KETAMINE
This information has been provided as part of Sex, Drugs & Care 4 All (SDC4ALL) - a collaborative programme between The Love Tank and Antidote. It brings together everything we do to support safer, more informed, and more compassionate approaches to chems use within queer and trans communities.
You can download a PDF version of this information here
What is Ketamine
- Ketamine is an anaesthetic drug - usually found as a white or very light brown powder - that has hallucinogenic properties.
- Because of its anaesthetic quality, ketamine reduces physical sensations in the body and can put us in a warm, trance-like state and make us feel euphoric, calm and ‘out-of-body’.
- At higher doses, ketamine can make us hallucinate or dissociate and even feel disconnected from our bodies entirely - which is sometimes called entering a ‘K-hole’.
Risks and side-effects
- While some people use ketamine to experience a K-hole, other people might enter one accidentally, which can be scary! If this happens to you, or someone you’re with, don’t worry - it will pass!
- When someone is in a K-hole, they can be quite vulnerable - so stay with them while they ride it out.
- Because it’s an anaesthetic, someone can hurt themselves on ketamine without even realising it, so consider moving them to a calmer, quieter place to avoid injury.
- Mixing ketamine with ‘downers’ dangerously depresses the nervous system. This increases the likelihood of experiencing a K-hole and can lead to unconsciousness or death.
- Avoid mixing ketamine with downers like alcohol, GHB/GBL, diazepam, benzos, sleeping pills, sedatives, opiates (like tramadol), and antihistamines.
Dosing
- The most common way to take ketamine is by snorting it.
- You can also swallow ketamine (by wrapping a dose in cigarette paper) for a less intense but longer lasting high.
- The right dose of ketamine differs from person to person and depends on things like their weight and tolerance.
- Roughly, though, a light dose is 10-30mg and a more common dose is 30-75mg.
- It’s usually not possible to measure doses of a powder or crystal when out and about. It’s a good idea to invest in some milligram scales to measure doses in advance (like if it’s going to be swallowed) or to visualise how different doses look (for when it’s snorted later).
Safer snorting
- Snorting powders like ketamine carries some risks.
- It can lead to infections and frequent snorting can damage the nostrils (which can make someone more prone to infections or cause long-term scarring).
- Hepatitis C is especially easily transmitted by snorting - it can survive on surfaces for up to six weeks!
- Someone can reduce long-term damage caused to their nose from snorting by:
- alternating nostrils every time they snort
- using a straw to snort higher up the nose to avoid damaging the septum
- taking a break if the nose is bleeding
- using a saline rinse to gently clean the nose at the end of the night or session
- Someone can reduce their risks of getting an infection from snorting by:
- avoiding sharing snorting equipment
- using a clean straw or clean rolled up piece of paper - rather than used bank notes - to snort lines (Remember: venues usually have clean straws behind the bar!)
- carrying hand sanitiser to disinfect any equipment (especially keys, cards and surfaces)
- consider keeping a specific, clean card for crushing or cutting drugs (to avoid using a bank card that comes into contact with ATMs or payment devices)
Frequent use
- Because of the dissociative, escapist effects it produces, people can become psychologically dependent on ketamine.
- They can also build up a tolerance if they use it regularly, meaning they need higher doses to experience its effects.
- Long-term, frequent use of ketamine, especially at high doses, can have a negative impact on short and long-term memory.
- It can also cause serious bladder problems - including painful bladder crystals and difficulty peeing.
- To avoid the effects of over-use, limit the number of times a month you use ketamine (at least less than twice a week) and take breaks from using.
- Drinking green tea regularly, including in the hours before using, has also been shown to reduce risks of developing bladder crystals.
Drug testing
- Sometimes, people are sold drugs that are over-dosed, or contain substances other than the drug they think they are buying, which have much stronger effects. This can cause fatal overdoses, even in experienced drug users.
- It’s always a good idea to test drugs before using them.
- Links to drug testing services - including options for testing drugs at home - can be found here
Making use of the Antidote drop in and free acupuncture is well-advised to help develop confidence in engaging with others in a safe place, and to help with cravings.
You can access a list of our services or contact us by email to discuss your needs: antidote@londonfriend.org.uk.
