What is Ketamine?

About Ketamine

• Ketamine, also known as Ketalar, is a medicine that doctors use to make people not feel pain during surgeries.
• It is derived from a hallucinogenic drug Phencyclidine (PCP), it works by blocking the NMDA receptor in the brain and spinal cord, and increases a brain chemical or neurotransmitter called glutamate.
• It halts transmission of pain in the spinal cord and activates reward pathways of the brain.
• It is a dissociative anaesthetic with psychedelic properties is used under strict medical supervision for anaesthesia and to treat treatment-resistant depression.
• Ketamine therapy is used to treat depression, anxiety, PTSD, end-of-life distress, chronic pain, drug/alcohol problems, and more.
• Impact on the body
  • Ketamine induces hallucinations, distorts sight and sound perceptions, leading to a sense of disconnection and loss of control.
  • Potential side effects include agitation, depression, cognitive issues, unconsciousness, and memory loss.
• It is a Schedule X drug in India, which means it is tightly controlled and even monitored on a case-specific basis by the prescribing doctor. 

What are Schedule X drugs?

• These are the ‘restrictive drugs’ which are covered under the Drugs and Cosmetic Act and Rules. The list of Schedule X drugs includes over 536 drugs.
• The Schedule X drugs include Narcotic and Psychotropic drugs which cause delusion, hallucination, psychosis, sedation and hypnosis.
• These drugs should be sold only on the prescription of a registered medication practitioner only.

Q1) What is The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) ?

It is a receptor of glutamate, the primary excitatory neurotransmitter in the human brain. It plays an integral role in synaptic plasticity, which is a neuronal mechanism believed to be the basis of memory formation.

Source: Friends actor Matthew Perry died of Ketamine overdose: How harmful is this drug? Here’s all you need to know