The purpose of this report is to explore and take an in depth look into the effect that ketamine has on the brain and therefore mental and physical health. Ketamine has a dramatic effect on an individual’s mental health. Mental health can be defined as one’s emotional and psychological well-being. Not only does ketamine have an effect on one’s mental health, but it has a significant effect on physical health also. When an individual abuses ketamine after a prolonged period of time, their mental health will become poor and illnesses such as depression and anxiety will occur. Having a mental illness such as depression will essentially affect any interactions you have with friends or family as well as any other social interaction in society in general. After long term use of ketamine or an overdose, one may die due to the effect that ketamine has on the brain and central nervous system (CNS). If an individual were to die after an overdose of ketamine or due to having poor physical health, the effect that would have on the society is major. May bring distress to some or cause close family and friends to then suffer mental health issues.

The report will begin by explaining the process in which ketamine is produced. It will then explain any chemical properties of ketamine and how ketamine can be taken and what feeling an individual would get when abusing ketamine. This then leads onto the discussion where it explains the effect ketamine has on mental and physical health.


Background

Ketamine has a long process in which it is produced. There are about 11 steps to making ketamine from scratch but it takes 2 steps by already having methyl ketamine and undecane then the finishing product (ketamine) is much quicker to produce. Methyl ketamine is dissolved in undecane and then boiled at 195 degrees for 3-4 hours. Ketamine is then extracted with 20% hydrochloric acid. The acidic extract is made into an alkaline and extracted with dichloromethane. It is then removed giving the product as an oil that quickly crystallizes. 

Figure 1: showing ketamine in its final solid form. Ketamine Structural Formula CC BY-SA 4.0 Retrieved from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:(%C2%B1)-Ketamine_Structural_Formula_V1.svg

Ketamine has a very advanced makeup with its chemical formula being C13H16ClNO.  As seen in figure 1, ketamine has 2 rings with a chloro functional group, an amine functional group and a keytone functional group. Ketamine has a molecular weight of 237.727 g/mol. When placed in water, ketamine is estimated to become soluble at 2.8X103 mg/L at 250°C. Ketamine has a melting point of between 920°C - 930°C.

Ketamine comes in tablet form, liquid form and powdered form. It is most common to snort ketamine powder but some people prefer injecting ketamine for a more intense experience. When snorted ketamine goes to the back of the throat and is then absorbed into the bloodstream from there. When injected, ketamine goes straight into the bloodstream through the vein. When taken in pill form, ketamine goes into the stomach and absorbed through the stomach's lining.

Ketamine is an anesthetic drug that works in the brain to prevent painful sensations one might have. Ketamine is used legally in some animal operations by trained veterinarians but when used illegally, ketamine can have terrible side effects as well as long term effects on the human brain. When ketamine is taken in a high dosage, one can experience; unconsciousness, mystical visions, vivid hallucinations, immobility, high pain threshold and a disconnect from the body. Ketamine severely affects the bladder as it can causes ketamine bladder syndrome. This includes some symptoms like; blood in urine, a decrease in volume of the bladder and there will be a decrease with the control that the sphincter muscle has over the bladder.

When ketamine is taken in a high dosage it can have dramatic effects on the bodies ability to function. It effectively blocks pain pathways by blocking receptors. Glutamate is a vital neurotransmitter chemical that regulates information processing and communications between the brain and body. Ketamine interferes with glutamate-producing brain cell receptor sites. Ketamine blocks glutamate production and shuts off communications between the brain and body. It essentially slows the neurotransmitter process down which explains the anesthetizing effect it has on users.

Discussion

Mental health can be defined as the emotional and psychological well-being of someone. This includes many illnesses but the most common being depression and anxiety. Ketamine has severe effects on mental health. Effects include; flashbacks, mood and personality changes, depression, problems with memory and concentration, psychosis and psychological dependence - this comes after regular use of ketamine. These mental health problems may have a significant effect on one’s family and social life but also the community around them. Things like depression and mood and personality changes will affect the different interactions one has with people like your friends and family. It is also common to become socially withdrawn and that in itself could lead to other mental health issues. 
Prolonged use of ketamine or an overdose can have serious effects on one's physical health. Ketamine affects the CNS, which controls nerve signal transmissions throughout the body but in particular it affects the respiratory system, cardiovascular system, and movement and coordination. Abusing Ketamine can alter or slow the respiratory and cardiac functions. The respiratory system consists of the airway and lungs. The cardiovascular system is the heart. These two systems interact with each other to get oxygen to the bodies organs and cells and gets the carbon dioxide out. Having a slow respiratory system could either mean one doesn’t have enough oxygen being pumped around their body or they have too much carbon dioxide in their system. Theses side effects increase the risk of a major decline in health or even death. Symptoms may include; racing heart, irregular heartbeats, sweating restlessness, anxiety, sleepiness, loss of consciousness or rapid and shallow breathing.

Conclusion

Ketamine has a very complex chemical formula and has a very long process in which it is produced. It involves boiling methyl ketamine in undecane, then being extracted with hydrochloric acid. Ketamine can be snorted as a powder, taken in pill form or be injected. It’s an anesthetic drug that works with the brain to prevent painful sensations one might have. Although many use it for an ‘out-of-body’ experience where they have little control of their body. Ketamine interferes with glutamate-producing brain cell receptor sites. Ketamine blocks glutamate production and shuts off communications between the brain and body. It essentially slows the neurotransmitter process down which explains the anesthetizing effect it has on users. 

Mental health can be defined as one’s emotional and psychological well being. When abused, ketamine has dramatic effects on one’s mental health. After prolonged use, ketamine can cause flashbacks, mood and personality changes, depression, problems with memory and concentration, psychosis and psychological dependence. Ketamine when abused, also affects one’s physical health by slowing down the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. When this happens one may suffer from a racing heartbeat or an extremely slow beat. 

Ketamine has a significant effect on the brain and it’s ability to control the body. It affects both mental and physical health and from that also affects one’s interactions and relationships with others. Therefore, ketamine has a dramatic affect on simple everyday activities such as communicating clearly with people, after prolonged use.

Public Education Piece

For my public education piece I made a brochure to advise the general public of the information showed in this report.

References

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http://ketamine.com/ketamine-effects/understanding-the-effects-of-ketamine-on-the-brain/

Leaf Group. (2017). How Does the Cardiovascular System Work With the Respiratory System? Retrieved from: http://www.livestrong.com/article/18606-cardiovascular-system-work-respiratory-system/ 

PubChem. (2016). Ketamine. Retrieved from: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/ketamine#section=Top

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The Metabolomics Innovation Centre. (2017). DrugBank. Retrieved from:  
https://www.drugbank.ca/drugs/DB01221

Zealot. (2005). Total Synthesis of Ketamine. Retrieved from: https://erowid.org/archive/rhodium/chemistry/ketamine2.html