Health - Is ketamine really bad for you?

[k-explorer]

SWIM has heard very mixed messages about whether ketamine is bad for you physically. On the one hand, some people say it's extremely toxic and regular use will rot your brain and leave holes. Others say it's a legitimate drug used in hospitals, and it won't harm you... but still don't over do it, obviously.

SWIM has met a lot of people who've used it regularly for years and they seem ok physically.

SWIM is wondering how much he is (potentially) hurting himself by having a k hole day about once a month (probably 3-5g per session).

Any thoughts?

[Nose Dive]

My Bill says it has a very low toxicity level, once a month will have no adverse effects.

[PingoTango]

the notion that Ketamine causes Olney's legions (holes in the brain) comes from observing rat brains, and has never been replicated successfully in a primate brain, despite efforts - horrific though these experiements are, they demonstrate the fundamental differences between the inner workings of different species.

In short, it's probably nothing to worry about. Even if the mechanism that causes the lesions in rat brains also works in human brains, which is unlikely, you'd have to seriously binge for an extended period of time to approach the kinds of amounts involved.

Ketamine has a kind of buffer built in - unless you IV or IM a stupid amount, you'd pass out and be incapable of taking any more before you start getting into fatal overdose territory.

That said, be careful, and have fun. Ketamines really not the filthy substance some would have you believe, but does pose a few risks.

[Nature Boy]

I would have to point out that 3-5g per session is quite a lot and leaves the door open towards possible unfavourable consequences. Why that much? SWIM can comfortably reach a K-hole on 0.25g insufflated. Has this got to do with quality, tolerance or excessive use?

[ShawnD]

Is ketamine bad for you? Probably not. It's used in hospitals as a replacement for PCP specifically because it's a "safe" drug, and PCP was not a safe drug (PCP caused a lot of violent behavior).
Safety might go out the window when people start talking about being in a "k hole" and taking so much that they pass out. Hospitals give it to people to keep them asleep too, but that's monitored by doctors and nurses, and that's a big difference IMO.

Is illegal ketamine bad for you? Probably. Where did it come from? What is it mixed with it? Who is this asshole selling it? Where is the Quality Control and Quality Assurance generally associated with drugs that are sold in a store? Ketamine = good. Impurities = bad.

[notts.pirate]

Originally Posted by ShawnD

Ketamine = good. Impurities = bad.

could be said about many substances/chemicals


SWIM and friends have never heard of any dangerous effects after K use, apart from falling down stairs etc

[ShawnD]

Originally Posted by notts.pirate

could be said about many substances/chemicals

You're right. I wouldn't be concerned about ketamine as much as I would be concerned about other crap mixed in. If someone is talking about a small dosage of questionalbly pure something, an impurity might not be a big deal. If someone is taking huge amounts of a substance with an unknown purity, toxic effects caused by an unknown impurity could show up.

Safety first. 5g sounds like an extremely large dosage, and some of the more potent drugs are given in miligrams, so even a 1% impurity could be dangerous. Don't just dive into something because the main ingredient is safe. Test a small amount first, if you must.

[PowerTrips]

K, def has a huge amount of side effects! just really no noticable
ones except insomnia. there r people who used K
daily n now have 2 piss every 15 mins cuz there bladders r fucked n can't hold more than a mLs of urine!
bet that sounds fun right?? K fucks ur organs up wit excessive use!
SWIM loves K but K is a fucked up substance! Look it up!

[k-explorer]

Thanks for the feedback.

[dave-o]

It is a substance with a very low toxicity, and very low impact to the CNS (central nervous system). The reason they give it to horses (and also to babies/children) is because they have relatively delicate CNSs.

K is one of the most side effect free drugs there is, and if pure there is no reason that someone would suffer any adverse effects if taken in moderation.

And powertrips; of course you'll get ill effects if you are using huge quantities on a daily basis. If you had 8 cups of coffee a day for a year, you'd also have bad side effects!