Alabama healthcare providers are spreading the word on the dangers of a controlled substance they say doesn’t get as much attention. They’re referring to an anesthetic known as Ketamine. It can create hallucinations when used as a recreational drug. This harmful effect is sometimes referred to a “K HOLE.” Turner Huddleston is an emergency medicine pharmacist at DCH in Tuscaloosa. He says Ketamine can also be addictive.
“I feel like sometimes Ketamine does not always get in the limelight as a recreational drug,” said Huddleston. “You hear about things such as cocaine and fentanyl, and you associate those with overdoses and negative things as well, but Ketamine can certainly cause those same issues."
Ketamine made the news prior to last week’s lethal injection execution of Carey Grayson for the 2016 ax murders of five members of his girlfriend’s family in the town of Citronelle. His defense team proposed using Ketamine prior to death by nitrogen hypoxia, or a dose of the anesthetic followed by a fatal injection of Fentanyl. Hospitals use the drug as a pain killer under controlled conditions. Ketamine can cause hallucinations when it’s used as a recreational drug. Turner Huddleston says the reactions can get worse than that.
“In addition to that, on a more serious note, you can see really bad respiratory depression and even death, especially if it's used with other abused agents, such as, let's say, opioids or benzos or even alcohol, or if it's laced with another recreational drug as well,” he said.
The recreational use of Ketamine can also lead to physical or psychological addiction. The website Addiction.com lists Ketamine as the most popular recreational drug for young people between the ages of sixteen and twenty five. The most common user of the drug is reportedly male around the age of thirty one. Ketamine is also considered a date rape drug since it causes sedation and memory loss.