Ketamine is a dissociative and aesthetic substance. It is used by doctors to induce general anesthesia during non-muscle relaxing medical procedures. Dissociative refers to the sensation of being cut off from reality, whereas general anesthesia refers to a state that resembles sleep. Ketamine’s hallucinogenic effects are similar to those of angel dust, LSD, and PCP. During hallucinations, perception of sounds and sights is distorted.
What are the applications of ketamine?
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Applications in therapy:
Despite some off-label uses, the FDA has only approved ketamine for general anesthesia. The specifics are listed below.
Induction of general anesthesia:
Doctors can use ketamine alone or in combination with other general anesthetics such as nitrous oxide to induce general anesthesia. They use it in an emergency room setting to produce short-term sedation by:
- minimizing fractures
- managing dislocated joints
- treating wounds on people who won’t cooperate, such as children
Pain relief:
Practitioners use low doses that do not cause dissociation to treat the severe pain associated with the following conditions:
- Trauma
- Fractures
- Stomach pain
- Leg or arm pain
- Back pain
Treatment for epilepsy
Status epilepticus occurs when a seizure lasts more than five minutes or when multiple seizures occur within five minutes. Refractory status epilepticus (RSE) is a type of status epilepticus that does not respond to standard anti-seizure medications. It is a deadly disease that can cause death and brain damage. Ketamine may be used to treat RSE, according to a 2015 study. More research is needed to confirm the study’s findings and demonstrate the safety of using ketamine to treat this condition.
Treatment for depression
Ketamine may be able to quickly alleviate people’s depression, according to studies published in 2017. Despite these encouraging findings, the authors caution that there is a paucity of data on the use of ketamine for this condition, so doctors should weigh the risks before prescribing it. According to a 2016 study, the hallucinogenic effects of ketamine pose a health risk for people all over the world when used inappropriately. As a result, they advise doctors to try standard antidepressants first before experimenting with ketamine for depression.
Anxiety relief
There is little research on the use of ketamine to treat anxiety. However, one study suggests that it may help people with social anxiety disorder (SAD). This condition is distinguished by severe social anxiety. In 2017, the drug was tested on 18 participants in a clinical trial, and the results suggested that it could be useful for treating SAD. The authors urged future studies to look into this potential benefit further because previous research has suggested that ketamine may have significant antianxiety effects.
Pharmaceutical stores have ketamine for sale for those looking to buy ketamine drugs.
Side Effects
The most common side effects of ketamine at prescribed doses are:
- tiredness
- double vision
- confusion
- loss of appetite
- vomiting
- lightheadedness
