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Perceived Rewards, Problems, Among Ketamine Users Identified


Marlene Busko

December 3, 2007 (Coronado, CA) — Ketamine is not just a "club drug," and more frequent use is linked with communication and abdominal problems, according to a survey of users in Toronto, Ontario. The survey also revealed that ketamine was almost always taken intranasally, and a third of users developed weekly or daily use patterns.

These findings, by Tim Guimond, MD, from the University of Toronto Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and colleagues, were presented in a poster at the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP) 18th Annual Meeting & Symposium.

"The sorts of problems we are finding are ones that are not in the medical literature right now," Dr. Guimond told Medscape Psychiatry, adding that ketamine-related abdominal pain and communication problems have not been frequently reported or investigated. "People may be missing some of the problems that might be caused by ketamine because it is a new substance," he noted.

Ketamine, K, Special K

Ketamine, a human and veterinary injectable anesthetic, produces psychedelic and dissociative (out-of-body) effects when used at subanesthetic doses, and it was initially used by people who took it to extend the "high" from 4-methylenedioxy-meth-amphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy), said Dr. Guimond. A study done in 2004 found that about 30% of surveyed Toronto rave attendees were using ketamine (also called K), he noted.

The team sought to estimate the rates of benefits and harms that users attribute to ketamine use and to investigate use patterns suggestive of dependence.

They obtained data from an Internet survey that was given to ketamine users who were recruited by community workers from the Toronto Raver Info Project (TRIP), a harm-reduction and education project of the Queen West Community Health Centre, in Toronto.

The survey was designed to obtain information about the frequency and setting of ketamine use, as well as route of administration, perceived benefits and harm, and symptoms of dependence.

A total of 226 people completed the survey. The study participants had a mean age of 22.1 years, and 53.5% were men. A total of 77 individuals reported frequent ketamine use (weekly or more often), while 149 individuals reported less frequent use (twice a month or less often).

Almost all users (97.8%) said they most commonly snorted the drug, and only 2 (0.9%) said they most commonly injected the drug.

Ketamine users had diverse patterns of consumption. Less than half (38.1%) used the drug at a party, rave, or nightclub, and the others used it at home (20.8%), at a friend's home (19.9%), in the street or park (2.7%), or elsewhere (18.6%). The most common social setting for using this drug was as part of a small group of 2 to 4 people.

A small proportion of respondents (7.1%) were daily users; 14.2% of respondents had not used the drug in the past year; and the rest fell somewhere between this.

"Useful Benchmark Information for Clinicians"

Among these ketamine users, the most common perceived "benefit" was decreased stress levels (reported by 58.8%), and the most common identified problem (reported by 46.5%) was difficulty in articulating thoughts. People who used the drug 1 or more times a week reported more benefits, but they also reported more problems.

Perceived Benefits of Ketamine Use Among 226 Users Benefit
% of Users

Decreased stress levels
58.8

Dissociation from daily life
48.7

Connectedness with other people
39.8

More open-minded
37.6

Increased creativity
35.4

Spiritual growth
32.7



Perceived Risks of Ketamine Use Among 226 Users Risk
% of Users

Communication difficulties
46.5

Speech difficulties (articulation)
41.6

Nosebleeds from snorting
34.1

Abdominal pain
28.3

Mood swings/emotional instability
27.0

Muscle spasms/twitches
24.8

Physical injury
20.8

Depression
19.9

Paranoia
19.9



The study highlights high rates of reported adverse effects and provides a useful benchmark for clinicians involved with ketamine users, the group summarizes. Ketamine use is now common across the country, Dr. Guimond noted.

American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry 18th Annual Meeting & Symposium: Poster 24. November 29-December 2, 2007.

[jesusbeams]

Originally Posted by adzket

Perceived Benefits of Ketamine Use Among 226 Users Benefit
% of Users

Decreased stress levels
58.8

Dissociation from daily life
48.7

Connectedness with other people
39.8

More open-minded
37.6

Increased creativity
35.4

Spiritual growth
32.7

Oh my. This means a million things to me