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Ketamine - What You Need To Know

What is Ketamine? 
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Ketamine is a powerful anaesthetic used in medical and veterinary settings. On the street, it's known as K or ket, and usually appears as a white or off-white powder. It's most often snorted, and can also be mixed with other substances, making its effects unpredictable and dangerous.

What Does It Do?

Ketamine is a dissociative drug — it causes users to feel detached from reality. Effects include:

  • Disorientation, confusion, and hallucinations
  • Numbness or heaviness in the limbs
  • Loss of coordination and mobility
  • "Out of body" experiences or entering a frightening state known as a K-hole

Because it dulls pain and awareness, users may hurt themselves without realising, or be vulnerable to assault, robbery, or exploitation.

Why Is It So Dangerous?

Street ketamine is often mixed with other drugs, like cocaine or benzocaine, making it hard to know the strength or contents. Even small amounts can cause:

  • Increased heart rate and blood pressure
  • Sickness, memory problems, and confusion
  • Sexual dysfunction (e.g., impotence)
  • Severe nasal damage

Long-Term Harm

  • Ketamine is highly addictive, and frequent use can lead to:
  • Severe bladder damage, including incontinence, pain, or blood in urine
  • Permanent bladder dysfunction, sometimes requiring surgery or removal
  • Kidney and liver damage
  • Malnutrition and rapid weight loss
  • Abdominal pain ("K cramps")

Some users report flu-like symptoms, sweating, and shaking between uses.

Warning signs include: wetting the bed, being unable to control urination, unexplained pain, and sudden weight loss. These should never be ignored — seek urgent medical help.
 


Wider Impact

Beyond the physical effects, ketamine can:

  • Lead to school, work, or relationship breakdown
  • Result in criminal exploitation, such as being used to deal drugs to repay debts
  • Put strain on families and local communities

A Parent's Story

"We were suddenly drawn into the world of ketamine when my son's hidden addiction came to light. During our first emergency, he was disoriented and slurring his words. He'd sold his belongings to pay off debts. Watching him like that, surrounded by his younger siblings, was heartbreaking. Thankfully, the Young People's Drug and Alcohol Team stepped in. They were like an extended family — but the road ahead was far from easy."


Support is Available

If you're worried about ketamine use — your own or someone else's — you are not alone. Help is confidential, local, and non-judgemental.

Young People Drug and Alcohol Team (YPDAAT)

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Support for young people (13-19) or an adult concerned about a young person
Call: 01744 675 605
Email: ypdaat@sthelens.gov.uk
Visit: Lord Street Centre, Lord Street, St Helens, WA10 2SP
Website: www.sthelens.gov.uk/ypdaat 
Instagram: @sthelensypdaat

CGL (Change, Grow, Live)

Support for adults (18+) using drugs or alcohol
Call: 01744 410 752
Visit: Lincoln House, 80 Corporation Street, St Helens, WA10 1UQ


Making Space

Support for families and carers worried about a loved one's drug use
Call: 01744 808 212 / 07540 768 014
Visit: The Peter Street Centre, Peter Street, St Helens, WA10 2EQ
Website: www.makingspace.co.uk

 

 

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Last modified on 23 July 2025