Maybe you continue using even though it’s causing problems with your health, your relationships, or your job. If you’ve tried to cut back or stop but found it surprisingly difficult, that’s actually a common experience—and a sign that recreational drug use may have developed into something more serious. Let’s explore what happens when ketamine leaves your system, how to manage the process safely, and what support options can help ease the transition back to life without it. Recovery.com combines independent research with expert guidance on addiction and mental health treatment. Our mission is to help everyone find the best path to recovery through the most comprehensive, helpful network of treatment providers worldwide. This article delves into ketamine withdrawal, including its potential danger, the usual detox timeline, the possibility of addiction development, and available treatment options.

Online Ketamine Therapy: Benefits, Cost, & Criticism

Many people benefit from inpatient rehab programs where you live at a treatment facility for days. These programs offer structure, daily therapy, and a recovery-focused environment away from triggers and temptations. Learn more about this extended recovery process and how to navigate it in our guide to post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS). When ketamine starts taking center stage, things can start to unravel around you.

Specific groups of people can be more susceptible to experiencing difficult ketamine withdrawal symptoms. Users who suffered from depression prior seem to have serious complications with the withdrawal symptoms of ketamine. Furthermore, research has found women to be at a higher risk for cognitive decline and urinary problems than men, caused by ketamine use. Influencing factors include how long you’ve been taking ketamine and how much of the drug you’ve consumed. These aspects may be found in certified addiction centers, which work to treat ketamine addiction, other drug addictions, mental health disorders, and other issues. Addiction treatment centers may also offer outpatient treatment for ketamine addiction.

Spotting the signs of ketamine addiction early can help you recognize when casual use has crossed into problematic territory. Ketamine is a medication1 that first appeared in the ’60s as an anesthetic for surgeries. It works by blocking certain chemical receptors in your brain, which makes you feel disconnected from pain, negative emotions, and your surroundings.

Prescribed Medications

Ketamine is sometimes mixed with other illegal substances like opiates, marijuana, or alcohol. If you are concerned that you or someone you know might be facing a ketamine addiction, you can watch for certain signs. Ketamine drug abuse can lead to many side effects, ranging from dizziness and confusion to hallucination, vomiting, and drowsiness. Avenues Recovery is a community-based drug and alcohol rehabilitation center with locations across the United States.

Ketamine Treatment Options

Ketamine affects your brain3 by blocking NMDA receptors, which help with memory, learning, and pain perception. It also boosts levels of a brain chemical called glutamate and may affect other neurotransmitters like dopamine—one of your brain’s most important “feel-good” chemicals. If you’re looking for treatment, please browse the site to reach out to treatment centers directly. The goal is to give you the tools and resources you need to maintain your sobriety and lead a healthier, happier life.

Outpatient Therapeutic Approaches

• Most ketamine users don’t need the same kind of monitored detox process that’s necessary for substances that cause more dangerous withdrawals.
• Ketamine can cause hallucinations similar to other hallucinogenic drugs like LSD and PCP.
• Many people also experience waves of depression and anxiety, especially after a dose of ketamine when the effects start to wear off.

It’s a phase of physical recalibration, marked by withdrawal symptoms, as the body seeks to restore its baseline state. Detox typically lasts 7 to 10 days and is conducted in a specialist environment under medical supervision. You’ll stay in a calm and supportive environment, designed to help you safely manage withdrawal symptoms while ensuring your comfort and wellbeing.

• If someone is struggling with ceasing ketamine use on their own, self-help groups, individual therapy, intensive outpatient treatment, and residential treatment can be considered.
• But like many substances that alter brain chemistry, regular ketamine use can lead your body to adapt and depend on it, meaning you might have withdrawal symptoms when you decide to stop.
• Symptoms of withdrawal typically begin approximately 24 hours after the last dose of ketamine.
• The psychological effects and cravings of ketamine withdrawal can be very challenging and cause a relapse if not properly treated.
• Research shows that people who get into a treatment program and remain in it for at least 90 days or more see effective results.

Long-term recovery (Beyond 1 month)

It also makes people feel disconnected from their surroundings and themselves. Ketamine is predominantly used as a general anesthetic but has also been used to treat certain seizures and mental health issues. How ketamine overdose is treated depends on the symptoms present during the overdose.

Therefore, some psychological issues may continue to persist on a long-term basis. Medical management involves administering medication, which is used in some cases to help with psychological withdrawal symptoms. The chances of achieving optimal well-being and success throughout the withdrawal process greatly increase when undergoing professional treatment. The most common treatments for ketamine withdrawal are talking therapies combined with medical management. Some people find that the mental and emotional aspects of ketamine withdrawal9 hit harder than the physical symptoms. Feeling down and fighting those persistent cravings can be especially challenging.

Some may experience psychosis, loss of motor skills, rage, nausea, ‘the shakes’, a decrease in cardiac or respiratory functions, insomnia, hearing loss, and cognitive impairment. It takes time for the body to get back to normal while going through ketamine detox. Medical support is highly recommended for a safer, more controlled withdrawal process. Unlike alcohol or opioid withdrawal, ketamine withdrawal lacks significant physical withdrawal symptoms, but the psychological impact experienced can still make quitting ketamine challenging. Ketamine, a sedative generally used for the sedation of animals, has been used widely over the years by humans for recreational purposes. Many people use drugs like ketamine to self-medicate for mental health issues, trauma, grief, abandonment, and other human experiences.

General physical health

If you or a loved one is battling ketamine abuse or addiction, it’s important to get help before you experience negative side effects or seek other drugs of abuse. The key component in long-term recovery from any drug addiction is continuing care. Research shows that people who get into a treatment program and remain in it for at least 90 days or more see effective results. Medical detox programs are available at both detox centers and recovery centers. After detox, you can proceed to professional treatment with a healthcare provider. If you or a loved one have a ketamine addiction, you may benefit from entering a ketamine rehab program, especially if you have other substance abuse issues.

We’re all different… I’ve learned that if you do too much of anything, it’s really bad for you. Ketamine affects special receptors8 that control how you think, feel, and how your body works. With ongoing use, these receptors become less responsive, and your brain produces different levels of natural chemicals to maintain equilibrium. When you suddenly remove ketamine from this equation, things get out of balance until your brain can rebuild its natural systems. The liquid is sometimes stolen from veterinary offices and sold as a recreational drug. People often inject it or turn the liquid into a powder for snorting or swallowing.

Ketamine, or “Special a complete guide to ketamine withdrawal & addiction K,” is legally used as an anesthetic in the medical treatment of animals for its tranquilizing effect. It causes human users to dissociate from their environment, and often results in psychedelic or hallucinogenic symptoms as well. Ketamine is highly psychologically addictive, and prolonged use of the drug leads to increased tolerance and physical dependence. Many people who suffer from depression or anxiety are drawn to the drug due to its ability to create an “out of body” experience. During detox, you’ll likely experience a number of withdrawal symptoms that can vary in terms of severity.