Ketamine Detox Explained: A Step by Step Overview

Want to know what a Ketamine detox is? Have questions about Ketamine addiction? Read on to have Ketamine detox explained! Let our experienced addictions clinicians give you an overview so you can have the right information.

Here at Find Me a Rehab we have experienced addictions clinicians with many decades of experience treating people experiencing addiction. If you need advice on Ketamine addiction we provide Free Clinician Drug Advice. For 24 Hour Addiction Help: Call.

What is Ketamine?

Ketamine is a prescription only anaesthetic drug that is used both with humans and animals. Widely used to sedate horses and large animals it is also used by specialist doctors at roadside accidents when performing emergency procedures such as amputations. Latterly it has begun to be used, in far smaller doses, to enhance the effects of talking therapies, which helps in explaining Ketamine detox.

While not developed for its ability to make people hallucinate and cause psychedelic effects these are two reasons why people use it without a prescription. It is not a drug that your GP would prescribe. It is only, usually, used on humans in operating theatres, accident and emergency and in specialist therapy centers for psychological treatments (in micro doses).

People tend to use Ketamine, without a prescription, so they can experience strange sounds and sights. Moreover it gives the person a strong sense of detachment, not only from themselves, but also from their environment. Unfortunately, Ketamine can cause very serious, and permanent, bladder damage. The damage can be so serious that permanent catherization is needed. Ketamine, outside of prescribed use, is dangerous.

Usually produced as a clear liquid, it can also be manufactured as a white powder. Usually, when used outside of a clinical setting people inject it. Often, people mix it with opioids, cannabis and alcohol. In powdered form it is easily added to cigarettes, including cannabis joints.

Ketamine Withdrawal

Research from the America (Maryland Centre for Substance Abuse Research: CESAR) suggests that, if abused, you don’t actually become physically dependent on Ketamine as you would, say, on alcohol. This means that if you stopped suddenly you would not, ordinarily, put yourself at risk of a medical emergency. However, when someone uses a lot of ketamine, over a long period of time, they will experience extreme cravings. Indeed, the cravings need to be acknowledged in order to have Ketamine detox clearly explained.

When someone keeps taking Ketamine it changes brain chemistry meaning that you will need to take more of the drug to have the same effect that a small amount used to. Because of this physiological change a cycle emerges where someone has to use more and more of the drug and is petrified to stop. The body will, very quickly, develop a tolerance to Ketamine, especially when someone binges (using large amounts in small time periods).

Research, especially from the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, indicates that when someone stops taking Ketamine after protracted use (similar to Cocaine use) they will experience very intense cravings but not the same physical symptoms as with other drugs. The cravings are so extreme that, even though the person knows the risks and dangers of continued use, they will reach for the drug to stop the cravings. This behavior is part of why it’s important to have Ketamine detox explained clearly.

Ketamine Withdrawal Symptoms

When someone on Ketamine stops taking it they will encounter varying signs of withdrawal:

• Extreme cravings for Ketamine
• Rapid mood swings
• Intense anxiety
• Chronic insomnia
• Rapid onset depression
• Severe fatigue
• Nausea
• Tremors
• Heavy sweating
• Chest pains
• High body temperature
• Ketamine Withdrawal Timeline

There is no hard and fast timeline as to when someone will start to experience withdrawals. It could be a few hours or it could be a few days. Anecdotally, our clinicians have witnessed symptoms within 24 hours of stopping. This, usually, starts with a rapid deterioration in mood. The next stage of withdrawal may well not present until two weeks after this (lasting up to a month) and this is where the physical symptoms begin to show: Extreme anxiety, significant tremor, profuse sweating and chest pain. A worryingly high body temperature is also a common sign. Usually, these are “self limiting” meaning that, without medical intervention, they will resolve themselves. However, these symptoms will, invariably, lead to intolerable cravings. These are so intense that the urge to use is often completely overwhelming and the only way to deal with them is to use Ketamine. It’s important to have Ketamine detox explained by a professional to manage this effectively.

Ketamine withdrawal detox

As with alcohol, some people try and reduce their use to a point where they no longer need Ketamine. This is known as tapering. While, theoretically, possible, none of our clinicians have ever seen a patient that has successfully managed to do this.

A treatment plan usually involves a planned stoppage within a safe and monitored environment with staff on hand to attend to any medical emergencies. There are various medications that are used, on an “as and when” basis to cover the physical withdrawal from Ketamine. Commonly, a short course of benzodiazepines, beta blockers and sleeping medication for a few days will provide a safe transfer from Ketamine dependency to recovery.

Here at Find Me a Rehab we have experienced addictions clinicians with many decades of experience treating people experiencing addiction. If you need advice on Ketamine addiction we provide Free Clinician Drug Advice. For 24 Hour Addiction Help: Call.

Treatment for Ketamine Addiction

While the physical aspects of withdrawal are important to manage, the psychological aspects have to be dealt with. No one desires to be addicted to drugs and using Ketamine is a symptoms of unresolved psychological issues. Thus, having the process of Ketamine detox explained in conjunction with therapy can be beneficial.

In a rehab center, whatever the issues behind someone’s use, these are explored, challenged and resolved in an atmosphere of calmness and where no one will be judged. Group therapy is the mainstay of rehab at every center across the world. In addition, individual therapies are also built in to the timetable as are family therapy, mediation, art therapy, etc.

Here at Find Me a Rehab we have experienced addictions clinicians with many decades of experience treating people experiencing addiction. If you need advice on Ketamine addiction we provide Free Clinician Drug Advice. For 24 Hour Addiction Help: Call.

Recent Posts