Ketamine is used primarily as an anesthetic in human beings and in animals. The ketamine addiction program has been shown to be effective in patients with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), formerly known as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), a debilitating chronic pain syndrome. It has also been used in the treatment of acute pain, addiction and experimentally to treat depression. It is sometimes used for recreational purposes. It is known by the nicknames, ‘K’, ‘Ket’, ‘Special K’, ‘Vitamin K’, ‘Pony dust’ and others.
Penalties For Possession
At the start of the 21st Century, more than 80 percent of arrests and drug seizures for ‘K’ were for products that were manufactured in Mexico. Today, most of the recreationally-used drug comes from India. It is a Class C Drug. This means that it carries the most lenient penalties for personal possession, although possession with intent to supply is still punishable by a prison sentence.
Helpful Uses
The main use of ‘K’ is in anesthesia. It may be used as the sole anesthetic in children. Because it suppresses breathing significantly less than other anesthetics, it is useful in patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It is used in emergency medicine for trapped patients suffering from trauma, on the battlefield and in cases where the patient’s fluid status cannot be accurately assessed (for example, at the scene of a traffic accident).
CRPS/RSD
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome is a progressive chronic pain condition. It has motor, dystrophic, autonomic and sensory components. The term, ‘dystrophy’ means muscle degeneration. The pain is constant and gets worse with the passage of time. It is often accompanied by swelling and redness of the skin. It may start in a leg or an arm and spread to other regions of the body.
Treatment Techniques
There are two recognized approaches to the use of ketamine in RSD/CRPS. One technique involves placing the subject into a medically-induced coma and giving them a large dose of the drug. This modality has not been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration but is widely used in Germany and in parts of Mexico. The other approach is to give a low dose by slow infusion over a period of a few days. This can be done in a hospital or an outpatient clinic. There is also drug group counseling.
Studies
In a small number of studies, ‘K’ was shown to markedly improve depression in patients who had not responded to any other drugs. It was originally observed to improve depressive symptoms associated with CRPS/RSD when used to treat that condition. These results were not formally documented, as the primary outcome measure was the management of pain.
Successful Uses
Doctors in Russia have reported promising results using ketamine to treat both heroin addiction and alcoholism. Sixty out of eighty-six alcoholic males remained abstinent for one year using a combination of ‘K’ and psychotherapy. Similar results were achieved with heroin addicts.
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