Over the past few years, working shifts in the ER caring for patients with mental health issues, I have been struck by the increasing number of people who have come in under the influence of ketamine, the illegal “rave drug.”
From something that I almost never saw when I started working as a doctor, it has become, in the last decade, something common. I was working last weekend and saw three patients in a single night shift. They were all students and they had all been brought in after they took too much ketamine and became unresponsive; in fact, they fainted.
It’s amazing how quickly it has become the drug of choice among young people, even though most of the older generation knows very little about it.
Indeed, the latest figures, published last week, show that ketamine use among 16- to 24-year-olds reached record levels last year: almost one in 25 in this group in England had used it. This is a jump of a fifth from the 2020 figure, and is also four times higher than levels from a decade ago.
Ketamine, also called ‘ket’ or ‘Special K’ on the street, is sometimes called a horse tranquilizer and, when taken in small doses, is supposed to induce a feeling of euphoria in the user and a feeling of lightness and relaxation.
Ketamine is sometimes referred to as a horse tranquilizer and is supposed to induce a feeling of euphoria in the user and a light, relaxed feeling when taken in small doses.
It was first used as an anesthetic during the Vietnam War, but has only been used recreationally since the 1980s. Back then, it was an underground, niche drug used primarily by hardcore clubbers, and remained that way for decades. . When I was in college 25 years ago, I never heard of anyone taking it. Now everyone seems to be.
The problem, of course, is that it carries serious risks. I often see patients in what is colloquially called a “k-hole,” when the drug has the effect of separating them from reality. They feel trapped inside their body, conscious but unable to move or communicate. They dissociate and can hallucinate. It can be a terrifying experience, greatly distorting your sense of time, so that hours can pass and still seem like minutes.
Of course, this doesn’t happen to all users, although judging by the numbers I’ve seen in A&E k-holes, it clearly happens with surprising regularity.
Ketamine has been implicated in the deaths of 41 people since 1991, and seven in 2021 alone. Many are students who have taken too much, mixed it with other drugs, or died while under the influence.
However, when I talk to younger people about it, despite its potentially lethal effects, they don’t consider it a serious drug. I think that’s at least partly because it’s still classified as a Class B drug, which gives a false impression of harmlessness.
Even when people are with friends who have fallen into ak-hole, they often ignore it, saying that they will get out soon and not realizing that they are in a coma and could easily die.
Ketamine can also have a profound and long-term effect on memory and thinking.
It’s surprising how quickly ketamine has become the drug of choice among young people, yet most of the older generation know very little about it, writes Dr. Max.
It is also associated with terrible bladder problems. It can cause open, oozing sores inside the bladder and urinary tract and cause it to shrink. This can be so serious that the entire bladder needs to be removed. The pain of these symptoms can lead some to use more and more ketamine to numb them, creating a devastating downward spiral.
Why has it become so popular? Price, without a doubt, plays an important role. At £20 a gram, and with 100mg enough to send someone to a k-hole, you can see how cheap it is. I wonder if its potential use as an antidepressant, when prescribed correctly, is also generating interest.
Its use for depression is still quite experimental and not at all common, but it helps give it an air of legitimacy, especially among the younger generation who are so obsessed with mental health but don’t realize prescribing it in a clinical setting. It’s a world away from inhaling it in a club bathroom.
Activists are pushing for it to become a Class A drug in the hope that this will clarify how dangerous it is. But in the meantime, what do you do if you find someone who has taken ketamine?
If he is distressed or acting erratically, take him to a quiet place and ask him to sit and drink water while you calm him down. Talk to them about where they are and try to “ground” them in reality by describing their surroundings. If they remain very distressed or have hallucinations, they may need to go to the hospital to be evaluated. Never make them vomit as they may choke.
If someone isn’t moving or can’t communicate, they can probably still understand you, so offer them plenty of reassurance and, if you can, take them to a safe place.
If the person has stomach cramps, difficulty urinating, or blood in the urine, they should go to the hospital immediately. This is also the case if his breathing becomes shallow or less frequent, or if he has chest pain.
If he appears to be fluctuating in and out of consciousness or is unconscious, call an ambulance. Place them in the recovery position to keep their airways open. Stay with them and don’t leave them with friends (who might also have used drugs).
Have a very low threshold for calling an ambulance and don’t be intimidated by others who say this has happened before and they haven’t taken much; Neither you nor they know exactly what their friend took, how much, or what they cut it with.
If he has a seizure, take him to a safe place. Do not put him in the recovery position while he is being adjusted, but rather place a piece of clothing under his head to act as a cushion. And call an ambulance.
Newly trained dentists will be forced to work in the NHS under a plan to tackle the dental care crisis. It costs taxpayers £200,000 to train a dentist, who can then work privately straight away. This plan is sensible. This should also apply to doctors.
Gio’s mental health will be affected
Giovanni Pernice has promised to cooperate fully with the BBC investigation into his conduct on Strictly and clear his name. But what exactly has he done?
We know that Sherlock star Amanda Abbington claimed he stomped on her foot and allegedly made others cry. Beyond that, we don’t know. While they investigate him, his career is at stake and he could lose his livelihood.
Giovanni Pernice has promised to co-operate fully with the BBC investigation into his conduct on Strictly Come Dancing.
With accusations of this nature, one tends to assume that there is no smoke without fire. Of course, I have no idea if they are true or not, but I know that everyone’s mental health suffers when they are caught in a horrible situation like this.
It’s easy to see people in the public eye as easy prey; We love to judge and gossip, but it’s important to remember that behind the glamor of show business there are real people with real feelings.
Diagnoses of type 2 diabetes before midlife have increased by 40 percent. The tragedy is that people still do not understand the seriousness of this disease. The prognosis for people with type 2 diabetes is actually much worse than that of people with HIV, a disease that still strikes fear into people’s hearts.
In general, people with diabetes die 12 years earlier than those without diabetes. People also think it can be easily solved with tablets. But this is also wrong. It is necessary to educate the public about the reality of diabetes. We don’t want to scare people too much, but this complacency has to end.
Dr. Max prescribes… Matcha Tea
Yes, I know it’s not as nice as a cup of PG Tips, but this drink, loved by celebrities like actress Zendaya, Kourtney Kardashian and Bella Hadid, contains a compound called L-theanine, which has been shown to help with cramps. menstrual and as well as combat gum disease. A small study has also shown that it improves memory, attention, and reaction time.
Matcha tea contains a compound called L-theanine, which has been shown to help with menstrual cramps and fight gum disease.