What You Need to Know About Ketamine (K, Special K, Vitamin K)

Ketamine is known on the street as Vitamin K, K, or Special K.  It is a dangerous and powerful drug that has become increasingly popular in the past decade. The legal uses of ketamine include providing anesthesia by doctors and veterinarians during surgery, sedation for intensive care units and as a pain reliever in emergency medicine in critical cases.  It is known to have side effects such as hallucinations, rapid pulse, delirium, disassociation and impaired judgment and memory. It can also cause cardiac issues and respiratory problems.

 It is not recommended for long term use by doctors and recreational users put themselves at risk for many problems. Chronic users may develop memory problems, amnesia type episodes of irrational behavior, depression, and cognitive impairments that can be irreversible.  When used in conjunction with other sedatives such as barbiturates, benzodiazepines, opiates and alcohol, ketamine will increase the effect of those substances.

Ketamine is meant to be administered in controlled doses under close medical supervision. Unfortunately, recreational users often have no idea of the dosage or purity of the ketamine they are consuming.  Their ketamine may be “cut” and mixed with other drugs by people who sell it for a profit, which makes the ketamine exceedingly dangerous and unpredictable and even deadly. Because ketamine is often injected, the user is also in danger of contracting infections or diseases, if shared needles are used. Powder form can also be snorted.

Ketamine is reported to be relatively easy to obtain. Because it is used by veterinarians, it has led to veterinarian’s offices experiencing an increase in break-ins to obtain the drug.

Ketamine is one of the few psychedelic drugs that is addictive. This makes it extremely dangerous because chromic use has been proven to create cognitive problems and psychiatric issues. As you can see, there is nothing good or special about the recreational use of “vitamin K” aka “special K”.