-Ketamine is made up of the 50-50 mixture of both R and S enantiomers and is usually sold under the brand name “Ketalar.” R, S-Ketamine is a generic racemic ketamine used as anesthesia for over 50 years. It is available in oral, sublingual, subcutaneous, and rectal forms.
2. S-Ketamine:
Also known as esketamine, S-Ketamine is an FDA-approved enantiomer of ketamine that helps relieve treatment-resistant depression. It is used in conjunction as an oral antidepressant and shows its effect within 4-72 hours, and lasts for at least a week. This type of ketamine is only available for medical treatments.
3. R-Ketamine:
Unlike S-ketamine, R-Ketamine is not FDA approved; however, it is believed to be an excellent treatment option for severe depression while showing lower hallucinations and dissociative effects.
Uses of Ketamine
For Medical Use:
- Ketamine promotes short-term memory loss and provides instant pain relief before significant treatment.
- Ketamine is often used before performing any medical surgery.
- It is used for pain control in battlefield injuries and burn therapy.
- Children who are allergic to general anesthesia are given ketamine.
For Mental Health Use:
- It is often given to patients suffering from depression.
- Ketamine is proven effective in treating anxiety.
Common Side Effects of Ketamine
- Double vision
- Drowsiness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Dizziness
- Hallucinations and confusion
- Pain in the bladder
- Stomach pain
- Loss of memory
- Kidney problems
- Feeling of unease
Wrap Up
Ketamine is a popular drug used medically to treat depression, and it acts as an anesthesia that disconnects people for some time and provides relief. It has several benefits but can leave lifelong side effects if consumed incorrectly.
