You were out at a party with your friends having a good time. You have a couple of drinks but nothing out of control.
You wake up the next morning and you can’t remember the night before. Did someone slip something in your drink? Were you drugged? Unfortunately, this is an all too common occurrence. Or maybe you were out at a club and you saw someone taking a clear liquid and watched as their behavior transformed. What is it that they took that caused such a drastic change? In both cases, ketamine may be to blame.
It is estimated that 3 million people over the age of 12 have used ketamine at least once in their lifetime whether on purpose or accidentally.1 At Banyan Pompano, we want to educate you on the symptoms of ketamine use so that you can better identify if you or someone you know has consumed this drug.
What Is Ketamine?
Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic typically used in anesthesia for its pain relief and sedative qualities. Although it is supposed to be used in a medical setting, it can also be abused. Considered a “date rape drug,” ketamine has a history of being used for sexual assault because it incapacitates and sedates the unsuspected user. It typically comes in the form of a liquid to be injected for medical purposes but may also come as a powder and be snorted or swallowed when abused.
Ketamine Signs and Symptoms
Many people will use this drug recreationally for its psychedelic and hallucinogenic effects. Others will slip the drug to someone. Frequent use of ketamine can lead to addiction along with more serious ketamine abuse symptoms. When an addiction develops, it often requires professional treatment like a drug partial hospitalization program to get the person to stop.
Some of the most common ketamine symptoms include:
- Disorientation
- Memory problems
- Impaired thinking and movement
- Nausea and vomiting
- Slurred speech
- “K-hole” or an intense high and out-of-body experience
- Changes in mood
- Hallucinations
- Intense craving for those who abuse ketamine regularly
Like many drugs, ketamine symptoms can vary from person to person because there are a variety of factors that affect how effective or potent a drug is. Not only does the dose and frequency of use affect the ketamine symptoms a user will experience, but also factors like genetics, health, and weight can play a role.
Some people will have a bad reaction to the drug and experience more severe symptoms. Others may abuse the drug on a regular basis leading to long-term health effects. These ketamine symptoms can include:
- Trouble breathing and chest pain
- Hives
- Severe stomach pain
- Severe injury while on the drug that is ignored
- Ketamine bladder syndrome - damage to the bladder and urinary tract
- Overdose
- Convulsions
- Fainting
Ketamine can lead to serious consequences. If you suspect your loved one is abusing ketamine but refuses to acknowledge their problem or get help, our intervention services in Pompano may be able to help before it is too late.
Whether your loved one is abusing drugs or you struggle with a drug or alcohol problem yourself, get help. At Banyan Pompano, our drug rehab in South Florida works with people with various different substance abuse problems.
Begin your journey to a drug-free life with our help. Call us today at 888-280-4763 to get started.
Sources:
- NCBI - Ketamine
