Commonly Abused Drugs
Review this page which describes the acute effects and the health risks of both legal and illegal drugs.
Commonly Abused Drugs
Ketamine
A dissociative drug used as an anesthetic in veterinary practice. Dissociative drugs are hallucinogens that cause the user to feel detached from reality.
| Street Names | Commercial Names | Common Forms | Common Ways Taken | DEA Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cat Valium, K, Special K, Vitamin K | Ketalar® | Liquid, white powder | Injected, snorted, smoked (powder added to tobacco or marijuana cigarettes), swallowed | III |
| Possible Health Effects | |
|---|---|
| Short-term | Problems with attention, learning, and memory; dreamlike states, hallucinations; sedation; confusion and problems speaking; loss of memory; problems moving, to the point of being immobile; raised blood pressure; unconsciousness; slowed breathing that can lead to death. |
| Long-term | Ulcers and pain in the bladder; kidney problems; stomach pain; depression; poor memory. |
| Other Health-related Issues |
Sometimes used as a date rape drug. Risk of HIV, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases from shared needles. |
| In Combination with Alcohol | Increased risk of adverse effects. |
| Withdrawal Symptoms | Unknown. |
| Treatment options | |
| Medications | There are no FDA-approved medications to treat addiction to ketamine or other dissociative drugs. |
| Behavioral Therapies | More research is needed to find out if behavioral therapies can be used to treat addiction to dissociative drugs. |