Ketamine

Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic used medically for induction and maintenance of anesthesia. It is also used as a treatment for depression and pain management. It is a novel compound that was derived from phencyclidine in 1962 in pursuit of a safer anesthetic with fewer hallucinogenic effects.

At anesthetic doses, ketamine induces a state of dissociative anesthesia, a trance-like state providing pain relief, sedation and amnesia. Its distinguishing features as anesthesia are preserved breathing and airway reflexes, stimulated heart function with increased blood pressure, and moderate bronchodilation. At lower, sub-anesthetic doses, it is a promising agent for pain and treatment-resistant depression. As with many antidepressants, the results of a single administration wane with time. The long-term effects of repeated use are largely unknown, and are an area of active investigation.

Liver and urinary toxicity have been reported among regular users of high doses of ketamine for recreational purposes. Ketamine is an NMDA receptor antagonist, accounting for most of its psychoactive effects.

Ketamine was first synthesized in 1962 and approved for use in the United States in 1970. It has been regularly used in veterinary medicine and was extensively used for surgical anesthesia in the Vietnam War. Along with other psychotropic drugs, it is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. It is available as a generic medication. When used as a recreational drug, it is found both in crystalline powder and liquid form, and is often referred to by recreational users as "Special K" or simply "K". It is used as a recreational drug for its hallucinogenic and dissociative effects.

Source: Wikipedia