Health - An Opioid Detoxification Experiment with Ketamine

[enquirewithin]

An Opioid Detoxification Experiment with Ketamine (by VIAOV)


http://junkiesunion.blogspot.com/200...--------------
When I first encountered this drug, it was back in the late 1990s. It had just emerged on the club scene in South-East Asia. I procured a gram of Ketamine powder/crystals from a 10ml vial of Ketalar (racemic Ketamine). I had been researching into the use of NMDA-Antagonists like Ketamine for attenuating an opioid addiction. At the point of purchase, my habit was an estimated 480mg of Morphine PO/day. Abstinence symptoms (Withdrawals) presented themselves at approximately 8-12 hours after my last Morphine dose. To determine the efficacy of Ketamine in attenuating an opioid addiction, I set about a little experiment that spanned 5 days. The experiment began 4 hours after the last Morphine dose. Each day, once a day, approximately 200mg of racemic Ketamine was insufflated. The dissociative effects can be described as a typical "K-Hole" experience. From the first day I started this experiment, I ceased all opioid use. For the first 2 days I had very minor opioid withdrawal symptoms. For the remaining 3 days of the experiment, I had little to no withdrawals. Day 6 I assessed my symptoms. Not only did I experience little to no withdrawal symptoms from ceasing opioid use, I no longer had any cravings for opioids. On the 8th day, I took a relatively low dose of Morphine and noticed a very strong opioidergic effect, as if my tolerance had been reset.

Despite the rise in abuse of this drug, Ketamine appears to be very promising in the treatment of not only opioid addiction, but also alcoholism, treatment-resistant depression and chronic pain. Scientific data and abstracts will be posted here shortly...


NOTE: Interestingly, a similar experiment was conducted with the low-medium affinity NMDA-Antagonist Memantine. Unfortunately, the experiment was a failure and only side-effects from Memantine, in addition to withdrawal symptoms were felt.

Several other experiments were conducted with Intramuscular Ketamine and various other agents, from Dextro-methorphan to Mitragyna Speciosa (Kratom). The results of these will be published here soon.

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SWIM has read of similar experiences with methamphetamine.

[ironmics]

I've read a study regarding the ability of NMDA antagonists to reduce the tolerance of demerol. However, the antagonist was administered for the first time before the first dose of demerol, so it isn't quite the exact same thing, but I'm guessing the same principal.

[Psych0naut]

I wonder what the possibilities regarding benzo-addiction are for ketamine. SWIM still has a box of 5 Ketanest ampoules, and can get another couple of boxes anytimes he wants. SWIM has been on benzo's for around 5 months, of which 1 and a half to 2 months were on relatively large amounts of very addictive benzo's; Rohypnol(flunitrazepam) and Dormicum(midazolam). The following months SWIM was on a slow tapering schedule, on Librium(chloordiazepoxide). SWIM has tapered to one tablet of 5mg a day some time ago, which is the lowest possible amount, and the weakest strength tablets. He has quit all together well over a week ago, but previous week the first withdrawl symptoms emerged; insomnia, hypersomnia, nigthmares, excessive REM sleep, tremors, shaking limbs, depersonalisation, derealisation ... SWIM wishes he could just get it over with, he will probaply just undergo his own experiments, because he can't live with benzo's any longer, nor without them. He is now back to using 1 tablet a day again, but he really wants to just stay off of them completely.

[Psych0naut]

SWIM has tried to detox from benzo's with Ketamine, and anti-psychotics as well. The main goal was to finally quit taking benzo's, after 6 months of daily use, of which 2 months of using hypnotic benzo's; Rohypnol(flunitrazepam) and Dormicum(midazolam), and 4 months using a very long acting benzo to withdraw, Librium(chloordiazepoxide). SWIM was down to one tablet of 5mg Librium a day, and had quit 2 weeks before, with no luck(see one post before this one). Last sunday, SWIM took his last 5mg Librium, and started his ketamine detox on monday. This how SWIMs detox went:

- On monday evening, SWIM took 100mg s-Ketamine(equal to 133mg racemic Ketamine) IM, which wasn't enough to k-hole, due to SWIMs permanent tolerance. SWIM weighs 60kg or 140lb. SWIM always has trouble falling asleep after using ketamine, and SWIM took it just before this time as well, but he took 7,5mg of his prescribed Mirtazapine, and he fell asleep 15 minutes later.

- On tuesday, SWIM took 200mg s-Ketamine(equal to 267mg racemic Ketamine) IM, which still wasn't enough to k-hole. Again, he took it just before bed, and again, he couldn't sleep without his prescribed Mirtazapine, so he took 7,5mg after which he fell asleep, 15 minutes later.

- On wednesday, SWIM took 200mg s-Ketamine IM again, again not enough to k-hole. Again, he took it before bed, needing his daily 7,5mg Mirtazapine to fall asleep, which made him fall asleep 15 minutes later.

- On thursday, SWIM didn't take any Ketamine, as he didn't have enough Ketamine for 5 day's, and opted to take it the next day instead.

- On friday, SWIM took 300mg s-Ketamin(equal to 400mg racemic ketamine) nasally, which was strangely enough much stronger than his previous doses taken IM, even though tolerance should have made it feel much weaker, and taking it nasally instead of IM should have made it weaker as well. Really weird. Anyway, SWIM briefly touched the hole, and had very pronounced OEV's. Again, SWIM took 7,5mg Mirtazapine afterwards, to help him fall asleep.

It's now 6 day's after SWIMs last dose of Librium. SWIM only took 2x 5mg Librium on friday, together with 1mg Risperidone(the anti-psychotic he used to take in the last few months), together with his usual 7,5mg Mirtazapine. He took 5mg Librium together with 1mg Risperidone and 7,5mg Mirtazapine. Because he stopped taking his Librium for 10 days before this, the serum levels of Librium were neglecteble. When he stopped taking his Librium the first time, 2 and a half weeks ago, the first withdrawl started to get noticeable only 4-5 days after stopping intake. SWIM is now at 6 day's after stopping intake, and because the amounts he took a week ago are neglecteble, it's fair to say his body has been without Librium for well over a week, more like 10 days or more. That means he should certainly be noticing the first withdrawls, but he doesn't notice any of it, nor of the withdrawls caused by abruptly stopping the use of his anti-psychotic, Risperidone. He's very certain that he succesfuly quitted the use of his Librium and Risperidone. SWIMs doctor also warned him not to suddenly quit taking the Risperidone, as it would cause withdrawls as well, in the form of vomitting, insomnia and headaches. He didn't notice any of this either. Great succes!