UK : Ketamine - Health Problems Increasing

[General Lighting]

K has been around in the UK for about 6/7 years now (at least as a common drug) and has become more popular recently as its easier to get than pills and less risky for dealers...

And because of what appear to be only short term effects and less comedowns/sleeplessness/mental problems (although they do happen) people are more likely to binge on it and some take it regularly during the week; often as casually as lighting a cigarette..

Anyway lots of people from the messageboards and a few personal friends of mine are sufferring very nasty chronic (i.e long lasting) health problems; mostly affecting the liver or kidneys. Others are being admitted to hospital for various medical emergencies linked to problems with these organs

I'm not a medical professional so I don't know exactly why this is happening but from the evidence on line and from speaking to friends it clearly seems that just like other party drugs the long term effects are coming to light.

The numbers are becoming significant as well - When otherwise healthy young people suffer major organ failure or are always in and out of the doctors because they are ill someone counts the numbers and wants to find out why they are getting ill (it could after all be some sort of nasty epidemic!)

Look after yourselves - when you are feeling particularly rough after a weekend its your body trying to tell you something...

Incidentally every time someone goes to doctor or hospital because of recreational drugs the case is noted (not their names, these are kept anonymous) - the anonymised info passed by the Primary Care Trust (your doctors and hospitals) to the Drugs Action Team for the region in which the incident occurs.

This info is then discussed by the Police and Councils as well as healthcare professionals and is used to decide how much resources are put into anti-drugs enforcement (including dealing with "pro-drugs" communities such as ravers!)

[General Lighting]

right this is getting a sticky now..

whatever peoples personal views are on the drug (and I have used it myself) its excessive use is fucking up more people than bird flu is at the moment so worth taking note.

Kidney failure finished off my dad but he was in his late 50s so at least he had a good few years of life before that .... Some of my uncles who drank too much have had liver problems. Some are dead, others very ill.

But I'm reading stuff about people younger than me getting the sort of symptoms like what my dad had when he was in his late 30s/40s :( luckily for them medical science increases all the time so hopefully people will eventually get better but if you end up in hospital there's other risks like MRSA even if you are young....

[leane]

hello i am a ket user and have been for 6 and a half years now. at the start it was great . no comedown , even my nose wasn't blocked for ages it was cool. but as for now. i am having problems with my stomach .also my liver. hospital dunno anything about the k use apart from tha fact that it is the route and cause of these probs .I cant even tell you how many things i used to know to be fact and now cannot remember. I am missing NOTICABLE chunks gone from my life all from loss of memory in last 2/3 years . I still cannot turn down a phat line at a party. it is a bad bad nasty unhealthy but considerably moorish drug and i love it ........ the bitch.

[cliffchuff]

The role of theNMDAneurotransmitter system in relation
to psychosis is not completely understood, however, pharmacological,
post-mortem and clinical studies have implicated
the NMDA system has been implicated in the pathophysiology
of schizophrenia (Olney & Farber, 1995).

A growing body of pre-clinical research implicates the
NMDA class of glutamate receptors in the pathophysiology
of major depression and the mechanism, of action of antidepressant
treatments (Skolnick, Layer, & Popnik, 1996). A
small study of those with diagnosed major depression reported
robust decreases in depressive symptoms, emerging
progressively over 3 days, following low-dose ketamine infusion
(Berman, Cappiello, & Anand, 2000).

A recent study of healthy, human
volunteers reported that ketamine was subjectively reinforcing
in humans and this was correlated with response inhibition
in a battery of memory tests (Morgan, Mofeez, et al.,
2004).
This evidence of the dependence producing potential of
ketamine was supported in a recent Australian study of 100
recreational ketamine users that found around one in five
(22%) of participants reported physical tolerance to ketamine
(Dillon, Copeland, & Jansen, 2003). This is consistent with
reports of tolerance to ketamine following multiple anaesthetics
(Byer & Gould, 1981; Cumming, 1976).
A paper by Lim (2003) reported on two case

and i found this

Conclusions: Ketamine inhibited monoamine transporters expressed in human embryonic kidney cells in a dose-dependent manner. This result suggests that the ketamine-induced inhibition of monoamine transporters might contribute to its psychotomimetic and sympathomimetic effects through potentiating monoaminergic neurotransmission.

In an Anesthesiology Journal which may explain why Ketamin effects the Kidneys, could it be that the Kidneys showing a preference for ketamine above other substances focus on it in much the same way the Liver is attracted to Alcohol?


I guess time will tell, I do know that during my heavest ketamine use i had four urinary infections unconnected so sexual health and two of these went to my Kidneys and were the most painfull experience of my life (worse than pluracy and dysentry by far) though i was never sure if the vodka was simply magnifying my dehydration?

Time will tell eh...

[General Lighting]

worth noting there is also a larger binge-drinking culture associated with raves nowadays.

People drink alcohol before raves; they drink during raves and after them to try and soften the comedown. The effect of stimulants makes people able to "handle" more - but I'm sure this must eventually be pretty harsh on your insides.

incidentally any chance of explaining some of the med-speak in the first few quotes? I can understand some of it because I now work for a healthcare company; but my job is to count money and fix computers, not people - if I try to explain this stuff I may get it horribly wrong.

[cliffchuff]

NMDA is a neurotransmitter, there are six neurotransmitter systems identified to date that are looked at in terms of substance misuse, Dopamine (stimulants speed & cocaine) associated with reinforcing behaviours necessary to life like eating, sex and social contact.
Serotonin (MDMA) associated with satiety or fullness/completion a Dopamine regulator.
Opiate receptors regulate pain physical and emotional.
Benzodiazipenes are associated with 'connection' and a 'cluck' is triggered in this system when our mum leaves the room, we go into withdrawal, which biological makes good sense from a safety angle, and this i why i think benzo's are such fuckers for people to kick its like being back on the tit and you never want to let go.
GABA receptors are often linked to alcohol and that feeling the morning after when you feel like you are shit and a total cunt and nasty horrible person, that's a GABA crash.
Without spending hours getting it straight enough in my own head to explain, NMDA receptors are involved in the transmission of these brain chemicals and have associations with regulation and alostasis (the brain always seeks to regain a stable state or balance no matter what shit you pump into it)

I doubt that's very clear sorry off to work and multi tasking.


depression is basically a stable brain state, if you like the Brain gets fucked off with to much stimulation and turns down the volume, it actually cannibalises receptors, this new stable sate does not involve a lot of feeling = depression.

many drugs have been linked to changes in these vital (for emotional health) functions.

please ask for any clarification

Cliff

[DJ-Zion]

It quite funny reading this acctualy we have just had a weekend of it and my mate got rushed into hospital yesturday apparently because of a stomach ulcur but we have yet to hear from the doctors he was in servier pain i just hope it isn't K releated

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Living in a K hole is like living in heaven

6 or 7 yrs ago , fucking hell mate i was bang into k when i lived in london in 1992 thats 14ys or so, when i first took it , it was really fluffy the substance that is, it was as safe as fuck then no one was choping it up with salt and other nasty products, i have been in hosptial a few times now with my kidneys due to massive amounnts of whiskey, but i was told i have to tekll the docs now the extent of my k habit, as its now used as an anesthetic drug in this country

[wickedwreckage]

[SD]

I do too much K... weekly usually,

I always have kidney problems and I get bladder infections...

I have a friend who got so fucked up on it she ended up in hospital like 6 times with life threatening bladder infections...
The medical profession dont fully understand the mechanisms behind K at the moment so linking these problems together is taking a while.

Every now and then I have some, and its a certain thing that its cut with. but within minutes my throat starts to close up, i can literally feel mucous forming in mythroat and nose.. My lungs start to close down... Its FUCKIN SCARY!

I ended up in an ambulance a coupke of weeks ago with a K induced asthma/panic attack/k hole... not good

God knows what it is this stuffs cut with.
K is so hit and miss, different strengths etc...
Ive heard of peeps cutting it with washing up liquid while its still liquid to make it go further when cooked!

Gone are the days of rose water bottles direct form the souce and buying it for £5 a g...

[AJS]

I used to batter the k. I loved it. I've been straight for a few years now and I really miss it sometimes.
I've got a mate who's caned it in frightening quantities for the last 5/6 years. He's a propper pisshead too but he continues to be fit and healthy despite the fact that he's only gt one kidney!
On the other hand, my ex, who has never taken any drugs and doesn't drink much, fell down the stairs and banged her head and now can't remember if she used to have a memory or not.
Life's a bitch and then you die so fuck the world and let's get high!

[padmakara]

Personally, I wonder if the K cramps are caused by nor-ketamine moreso than ketamine itself.

The severe ones were dramatic, writhing pain on a level 9 or 10. I only received them three occasions when my blood level of K was high from constant (2-3g nasal/day) use and then hit a high dose of oral K (how high? anyone's guess... couple grams at least I don't really measure.) The cramps happened at exactly the 12 hour point post ingestion.... awakening me from sleep.

I'm happy to say that I rid myself of a virtually endless supply of the stuff because I was losing it after six months of daily usage, morning til night. I attempted to use it to control chronic pain. At first I always dosed oral cause I wanted the longest lasting effects possible. I'd carry a liter of water around spiked with it sippin on it all day. This lasted a couple weeks with no noticable side effects (actually felt better than I have in YEARS)... then some abdominal cramping developed, enough to make me switch to the nasal pathway.

Big mistake, as low dose K is far more addictive this way since you have to bump so often. After fooling around with using it once or twice daily for a few weeks, I kept noticing that the comedown would immediatly cause pain to come back that I was treating with the K... especially cause I would use the K as a crutch for any heavy lifting/hard work I had to do that I normally couldn't do cause of pain. Point being, I worked up to several grams a day.

I could hit 500mg and only get buzzed. Of course, my nose began bleeding so often this couldn't last long. So I got myself some needles.

Well damn, wouldn't you know, when your ass and thighs are so bruised from IM injections you can barely walk, and a good 800-1000mg dose it what it takes to feel 'normal' (not paranoid, thoughts racing, insanity feeling) you've got yourself a real problem. After missing and missing my veins (I kept going all the way through damn it) and injecting four full 1000mg syringes as fast as I can and snortin some to boot... I found myself just begging God for release. For anything, help me fight this demon. I resolved to flush my remainder in the ocean (an insult to the ocean yes but its power is certainly far more profound than K's is.)

End of the story 6 months later: At first I never craved it. I have started again recently. It greatly increased my daily paranoia level.... I've started taking 5-6 ativans daily since to cope with it. All physical changes seem gone, the burning while urinating, etc... except I think I have a diminished sense of smell (is it my imagination? my nose always seems so dry and stuffy now, not like before). Unfortunately, I do have access to it again and, well.... no... not yet. Today's not the day... not quite yet....

[padmakara]

Now, let us take this a bit farther. The pain I was treating with K was Dystonia pain... a different dystonia than the guy in the article cited earlier in the thread, but dystonia nonetheless. I developed this pain with a slow onset beginning shortly after binging on DXM several dozen times.

I'm not sayin its connected, but there it is for you folks. I never told any docs about my drug use.

Oh, and as to the subject of cuts, polyethylene glycol has been used in some instances.

[Diceface]

Originally posted by padmakara

Personally, I wonder if the K cramps are caused by nor-ketamine moreso than ketamine itself.


I could hit 500mg and only get buzzed. Of course, my nose began bleeding so often this couldn't last long. So I got myself some needles.

yea mate k belly is caused by the nor ketamine which has very low ph levels, when snortin k jus remember one simple rule DO NOT SWALOW THE BACK DRIP!!!!!!! spit it right out.
ive been snortin k for years and do not suffer cramps or belly ulcers atol.
to help bladder problems - drink lots of water and CRANBERRY JUICE. it flushes your system out and is good at keeping ur kidneys clean and healthy.
munching on Digestive biscuits and dry crackers will really help to get rid of k cramps as they dry up the nor ketamine in ur stomach.


you mentioned that you began injecting ketamine, how did that compare to snortin th stuff ? i here alot of people saying that it is sooo much better and once you have done it snortin it will never be enuff etc etc

[Dr. McKay]

This is for Ashley. Who died in India recently.

I shall be brief this time but if you seriously wish to beat these pains, then here is the info.

I first took K in 1991 and have -perhaps obviously- spent spells experiencing varied effects upon my physical and mental health.
I have experienced cramps originating in the stomach and gall bladder and even witnessed all over the torso pains, as the situation has become chronic, which as we know can lead to death.

I have not suffered these pains for over two years now and have also said goodbye to my chronic habit due to this knowledge.

For some time, it seemed nobody was aware what was triggering these agonising pains, but now we know that the gall bladder (bottom right side of rib cage) and chronic pains arrive when the body blood circulation flow drops below a critical point.
There are different factors which affect the blood flow.

1. lack of oxygen (or fresh air) so, NO FUCKIN SMOKING!!!!!!!!!!.
2. temperature (keep the body WARM).
3. impurities such as sugars, salt and dehydrating substances such as K (particularly dehydrated crystal).
4. lack of any kind of degreasing agent in the body (lemon juice, apple vinegar etc).

An excellent remedy if the pains have already started is a simple hot lemon, ginger and water drink. The more lemon the greater the effect. Obviously, the person also needs to be kept as warm as, and all windows must be open and smokers banned from the area! No air, no cure!!!!!!! The idea is to stimulate the body blood circulation, so even a warm bath will help.


On the other hand, Stomach centred K pains occur when ingested K lands on pre-existing stomach ulcers which may have been caused by over indulgence in Cocaine, speed, cigarettes, alcohol, spicy food or perhaps just stress.
An excellent remedy is Aloe Vera juice otherwise live yoghurt can be used to soothe the pain. Put plainly, if you remove the ulcers you will cease to experience these agonising cramps.
i'm sure some ignorant Doctor will sell you as many creams and pills as you are stupid enough to pay for but if you have read this properly then you don't need them.

Lastly, the best anti-cramp solution exercise (without smoking).

Good luck......

More when i have the time.