Ketamine and Confusion: What Users Say

• pop...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 30, 2020

For Pain "After a 5 1/2 hour spine surgery, I woke up in the post-op recovery room, on ketamine for pain control. It was ineffective. I was having terrifying hallucinations and started pleading for something that would work. Just when the confusion, dizziness, and hallucinations would begin to subside, they would come up and 'refresh' my IV line with more, perpetuating the side effects. Among the several bizarre hallucinations I recall is looking down at the floor from my bed, which was stuck on the ceiling. It felt like I was defying gravity, and the potential for my bed to come crashing to the floor with me underneath it was very real! It was undoubtedly the most unpleasant and terrifying hospital stay I've ever had!"

• Chu...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 12, 2021

"I recently had my first dose of IV ketamine for MDD. I was very hesitant, but nothing has helped. I was expecting to be kind of sedated and not aware of things. I was aware of what was going on. I had bad dissociation and thought I was dying. I thought I was going to be trapped in this state of dissociation forever. I was even becoming paranoid of the doctor and RN. I asked for my girlfriend to reorient. I suggest having a trusted person with you. The nurse slowed down the infusion, and I began to return to reality. I was told later by the nurse that ketamine reacts differently with each person. She said it helps to be relaxed before transfusion. I’m going to try another treatment today at a lower dose. If I have a bad “trip,” I’m not going back. I can’t believe anyone would enjoy ketamine recreationally. I’m a retired RN and gave ketamine to a child once. I apologize to that child."

• and...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 9, 2025

For Depression "I have had treatment-resistant depression since I was about 10 years old and was diagnosed with bipolar II at 24. Since then, I've tried 24 medications of various classes. I started ketamine along with Cymbalta for severe suicidal ideation after a long depressive episode 6 months ago, and I am now the most stable I have ever been. It quite literally saved my life and brought me to a place where talk therapy is effective. I started at 90 mg in a nose spray twice a week for two months, and I now take a sublingual troche at 120 mg every two weeks. This is much lower than an IV dose, but it's still very effective and doesn't cause too much dissociation. The suicidal ideation disappeared immediately and I improved very dramatically over about 3 months. Honestly, I think this regimen is probably more effective long-term than a short set of high doses IV, so talk to your doctor about trying this before the IV treatments. It's also much cheaper."