Ketamine
Dissociative anesthetic and anti-depressant / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic used medically for induction and maintenance of anesthesia. It is also used as a treatment for depression and pain management.[18] It is a novel compound that was derived from phencyclidine in 1962 in pursuit of a safer anesthetic with fewer hallucinogenic effects.[19][20]
At anesthetic doses, ketamine induces a state of dissociative anesthesia, a trance-like state providing pain relief, sedation and amnesia.[21] Its distinguishing features as anesthesia are preserved breathing and airway reflexes, stimulated heart function with increased blood pressure, and moderate bronchodilation.[21] At lower, sub-anesthetic doses, it is a promising agent for pain and treatment-resistant depression.[22] As with many antidepressants, the results of a single administration wane with time.[23] The long-term effects of repeated use are largely unknown, and are an area of active investigation.[24][25][26]
Liver and urinary toxicity have been reported among regular users of high doses of ketamine for recreational purposes.[27] Ketamine is an NMDA receptor antagonist, accounting for most of its psychoactive effects.[28]
Ketamine was first synthesized in 1962 and approved for use in the United States in 1970.[18] It has been regularly used in veterinary medicine and was extensively used for surgical anesthesia in the Vietnam War.[29] Along with other psychotropic drugs, it is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[30] It is available as a generic medication.[31] When used as a recreational drug, it is found both in crystalline powder and liquid form, and is often referred to by recreational users as "Special K" or simply "K". It is used as a recreational drug for its hallucinogenic and dissociative effects.[32]