Ketamine is available in powder and liquid form. The powder can be snorted or taken orally. The liquid can be injected intravenously, into a muscle (intramuscularly), or under the skin (subcutaneously).
Phencyclidine (PCP or angel dust) is most often smoked after being sprinkled on plant material, such as parsley, mint leaves, tobacco, or marijuana Marijuana Marijuana (cannabis) is a drug made from the plants Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica that contain a psychoactive chemical called delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)... read more (some street names are "wet" and "fry"). It can also be snorted or taken orally.
(See also Drug Use and Abuse Overview of Substance-Related Disorders Drugs are an integral part of everyday life for many people, whether the drugs are used for legitimate medical purposes or recreationally (see table Drugs with Medical and Recreational Uses)... read more .)
Symptoms
Ketamine and PCP cause giddiness and euphoria, which are often followed by bursts of anxiety. With high doses (overdose), users have a distorted perception of their body, the environment, and time. They feel scattered or as if they are not real (called depersonalization), and they feel detached from their environment (called dissociation).
At even higher doses, hallucinations and paranoid delusions may occur, and the sense of detachment from the world intensifies. Ketamine users often refer to these experiences as a k-hole. People may become combative. Coordination may be lost, and muscles tremble and jerk.
Very high doses may cause
A fast heart rate
Hypersexual behavior
Very high blood pressure
Seizures
Coma
Death in rare cases
Diagnosis
A doctor's evaluation
Doctor's base the diagnosis of ketamine use on the person's history of having used the drug and symptoms. Ketamine is not detected on routine urine drug testing. Special tests (called gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy testing) can be used to confirm the use of ketamine.
Treatment
Quiet, nonthreatening environment
Sometimes sedatives
Usually, reassurance and a quiet, nonthreatening environment help people recover from the effects of ketamine use. People usually return to normal consciousness in 45 minutes to several hours. Benzodiazepines (sedatives) can be used to control agitation and seizures.
