4 ms·

Just goes to show that the difference between medical use and recreational use is really in the set, setting, dosage, and means of ingestion! Ketamine is alrea

Just goes to show that the difference between medical use and recreational use is really in the set, setting, dosage, and means of ingestion! Ketamine is already very commonly used medically, because it is relatively safe (compared to other similar dissociative anesthetics) and has a very short half-life, making it a good choice for certain procedures. Unlike many anesthetics, ketamine does not suppress breathing much. Combined with the fact that it is a bronchodilator, it can be used in many situations for which other anesthetics would be risky or inappropriate. If you've had a colonoscopy[0], there's a good chance you've already had ketamine, just not in the same doses that you would have taken at a club! [0] Which, if you're over the age of 50, you should do! Colon cancer is very treatable if it's caught early.

blacksmith_tb 12y ago
I had noticeable psychosis courtesy of ketamine in the ICU after being run over by a truck. Likely having a broken pelvis etc. didn't contribute to a positive trip, of course, but I would be very reluctant to take it again (not that anyone asked at the time - or that I could have answered sensibly). But like most psychoactives, dosage is key...
- refurb 12y ago
  The WHO lists ketamine as a "essential medication" since it is an ideal anesthetic for countries with limited resources. It's quite safe (doesn't depress breathing) and effective. However, as you noticed, many folks who are treated with ketamine find the experience very unpleasant. Unless there is a good reason for using it as an anesthetic, doctors typically go with other drugs.
refurb 12y ago
If you've had a colonoscopy[0], there's a good chance you've already had ketamine, just not in the same doses that you would have taken at a club! Maybe it's different outside the US, but they don't use ketamine for colonoscopies. Or if they do, it's quite rare. Ketamine can produce quite unpleasant effects in patients. Sedation for colonoscopies is usually a sedative like midazolam and an opioid like fentanyl.
tokenadult 12y ago
Thanks for the interesting comment. It looks like propofol is pretty commonly used for colonoscopy sedation in the United States, not without controversy. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15990942 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15990942 http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/778967_8 http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/778967_8 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15768182 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15768182 http://www.latimes.com/opinion/la-ol-propofol-colonoscopies-doctors-mailbag-20131022-story.html http://www.latimes.com/opinion/la-ol-propofol-colonoscopies-...

blacksmith_tb 12y ago

I had noticeable psychosis courtesy of ketamine in the ICU after being run over by a truck. Likely having a broken pelvis etc. didn't contribute to a positive trip, of course, but I would be very reluctant to take it again (not that anyone asked at the time - or that I could have answered sensibly). But like most psychoactives, dosage is key...

refurb 12y ago
The WHO lists ketamine as a "essential medication" since it is an ideal anesthetic for countries with limited resources. It's quite safe (doesn't depress breathing) and effective. However, as you noticed, many folks who are treated with ketamine find the experience very unpleasant. Unless there is a good reason for using it as an anesthetic, doctors typically go with other drugs.

refurb 12y ago

If you've had a colonoscopy[0], there's a good chance you've already had ketamine, just not in the same doses that you would have taken at a club! Maybe it's different outside the US, but they don't use ketamine for colonoscopies. Or if they do, it's quite rare. Ketamine can produce quite unpleasant effects in patients. Sedation for colonoscopies is usually a sedative like midazolam and an opioid like fentanyl.

tokenadult 12y ago

Thanks for the interesting comment. It looks like propofol is pretty commonly used for colonoscopy sedation in the United States, not without controversy. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15990942 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15990942 http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/778967_8 http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/778967_8 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15768182 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15768182 http://www.latimes.com/opinion/la-ol-propofol-colonoscopies-doctors-mailbag-20131022-story.html http://www.latimes.com/opinion/la-ol-propofol-colonoscopies-...