ketamine effects
- Extreme agitation
- Increased heart rate & blood pressure
- Loss of coordination
- Inability to move or speak
- Short term memory loss
- Reduced awareness of surroundings
- Dissociation
- Disorientation
- Feeling out of control
- Hallucinations (auditory & visual)
- Altered perception of senses and time
- Out of body experience
- Psychosis
- Seizures
- Nausea/vomiting
- Overdose & death.
The long term side effects of ketamine abuse include:
- Addiction
- Bladder issues – shrinkage of bladder & cystitis
- Psychiatric illness
- Impaired cognitive ability
- Continued dissociation
- Heart & kidney damage
- Hepatic dysfunction (changes in the brains function)
- Impaired gallbladder function
- Renal failure
- Epigastric pain (pain in the upper part of the abdomen)
Taking large doses blocks the neurotransmitter glutamate in the brain, separating the conscious mind from the physical self. The effects of this are numbness, sometimes to the point where a person cannot speak or move. Those that can move are at high risk of injury due to falling and feeling dissociated from the physical world.
Symptoms of a ketamine overdose
The dangers of overdosing are very real. Whilst you are experiencing symptoms of an overdose, you may not be able to relay this to someone or ask for help. This is why purposely seeking to experience a k-hole is very dangerous and risky!
If you spot the following signs of an overdose in someone else, you should immediately contact the emergency services for help.
Signs of a ketamine overdose include:
- Vomiting
- Irregular heartbeat
- Slowed and shallow breathing
- Loss of consciousness
- Chest pain
- Showing signs of acute distress
Acting quickly if you suspect someone has overdosed, could save that person’s life.
Overdosing can be fatal. Therefore, if you encounter someone experiencing a “bad trip”, you should contact emergency medical services ASAP. The speed at which you do this can mean the difference between life and death for the affected individual.
Ketamine addiction & treatment
While some people find the effects of ketamine extremely uncomfortable and terrifying, others who enjoy the effects may seek to repeat the experience repeatedly.
Repeated abuse can lead to addiction. In addition, once a person becomes tolerant of a certain dosage of ketamine, they will need to take more and more to feel the sought after effects. This can lead to long term changes in the brain and addiction developing as a result.
The more a person abuses ketamine, the greater the risks of long term damage to the body and the brain. The risk of overdose, coma and death is also increased.
Addiction is a chronic disorder of the brain and cannot be cured. Ketamine abuse and addiction can and does kill. Thankfully, whilst addiction cannot be cured, it can be successfully treated, and recovery can be maintained.
If you or someone you love abuses ketamine or is suffering from addiction, you must seek the appropriate help and treatment without delay.
For a free and confidential assessment and information on our private ketamine treatment and addiction rehab programmes, call Rehab Guide today. We are a leading authority in addiction treatment and can ensure you access the correct treatment swiftly to enable a full recovery.
