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Facts about Ketamine

Ketamine was first developed to replace PCP and was mainly used in veterinary medicine to tranquilize animals before procedures. Ketamine is a fast-acting anesthetic that is highly potent when used for recreational means. After its approval for human use in the mid 1970’s, it quickly made its way to the streets and sold as a hallucinogen. While ketamine is manufactured as a liquid, drug abusers often dry it out and sell it in powder form, which can be mixed with other street drugs such as MDMA. Ketamine addiction has become an epidemic in many major cities across the nation and its abuse can lead to serious health complications. Should you be concerned about a loved one, and fear there may be drug addiction, our Huntington Beach rehab center is a phone call away.

Over the past few decades, ketamine became known as a club drug and its popularity among teens and young adults exploded. Ketamine has no detectable taste or smell, which makes it harder to detect, especially when added to drinks or food. This makes abuse of the drug easier for users and lures some to use it as a sort of date rape drug. Ketamine addiction can happen within the first few doses of the drug and often leads to increased ketamine tolerance that requires medical intervention. There are psychological and physical aspects associated with ketamine addiction and abuse. For more help with ketamine addiction and other illicit drug addictions, inpatient rehab in Huntington Beach can help. Ketamine street names include the following; Vitamin K, Kit-Kat, K and Special K.

Ketamine Addiction Dangers

For ketamine addicts, extended ketamine abuse can take a heavy toll on the body. Because of the way ketamine is metabolized, it’s negative effects can cause issues to almost every organ system. Often, the first symptom ketamine abuse causes is problems with digestion, specifically the stomach. The damage done to the digestive organs can cause incredible pain and is often one of the main reasons individuals struggling with ketamine addiction reach out for help. Other organs damaged by repeated ketamine abuse are the bladder and entire urinary tract. There is a condition known as ketamine bladder syndrome which can lead to incontinence, hematuria and ulceration of the bladder lining.

The loss of pain sensation is another major ketamine addiction danger. Pain is the body’s way of sending signals to the brain letting us know we should stop what we are doing. Ketamine blocks painful stimuli from ever reaching the central nervous system, as it works well as an anesthetic. This can lead to major injuries such as burns, deep lacerations and even loss of life. When the body cannot sense pain, the urgency to stop what is causing it is gone. The hallucinogen effects of ketamine contribute to the likelihood of severe injury while on the drug.

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Ketamine Addiction Symptoms

Most individuals struggling with ketamine addiction did not envision the drug wreaking so much havoc on their minds and bodies in such a short period of time. Those experimenting with ketamine begin by taking enough to achieve the desired dissociation from reality that allows them to feel free. Usually, ketamine abuse causes a complete absence of awareness, meaning that individuals are not responsive to talking or other noise. When someone repeatedly abuses ketamine, they will start to develop a psychological dependence, which can be very strong. Once dependent physically and psychologically on ketamine, individuals will begin to show severe signs of drug addiction including the following:

  • Uncharacteristic calmness
  • Detachment from reality
  • Depression and Anxiety
  • Learning difficulties
  • Amnesia
  • Hallucinations
  • Decreased respirations
  • Signs of delirium
  • Digestive issues

Ketamine Withdrawal Facts

Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic that is available by prescription only.  Most know ketamine as a veterinary medicine, but it has also been used on soldiers in battle. Ketamine works by creating the brains’ perception of stimuli from the body as a whole. Basically, it works to disable the brains’ ability to connect to the bodies response to pain. Ketamine is described as a combination of depressant, stimulant, and analgesic. Ketamine withdrawal occurs when an individual has become dependent on the drug to function. It has the potential to be extremely addictive and can cause all sorts of physical and psychological side effects when used regularly.

Most effects of ketamine use are psychological and it can be very difficult to manage ketamine withdrawal without some sort of professional help. The high that individuals experience while using ketamine can best be described as a dreamy euphoria. When ketamine is taken in higher doses, an individual can feel as though they are part of some parallel world, with hallucinations and complete dissociation. When a person takes ketamine for an extended period of time, ketamine bladder syndrome can become a life-long side effect of ketamine abuse. Should you or someone you know need help with drug addiction and illicit drug detox, our Huntington Beach rehab center can offer inpatient drug rehab and medical drug detox.

Ketamine Withdrawal Facts

On the street, ketamine is sold in powder or liquid form, which has been illegally obtained from medical and veterinary offices. In this form, ketamine can be injected, snorted, added to alcoholic drinks or smoked. Once on the streets, ketamine is sold as Special K, Super C, Cat Valium, Super Acid and K. Ketamine has become a major player in the illicit drug market, and has become popular at rave parties. When ketamine addiction develops, the likelihood of a negative high increases. Since the drug is so potent, it is easy to overdose on.

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Ketamine Withdrawal Signs and Symptoms

Common effects include depression, paranoia, emotional and physical imbalance among others. Once the patient stops taking ketamine on a daily basis, he will start feeling these classic withdrawal symptoms. Ketamine is a very powerful anesthetic with hallucinogenic and also psychedelic, properties. These properties are the main reason why some people abuse it. Feeling detached from your environment, and experiencing out-of-this-world sounds and sights is what most users are looking for. This substance is often combined with illicit substances such as marijuana, opiates, and alcohol.

There are a few physical symptoms users experience but the psychological symptoms can cause casual ketamine users to become full-blown ketamine addicts. The main issue is that users build tolerance over time which will lead to increased amounts of ketamine abused since the body doesn’t respond to the drug the same way anymore. The signs and symptoms of ketamine withdrawal include the following:

  • Loss of appetite
  • Irregular heartbeat
  • Chills
  • Nightmares
  • Tremors
  • Depression and anxiety
  • Fatigue
  • Abnormal sweating
  • Suicide attempts

Ketamine Withdrawal Treatment

It is possible to stop abusing ketamine with the help of addiction counselors within an inpatient drug rehab program in Huntington Beach. In addition to the physical support, psychological support is also available through therapies and activities. For individuals struggling with ketamine withdrawal symptom, drug rehab may be the only solution to regaining sobriety and recovery. While the initial symptoms generally last for 4 to 6 days, the psychological hold that ketamine has on an individual can make it very hard to stay clean.

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