Ketamine and Dizziness: What Users Say

• Amb...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 15, 2019

"I have treatment-resistant severe depression and anxiety. I have tried several meds and got to try ketamine. First infusion - peaceful calming. I felt floaty and satisfied. I had the k-hole effect, but I was not scared or worried by it. It was peaceful. My mom was with me, holding my hand through the entire session, which made a huge positive difference. I focused as hard as I could on positive thoughts and effects that I want. After, I felt wobbly like I had 2/3 glasses of wine for an hour, then back to normal. I cleaned my house, cooked, played with my baby, and walked the dogs - big accomplishments. The next day was not as productive, but I still got showered, got dressed, did normal things the whole day instead of just barely being able to take care of my baby and not myself. I slept well. No nightmares. 8 hours of sleep and 7 hours of sleep on the two nights."

• 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!"

• CRP...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 20, 2016

For Pain "I have taken oral ketamine for 17 days. For me, it is a miracle drug for neuropathic pain. I started at 10 mg daily with 2.5 mg caps compounded by the pharmacy. Side effects are wet mouth or excessive salivation, dizziness that my body adjusted to quickly, a feeling of having had two beers or a slight intoxication, and mild anxiety. The reward of a 3-point drop in my neuropathic pain level is worth it. I feel my old arthritic pain again, much stronger. An 8, as the CRPS-specific pain is a 4-5! Oral ketamine metabolizes into norketamine and hydro norketamine, which are 5 times stronger than ketamine. The IV dosing at high levels does not get this first-pass metabolism, and the levels are higher mg than 15 mg. I am going to 20 mg after okay from my doctor. I recommend it for patients with severe nerve pain."

• Fas...
• April 16, 2016

For Pain "I was given this after surgery for pain, as I can't have morphine, and they tried 5 other drugs to sort me out before this. Omg, I went on a wild trip, I went through dimensions of color and walls. I couldn't get back into my body, I thought I had died. Scary, scary stuff. When I came out of the trip, I was dizzy and seeing double. My pain was gone, but I didn't enjoy the experience at all."

• Ste...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 25, 2021

For Anesthesia "I dislocated my elbow playing football. They needed to put me to sleep in order to relocate it. I was familiar with general anesthesia, having had my wisdom tooth removal not too long before, so I wasn't scared or nervous too much. But this drug, ketamine, holy moly, it was possibly worse than the pain I experienced from the dislocation itself. After being administered the drug, I remember thinking to myself I had actually died, and what I saw is pretty hard to explain, but I was floating away from my consciousness, with both my mom and dad looking over my body. After that, I kept coming in and out of consciousness. It looked as if I was flying through neurons in my brain, zooming closer, further, and all around them. That wasn't even the worst part about that drug, when I finally woke up, I had the worst vertigo ever. Anytime I would move my head a little bit to the left or right, I would feel nauseous and throw up. Worst nightmare of my life, would not recommend."

• No...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 9, 2017

For Anesthesia "Woke up from anesthesia with a headache, extremely dizzy, and unable to coordinate my eyes together. I could not sleep for 32 hours. Two days after surgery, I started having heart palpitations and seeing flashes in one eye. I needed to be checked with an EKG and my eyes checked for a possible tear of the retina. It took 10 days for dizziness and eye coordination to return to normal."

• JRJ...
• August 4, 2021

For Anesthesia "I was given ketamine for a nerve ablation in my lumbar spine and had horrific hallucinations, not sure if I felt pain and screamed out or was dreaming, but I remember the Dr. saying that's not supposed to happen and could hear the nurses talking. It took me forever to 'wake up.' The nurse felt I was given too much as I was so dizzy and numb, my eyeballs felt like balloons about to pop out of my head, my head felt like a heavy balloon my neck couldn't support, and could barely talk an hour later. I spent over an hour and a half in recovery when they had to finally let me go. My husband had to support me, I was so dizzy and my legs were like noodles. It has been days now, and I feel like crud. Can't concentrate, my entire body aches so bad, and the dreams, no, the nightmares - planes crashing around the house, house being burned down, being hunted by a gang or some sort of bad people. Then I'm so freaked out I can't sleep and depression. I feel so depressed, and I have never felt like this before."

• TKA...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 5, 2021

"I had opted for Ketamine infusions after years of antidepressants no longer helping. I have treatment-resistant depression and had high hopes to finally get relief for my immense suffering. Every single treatment was terrifying. I could barely walk and was extremely dizzy and took forever to snap out of it. I should have had 6 treatments in total, but after my 5th and no relief, I wondered if I should continue. Did show up for my 6th and last treatment, however, I had so much anxiety I couldn’t go through with it. I ended up spending so much money for treatments that didn’t help me at all. It actually made me worse. As a teen, I had crippling panic attacks that eventually went away on their own until immediately after my second infusion, I almost ended up at the ER with a terrifying panic attack. And now I am again plagued with panic attacks. So I’m terribly disappointed that Ketamine infusions didn’t help me at all. It was my last hope of at least taking the edge off my depression."

• IV...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 24, 2024

For Pain "Today I had my 3rd IV session of ketamine for my chronic pain. I’ve been in severe pain for over 12 years and have CRPS, fibromyalgia, CFS, occipital neuralgia, etc. I’ve been on a pretty heavy dose of opioids for 9 years, and though I hate the side effects, they’re the only reliable, consistent relief for my pain. I would love to go off them if I found something else that truly helps my pain. So, I’m trying ketamine IV therapy. After the 2nd session, I had a more positive outlook on my life. After the 3rd one today, which was a higher dosage of 0.4, I actually feel pain relief! But I was so high, I couldn’t think. The nurse asked questions, and I didn’t understand what she was saying. Also, when they disconnected me, I was very dizzy and a bit nauseous. I’m worried about increasing the dose next session. I’ll ask to do another 0.4 dose before going up to 0.5. I want to go slow. Overall, it’s been a positive experience. I finally have hope."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 23, 2022

For Anesthesia "Same experience as others. I was in the ER with a dislocated foot. Given ketamine while they reset my foot. I was not warned. I immediately felt warm and remember feeling dizzy and saying I don’t like this. Then I was in a kaleidoscope of white and white shapes, almost like sheets of cloth were being laid across me, and I was slipping further and further down. I knew I was dying. I felt I was dying. I was praying that I was not ready and I couldn’t go further under these sheets into the ground. This couldn’t be it. It was so terrifying. I then began to come to and the doctors and nurses I could sense but couldn’t make them out. Finally, I knew where I was, and I was so relieved even though everyone was still blurry. It took several hours for it to all wear off. I was told they had to give me Ativan because my heart rate skyrocketed and I started yelling and yelling F-bombs. This drug is now on my list of allergies because I never want that fear again."