Special K, Ket or Kit Kat was popular as a party drug in the late 1990s, when it was commonly used at all-night raves, despite its sedative effects.
But its popularity waned in the 2000s when it became a Schedule III drug in the UK and concerns arose about its side effects, including hallucinations and, in rare cases, seizures.
Now, the drug is attracting new attention due to its role in the death of Friends star Matthew Perry, who was injected with ketamine 21 times in the week before his death.
The doctor accused of administering the drug, which ultimately killed him, recounted disturbing details of the drug’s effect on the actor’s body, including seizures and “freezing,” just days later. Before his death.
Here, we reveal how the substance, now used in private clinics for its supposed anti-depressant effect, can wreak havoc on the body within an hour of taking a single strong dose, leaving users paralysed, unable to breathe and choking on their own vomit.
Here, we reveal how the substance, now used in private clinics for its supposed anti-depressant effect, can wreak havoc on the body within an hour of taking a large dose, leaving users paralysed, unable to breathe and choking on their own vomit.
The drug is attracting new attention because of its role in the death of Friends star Matthew Perry (pictured), who was given ketamine up to six times a day in the week before his death.
Even at low doses, long-term use can cause serious, irreversible damage to the bladder and kidneys, and excruciating abdominal pain, sometimes known as cramps.
Ketamine acts as an anesthetic by blocking the neurotransmitter N-methyl-D-aspartate (NDMA), which controls the actions of the nervous system.
This can quickly decrease sensations, prevent pain, induce sleep, or even inhibit memory.
For this reason, it is usually taken in small doses for non-anesthetic purposes and in large doses as an anesthetic in a medical setting, for example before an operation.
In smaller doses, it produces feelings of euphoria, out-of-body experiences, and hallucinations in users.
If injected, the effects of ketamine can kick in within as little as a minute. Users typically feel the effects within five to 15 minutes if inhaled and half an hour if ingested.
Inhaling ketamine produces a more potent effect, may present a higher risk of addiction, and may damage the nasal passage.
While its effects (when taken in smaller doses) can last for about an hour, the user’s coordination or senses may be affected for up to 24 hours after initial use.
Signs and symptoms of ketamine overdose or toxicity may vary depending on the amount of Ket consumed.
Typically, within a couple of minutes of taking the drug, users experience an increased heart rate and even palpitations.
At the same time, blood pressure drops over a period of 10 to 20 minutes, leading to a feeling of dizziness and fainting. A rapid and dramatic drop is a key sign of overdose or toxicity, which can occur with a large dose.
Its numbing effect also causes users to stop responding more quickly.
When in this state, users experience rapid, involuntary eye movements, dilated pupils, and muscle stiffness, as if they were “frozen.”
Its effect on muscle relaxation also suppresses the respiratory system, causing sudden difficulty swallowing and making breathing difficult.
This lack of oxygen, in turn, can even lead to permanent brain damage.
Tolerance to the drug, which usually comes in crystalline powder or liquid form, is known to develop rapidly when used recreationally.
This causes users to need more and more to feel the same high, increasing the risk of overdose or experiencing adverse side effects.
Higher doses can also cause a phenomenon called “k-hole,” an intense feeling of dissociation, delirium, and disconnection or inability to connect with reality.
On October 28, Perry was found unconscious in the hot tub of his Los Angeles home by his assistant Kenneth Iwamasa. The cause of his death was later determined to be “acute effects of ketamine.” Pictured here, Perry in August 2023, three months before his death.
Special K, Ket or Kit Kat (pictured), as it is also known, was popular as a party drug in the late 1990s, when it was commonly consumed at all-night raves.
According to the Bristol Drugs Project, a charity providing drug and alcohol services, a high and potentially lethal dose is around 150mg, compared with a common dose of 3mg.0-75 mg.
Experts have long warned that while death from ketamine poisoning alone is rare, since paralysis is a side effect of taking the drug, if users start vomiting they risk choking on their own vomit.
Shocking details of the days leading up to Matthew Perry’s death emerged Thursday as Plascencia and four other alleged conspirators were arrested following a grand jury indictment.
Perry was found unconscious in the hot tub of his Los Angeles home on October 28 by his assistant Kenneth Iwamasa.
The cause of death was later determined to be “acute effects of ketamine.”
Iwamasa has since admitted to administering the fatal doses to the actor, after having been trained by Plascencia to administer them.
On Oct. 4, Iwamasa reported that he had successfully injected Perry, noting that he “found the sweet spot, but trying different places caused him to run out” of ketamine.
The affidavit alleges that Perry spent $55,000 on ketamine supplied by Plascencia in the two months before he died, and that Iwamasa injected Perry with 27 doses of ketamine in just five days.
‘Matthew Perry’s journey began with unscrupulous doctors who abused their position of trust because they saw it as a payday, to street dealers who gave him ketamine in unmarked vials,’ said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram.
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An autopsy determined the amount in Perry’s blood was within the range used for general anesthesia during surgery, and listed “acute effects of ketamine” as the primary cause of death.
Experts have long warned that the rise in ketamine use has been driven by both its affordability and availability.
It is believed to cost around £20 a gram, compared with £40 a gram for MDMA and £100 for cocaine.
High-profile backers such as Elon Musk, who earlier this year revealed the drug was “helpful” in “getting him out of a negative mental state”, may also be behind the surge, it has been suggested.
Figures released by the Office for National Statistics show that one in 20 (4.8 per cent) of 20- to 24-year-olds in England and Wales last year admitted to taking the drug, which is more popular among men.
Compared to just 0.9 percent among all age groups.
But activists have also called ketamine a “campus killer” and linked it to dozens of student deaths in recent years, according to the National Substance Abuse Death Program.
Ketamine is only licensed in the UK as an anaesthetic, but can also be prescribed off-licence as a painkiller. These versions are medical grade and have been proven to be safe.
The class B drug is also increasingly being studied as a possible treatment for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
