Ketamine: What Is It, Uses, Treatments, Effects, And More Effects

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Medical News TodaySubscribeWhat are the uses of ketamine?

Medically reviewed by Alex Nguyen, PharmD, RPh, CPh — Written by Kathleen Davis, FNP — Updated on May 14, 2025

What is it?
Side effects
Risks
Coming down
Abuse
Ketamine addiction
Summary

Ketamine is a medication that doctors use as an anesthetic to induce loss of consciousness. Under the Controlled Substances Act, health experts consider ketamine a schedule III non-narcotic substance.

Ketamine is a Schedule III non-narcotic that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved for use only as a general anesthetic. However, doctors sometimes prescribe it for “off-label” uses, such as depression. Off-label means using the drugs to treat conditions the FDA has not approved.

Some people use ketamine for its hallucinogenic properties. Ketamine can sedate, incapacitate, and cause short-term memory loss.

While ketamine is safe to use in controlled medical practice, it becomes hazardous if someone takes it for recreational use, as it may result in potentially life threatening adverse effects.

Keep reading to learn more about the uses, side effects, and risks of ketamine, as well as its interactions with alcohol and other drugs.

What is ketamine?

vials of ketamine and a syringe-1 — Darwin Brandis/Getty Images

Ketamine (Ketalar) is a dissociative anesthetic. Doctors use it to induce general anesthesia for medical procedures that do not require muscle relaxation.

General anesthesia denotes a sleep-like state, while dissociative refers to the effect of feeling disconnected.

»Learn more:What are dissociation and depersonalization?

Therapeutic uses of ketamine

The FDA has approved ketamine for general anesthesia only, but the drug has some off-label uses. Details are below.

Inducing general anesthesia

Doctors use ketamine to induce general anesthesia alone or with other general anesthetics, such as nitrous oxide. They use it in the emergency department setting to produce short-term sedation when:

reducing fractures
treating joint dislocations
repairing wounds in uncooperative individuals, such as children

Treating pain

Practitioners use low doses that do not produce dissociation to relieve severe pain from the following conditions:

trauma
fractures
abdominal pain
arm or leg pain
low back pain

Treating status epilepticus

Status epilepticus is when a person has a seizure that lasts longer than 5 minutes or has more than one seizure within 5 minutes.

Refractory status epilepticus (RSE) is a form of status epilepticus that does not respond to standard antiseizure drugs. It is a severe disease that can cause brain damage and death.

»More on this:What to know about epilepsy

Treating depression

Research has found that ketamine can quickly relieve depression in people who do not respond well to other treatment.

The authors of a 2023 review of studies suggested that the type of ketamine and the right dose are key factors influencing how well it works as a treatment for depression. They also noted that higher doses of ketamine appear to help reduce depression symptoms at all stages of treatment.

Treating anxiety

Research into the use of ketamine for anxiety is scarce, but there is evidence that it has fast-acting, anxiety-relieving effects. A 2022 review noted that studies use such varied protocols for treating anxiety with ketamine that it is difficult to draw clear conclusions about its effects.

However, the authors did highlight that the anxiety-relieving effects of ketamine are temporary, with symptoms often returning around 2 weeks after taking it.

More research into treating anxiety with ketamine is necessary.

The side effects of ketamine

The most common side effects of ketamine at prescribed doses include:

drowsiness
double vision
confusion
nausea
vomiting
dizziness
a feeling of unease

Ketamine can also produce an extensive array of other symptoms that affect many parts of the body, but they are less common.

Risks of ketamine

Evidence shows that ketamine is safe for use in people within a wide age range when taken correctly.

However, ketamine is only safe when a person takes the drug their doctor has prescribed for a specific purpose.

Despite the general safety, ketamine carries the following risks:

Instability of heart and blood vessel function: This may include a temporary increase in blood pressure and heart rate or a decrease in blood pressure and heart rate. Abnormal heart rhythms may also occur.
Respiratory depression: This can happen in an overdosage or if the rate of administration is rapid.
Emergence reactions: Such reactions include agitation or confusion within the postoperative recovery period.
Increase in intracranial pressure: Due to this effect, practitioners should closely monitor anyone with high intracranial pressure.
Liver injury: The administration of ketamine may cause liver dysfunction.
Cognitive, or thinking, deficits: Some research reports that these effects occur in children.

Doctors do not recommend ketamine for people of any age who have conditions in which high blood pressure could lead to:

aneurysm
uncontrolled high blood pressure
heart attack
aortic tear

The drug is also not suitable for individuals with schizophrenia or who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Coming down from ketamine

The day after taking ketamine, a person may experience the following:

disorientation
aches and pains
impaired judgment
anxiety
clumsiness

Ketamine as a drug of abuse

Ketamine makes people feel detached from their environment, eases pain, and produces hallucinations, which has led to its inappropriate use.

Individuals who take ketamine recreationally report sensations, such as being separated from their body or a pleasant feeling of floating. Some people have an almost complete sensory detachment that they compare to a near-death experience.

The drug is popular among teens and young adults at dance clubs. People who use it claim that a ketamine trip is superior to a PCP or LSD trip because it produces shorter-term hallucinations that last 30 minutes to an hour instead of several hours.

Ketamine also causes individuals to have no memory of events that happen while they are under its influence. Due to this effect and its ability to sedate and incapacitate people, rapists may use it as a date-rape drug. Perpetrators who use it in this manner may slip it into a beverage of the person they wish to victimize. Because it is odorless and tasteless, a person cannot detect it.

Street names of ketamine include:

Cat tranquilizer
Jet K
Cat valium
Purple
Kit Kat
Special La Coke
Super K
Special K
Super acid
Vitamin K

It is important to note that ketamine is no longer safe when individuals take it inappropriately. The danger increases with regular use since it can harm health and other aspects of life. The side effects and risks can be so severe that they cause death.

Ketamine and alcohol

No person with alcohol use disorder or alcohol intoxication should take ketamine, even in doctor-prescribed doses, as it can cause death. Both alcohol and ketamine are central nervous system depressants, so the combined effects are dangerous.

Ketamine and other drugs

The following adverse drug interactions are possible:

Theophylline (Theo 24) or aminophylline (Norphyl): These drugs treat airway obstruction in people with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Taking one of them together with ketamine may lower the threshold for seizures, which would increase their risk.
Vasopressin (Vasostrict): This class of drugs constricts blood vessels and helps treat low blood pressure. Because ketamine also has this effect, a doctor should prescribe a lower dose to avoid the dangers of too much blood vessel constriction.
Central nervous system (CNS) depressants: The CNS consists of the brain and spinal cord. Drugs that suppress CNS action include benzodiazepines, which are antianxiety medications, such as diazepam (Valium), or opioid pain relievers, such as oxycodone (OxyContin). Taking one of these with ketamine may result in profound sedation, coma, and death.

Overdose

One of the dangers of ketamine overdose involves a higher risk of accidents and injuries due to impaired alertness. High doses can also cause death that stems from their physical effects. If an individual experiences any of the following symptoms, a bystander should call 911 to get immediate medical attention:

rigid muscles or inability to move
fast heartbeat
convulsions
high blood pressure
unconsciousness
near-death experience

Is ketamine addictive?

The Controlled Substance Act classifies ketamine as a Schedule III non-narcotic drug. Because of its pain-relieving and mental effects, it can cause dependence, the need to take higher doses to get the same effect, and addiction.

Like any other addiction, ketamine can create a powerful bond that takes control of a person’s life. It is critically important that an individual who engages in inappropriate use of ketamine get professional counseling and treatment.

»Learn more:What are the symptoms of addiction?

Help is available

Seeking help for addiction may feel daunting or even scary, but several organizations can provide support.

If you believe that you or someone close to you is showing signs of addiction, you can contact the following organizations for immediate help and advice:

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): 800-662-4357 (TTY: 800-487-4889)
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988

Summary

Ketamine is a general anesthetic that doctors use in emergency room settings to perform procedures such as reducing fractures and treating joint dislocations.

Some studies suggest the drug may have other medical uses, but more research is necessary to prove its safety and effectiveness in these areas.

It is important to distinguish between the valid medical uses and the nonmedical uses of the drug. Although people with certain heart conditions should not take ketamine, it is generally safe when a trained professional administers it in clinical settings.

In contrast, no recreational use of the drug is safe, as it can cause addiction and adverse health effects that can lead to death.

Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs
Pain / Anesthetics
Urology / Nephrology

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesMedical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Aussem P. (2025). Ketamine.https://drugfree.org/drugs/ketamine/
Ketalar (ketamine hydrochloride) injection, for intravenous or intramuscular use, CIII. (2020).https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2020/016812s046lbl.pdf
Ketamine. (2025).https://adf.org.au/drug-facts/ketamine/
Ketamine. (2020).https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-06/Ketamine-2020.pdf
Maloney WJ, et al. (2018). The health effects of the abuse of ketamine.https://clinmedjournals.org/articles/ijda/international-journal-of-depression-and-anxiety-ijda-1-006.php?jid=ijda
Nikolin S, et al. (2023). Ketamine for the treatment of major depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10430179/
Rosenbaum SB, et al. (2024). Ketamine.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470357/
Tully JL, et al. (2022). Ketamine treatment for refractory anxiety: A systematic review.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9540337/

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Medically reviewed by Alex Nguyen, PharmD, RPh, CPh — Written by Kathleen Davis, FNP — Updated on May 14, 2025

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