While ketamine doesn’t get near as much media coverage as opiates or marijuana, it’s still a fairly popular drug of choice among teenagers and young adults. When abused Ketamine, a dissociative hallucinogen drug, produces powerful effects even in very small doses.

As the most commonly abused addictive substance of all time, alcohol also poses certain risks, especially when used in large quantities. Not surprisingly, the practice of mixing ketamine and alcohol only works to compound the risks associated with both substances.

In spite of its classification as a hallucinogen, ketamine is highly addictive. Likewise, alcohol also carries a high addictive potential when abused.

Ultimately, the practice of mixing ketamine and alcohol not only increases your risk of addiction to both substances, but can also increase the risk of deadly overdose. For these reasons, knowing what types of signs to look for can help you take steps to get needed treatment help when the time comes.

If you need information on ketamine addiction treatment programs, call our toll-free helpline at 800-915-1270 (Who Answers?).

Ketamine Effects

Ketamine users often consume alcohol in order to enhance the high.

Ketamine’s intended purpose works as an anesthetic for use in veterinary medicine, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration. As an anesthetic, ketamine decreases electrical activity in the brain by increasing glutamate neurotransmitter production. Once the drug takes affect, it blocks communications between the brain and body.

When abused, these interactions enable users to experience “out-of-body” sensations, such as floating. Other effects that come with a ketamine “high” include:

• Unusual changes in body perception
• Enhanced sensory experiences
• A mixing of the senses, such as seeing sound and hearing light
• Hallucinations

Ultimately, ketamine acts as a central nervous system depressant, which accounts for why mixing ketamine and alcohol is so incredibly dangerous.

Ketamine and Alcohol – Fatality & Addiction Risks

The Ketamine-Alcohol Mix

When mixing ketamine and alcohol, alcohol’s interactions in the brain end up reinforcing ketamine’s effects. Alcohol, also a central nervous system depressant, acts on multiple neurotransmitter systems, glutamate included.

According to New Mexico State University, the combined effects of ketamine and alcohol all but incapacitates the body’s central nervous system while producing a range of potentially dangerous effects, including:

• Respiratory failure
• Heart problems
• Loss of consciousness
• Coma
• Catatonic states
• Seizures
• Stroke

Teenage Ketamine-Alcohol Fatality Risks & the Need for Treatment

Ketamine Addiction

Both ketamine and alcohol interact with the brain’s reward system, which is the area most involved in a developing addiction problem. According to University of Notre Dame, addiction is a form of psychological dependence that warps a person’s belief systems, motivations and priorities.

Considering how both drugs carry high addiction potentials by themselves, their combined effects only work to speed up a developing addiction problem. With compulsive drug/alcohol use being a key feature of addiction, once addiction takes hold, the risk of fatality looms ever closer when abuse practices continue.

When to Consider Addiction Treatment

If you’ve used ketamine and alcohol for any length of time, you’ve likely had to increase your intake amounts over time in order to experience the desired “high” effects. These developments indicate the brain’s chemical system is changing.

This is a strong indicator that a developing addiction is at work. The sooner you seek out needed treatment help, the easier it will be to overcome the effects of a developing addiction.

If you need help finding a program that’s right for you, we can help. Call our helpline at 800-915-1270 (Who Answers?) to discuss treatment options with one of our addiction specialists.