Ketogenic Diet: Does Ketone Go Bad?

Ketamine is a powerful dissociative drug that can cause hallucinations and feelings of detachment from one's body and the environment. It is primarily used as a veterinary anaesthetic, but it has also been approved for human use. Illicit forms of the drug are often abused recreationally. Ketamine is usually sold as a white or off-white powder but can also be found in liquid form. When used in medicine, it is a clear liquid. The effects of ketamine can last for around 30 minutes to an hour, but individuals may feel down and low in mood for a few days after using it. Regular ketamine use can lead to physical and mental health issues, including memory loss, depression, and liver damage. So, does ket go bad? Ketamine does not appear to have an expiration date, but it can be cut with other substances by dealers, and moisture or damp can ruin it.

Ketamine's shelf life

Ketamine is a powerful drug with a variety of medical and recreational uses. It is used by medical practitioners and veterinarians as an anaesthetic and has hallucinogenic properties. In its medicinal form, it is a clear liquid, while on the street, it is usually sold as a grainy white or light brown powder.

Ketamine has a relatively long shelf life. As a salt in water, in the cold, the dark, and free from air, it can last indefinitely. This is true for most drugs. However, ketamine is susceptible to moisture or dampness, which can cause it to go bad. To maximise its shelf life, it is recommended to keep it out of direct sunlight, in an airtight container, and in a cool, dry place.

The effects of ketamine can last for around 30 minutes to an hour, and individuals may feel down and low in mood for a few days after using it. It can be detected in a urine test for several days after taking it.

Ketamine is a dangerous drug that can cause serious harm and even death, especially when mixed with other drugs. It is classified as a dissociative drug, causing feelings of detachment from one's body and the environment. It can also lead to tolerance, physical dependence, and addiction. Regular use of ketamine can result in various physical and mental health issues, including urinary, bladder, and kidney problems, as well as psychological problems such as difficulty sustaining attention and significant personality changes.

Ketamine's effects on the body

Ketamine is a dissociative drug, which means it causes people to feel separated or detached from their body or physical environment. It is used by medical practitioners and veterinarians as an anaesthetic. However, it is also used illegally by people to get high.

Ketamine can be swallowed, snorted, or injected. It can also be smoked with cannabis or tobacco. The effects of ketamine may be felt within one minute if injected, 5–15 minutes if snorted, and up to 30 minutes if swallowed. Its effects can last for around an hour, however, an individual’s coordination or senses may be affected for up to 24 hours after initial use.

The effects of ketamine include:

• Feeling happy and relaxed
• Feeling detached from your body
• Lowered sensitivity to pain
• Visual and auditory hallucinations
• Confusion and clumsiness
• Increased heart rate and blood pressure
• Slurred speech and blurred vision

At high doses, ketamine can cause an intense detachment from reality, known as going into a "k-hole".

Regular use of ketamine can lead to various physical and mental health issues, including:

• Poor sense of smell (from snorting)
• Mood and personality changes, including depression
• Poor memory, thinking, and concentration
• Abnormal liver or kidney function
• "Ketamine bladder syndrome", a painful condition that may require ongoing treatment
• Dependence on ketamine
• Financial, work, and social problems

Additionally, mixing ketamine with other drugs, such as alcohol, benzos, opioids, or GHB, can have dangerous and unpredictable effects, including nausea, vomiting, difficulty breathing, passing out, and even death.

Ketamine's effects on the mind

Ketamine is a dissociative drug that can distort a person's sensory perception and impart a feeling of detachment from oneself and one's surroundings. It can also induce hallucinations, making things seem unreal and producing an out-of-body experience.

The drug has been shown to affect three key regions of the brain: the prefrontal cortex, the hippocampus, and the posteromedial cortex. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for planning and other executive functions, while the hippocampus influences memory formation. The posteromedial cortex, located in the back portion of the brain, is believed to be the site of ketamine's dissociative effects.

The effects of ketamine can vary from person to person and can be felt within minutes of use. At relatively low doses, these effects may include disorientation, confusion, or loss of motor coordination, dizziness, nausea, or vomiting. It can also increase blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, or body temperature.

At higher doses, ketamine can cause changes in sensory perceptions, including visual or auditory hallucinations, and a feeling of detachment from oneself and one's environment. It can also lead to what doctors call a "dissociative experience", or what is commonly referred to as a trip. This can include feelings of unreality, visual and sensory distortions, a distorted sense of one's body, temporary unusual thoughts and beliefs, and a sense of euphoria or a buzz.

Regular or long-term use of ketamine can have more serious effects on the mind, including damage to short- and long-term memory, depression, and psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations. It can also make existing mental health problems worse and lead to cognitive and emotional changes that may predispose someone to develop an addiction to ketamine or other substances.

Ketamine's legality

Ketamine is a controlled substance and is illegal to abuse in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and parts of Europe. However, it remains available legally in every state and many countries worldwide, and can be prescribed for at-home use. In the US, it is a Schedule III substance under the Controlled Substances Act, indicating a moderate-low potential for abuse and dependence. Federal and state laws in Australia provide penalties for possessing, using, making, selling, importing, exporting, or driving under the influence of ketamine.

Ketamine has a long history in medicine and was first approved for use in the US in 1970, where it was initially used as a dissociative anaesthetic during the Vietnam War. Today, it is recognised for its therapeutic value in treating mental health conditions, with effects like neuroplasticity and anti-inflammatory properties. It is also used as a sedative in emergency rooms worldwide.

Ketamine is a dissociative drug, causing people to feel separated or detached from their body or physical environment. It can be swallowed, snorted, injected, or smoked with cannabis or tobacco. Its effects can last for around an hour, but an individual's coordination or senses may be affected for up to 24 hours.

Ketamine's history of medicinal use

Ketamine was first synthesised in 1962 by Calvin L. Stevens, a professor of chemistry at Wayne State University. It was initially tested on animals, which provided promising results. It was also used for testing on human prisoners in 1964. In humans, ketamine proved to act faster and reduce toxic behaviour, which made it the preferable anesthetic choice over PCP. After promising trials, the FDA approved ketamine for medical use in 1970. It was first used on American soldiers during the Vietnam War for battlefield surgery.

Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic used medically for the induction and maintenance of anesthesia. It is also used as a treatment for depression and pain management. It is a compound that was derived from phencyclidine in 1962 in pursuit of a safer anesthetic with fewer hallucinogenic effects.

Ketamine is frequently used in severely injured people and appears to be safe in this group. It has been widely used for emergency surgery in field conditions in war zones, for example, during the Vietnam War. A 2011 clinical practice guideline supports the use of ketamine as a sedative in emergency medicine, including during physically painful procedures. It is the drug of choice for people in traumatic shock who are at risk of hypotension.

Ketamine is also used to treat status epilepticus that has not responded to standard treatments, but only case studies and no randomised controlled trials support its use. It has also been suggested as a possible therapy for children with severe acute asthma who do not respond to standard treatment.

Today, mental health professionals are using ketamine to treat treatment-resistant depression and other mental conditions such as PTSD. The FDA has also fast-tracked two drugs based on ketamine to treat depression.

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