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 Phencyclidine (PCP), a hallucinogenic drug which works by blocking the NMDA receptor in the brain and spinal cord, and increases the release of a neurotransmitter called glutamate.
- It is a dissociative anesthetic with psychedelic properties, used under strict medical supervision for anaesthesia and to treat depression, anxiety, PTSD, end-of-life distress, chronic pain, drug/alcohol problems, etc.
- Impact on the body
- Ketamine induces hallucinations, distorts sight and sound perceptions, leading to a sense of disconnection and loss of control, can lead to 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 includes Narcotic and Psychotropic drugs which causes delusion, hallucination, psychosis, sedation and hypnosis.
- These drugs should be sold only on the prescription of a registered medication practitioner only.
