Is ketamine safer than ethanol?

1 - 2 years of daily usage, she was living and going out with a dealer so had easy access to large amounts. Obviously not the same circumstances for most people, but the fact that a gram of ket costs about the same as a litre of vodka and the huge amount of it around also adds to addiction rates.

 

Hmm... was she using a gram or more per day regularly?

 

About 8 grams a day.

 

I was used to drinking a lot every Saturday in past. Now K replace the alcohol and I am sure prevents me from becoming alcooholic. K should be legalized in my opinion humble.

 

I do a fair amount of ket and so do my friends. Compared to the other drugs (besides weed) I'd say ket is the safest out there. As long as your even slightly intelligent and have some common sense, you'll be fine. But then again, that goes for most drugs and sadly, common sense is a superpower now-a-days.

 

Difficult to compare.

Not sure if i trust reports of organ damage from ketamine - that was probably something else rather than the Ketamine Hydrochloride molecule first marketed by Parke Davis as an anesthetic.

Without even picking up a book or going to erowid i can say:

Alcohol is a depressant that can cause (at a bare minimum) problems with:

1.) Nutritional intake leading to
2.) Korsakoff's syndrome - a kind of amnesia
3.) Cirrohis of the liver - i know a man who died after using up TWO livers. Yup. He drank one to death, got a transplant and flushed his second life.
4.) Lack of inhibition leading to poor thinking decisions leading to a myriad of other troubles.
5.) Loss of consciousness (depressant effect) leading to injury or death
6.) Severe physical and psychological addiction.

Ketamine is a dissociative psychedelic, which at higher doses is a profoundly safe and gentle anesthetic. At a bare minimum it can cause problems with:

1.) Profound psychological addiction
2.) Profound anaesthesia leading to injury or death while under the influence.
3.) Strong/confusing dissociative effects at lower/mid doses which can leave the user ambulatory but profoundly altered, almost delusional.


On both substances, there is very real concern about aspiration - taking vomit into the lungs. Best to be laying on one's side (and NOT in a bathtub!) and preferably with a (more) sober sitter nearby on high doses of either of these substances.


i honestly suspect that one could go broke/ruin one's life faster with ketamine than ethanol, even though it is only psychologically addictive. But, i have used ketamine a bit myself and was able to set it aside and quit using (still have 1.5 grams on hand), so this is not an instantaneous effect (just as with booze). i have met more than one ketamine addict who was shooting who successfully quit with no long term effects. The reformed alcoholics i know are in much worse shape. Often they used longer and it took its toll on their organs.

If we factor out financials, and assume that the user(s) always have a sitter and are on their sides during high dose experiences, i would have to say that ketamine is A LOT safer in terms of its short and long term impact on the body.

Peace & Love,
Spicey Cat
Purrrr!

Fascinating discussion as both materials can lead to a "numbing" sensation and thus might get put together in a lot of people's minds.

 

a gram a day isn't really that much...all she's have to worry about is a sinus infection

but 8 grams is a shit-ton...i'm not really sure how a person would want to do that much, but i guess that's addiction.

 

and guess what, it is now probably a magic medic against depression...

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/198483.php

 

Maybe all these idiots will stop referring to it as just a tranquilizer for animals now.

 

naaah, it made me pretty much suicidal and hate life. Pretty much like alcohol to me in that regard. Possibly a low dose improves mood but its much to easy to get carried away with.

 

Yea, controlling the dose is the biggest issue. I have been suicidal most my life, even before ketamine, and I definitely become less so when I use it, and sure I become more so after I stop, but I don't think it raises suicidality higher than the par/normal for me.

Of course it's strong and many people can react differently, I was just surprised that when I stopped for so long that I had little side effects, I never used more than 800 mg per day...

 

I've been sitting on 2g in my room for the past month and haven't touched it. When I touch it next, I will do a wonderful therapeutic psychedelic k hole dose, and then put it away again for a long time.

the way you use it determines the effects it will have.

taking too much of any substance will make you suicidal and hate life. anything at all

 

very true mr. Writer but I used it compulsively.

Its like I always looked at people who smoke cigarettes or alcoholics and thought to myself "why can't they just quit?" but I feel I can relate more after k. I was also mainly using the needle that might make it slightly different but regardless its not something I'm strong enough to just put on the shelf for awhile after use when its around.

 

Ah the needle makes a huge difference indeed. Don't get me wrong I've been known to blow through a bag of K quite compulsively, ditto for pot, I'm able to get a grasp though at the point where I have to call my dealer for more. At that point I say "not yet" and don't make the call. But IM K must be sublime, I've only done nasal.