By Beth Robinson, SciTech Deputy Editor
Pure ketamine is a psychoactive, tranquillising drug that blocks receptors on neurons —especially in the prefrontal cortex— causing disinhibition and a state of ‘dissociative anaesthesia’. This can lead to trance-like experiences, hallucinogenic trips, alongside pain relief and memory loss. Alcohol acts on some of the same receptors as ketamine, with many similar effects, though combining alcohol doesn’t necessarily increase the psychoactive ‘buzz’ of ketamine. Rather, mixing the two is more likely to increase memory loss, reduce co-ordination and increase dissociation, making some people anxious.
As both drugs are depressants, their combination can increase physiological risks, such as shallow breathing and loss of muscle control. The pain-dulling effect of ketamine can also make it difficult to know if you’re hurt, should you fall over from the effects of alcohol.
Both drugs take a similar time to impact the brain (20 minutes on average), so taking them together can intensify any combined impact, with effects of alcohol and ketamine lasting around six and two hours, respectively.
The impacts of mixing any substances can vary greatly person-to-person and batch-to-batch, so I spoke to two students who have used alcohol with ketamine to hear their experiences:
‘My previous experience with mixing ketamine and alcohol came from my ‘all-or-nothing’ mindset: once I passed a drinking threshold, I found it very difficult to say no to drugs offered to me, and the repercussions were often ignored.’
‘The only time I mixed ket with alcohol was at afters because I thought I’d be sober by then. Mostly that was true until my friend gave me a different supply. I k-holed and threw up. I’m still annoyed with her, but I’m glad I had other people around to support me and hold my hair back!’
Mixing alcohol and ketamine is not recommended. As with any substance, remember to stay informed, know the risks, and ensure you have support around you.
Please note I am not a medical doctor, and the above refers to the short-term impacts of combining ketamine and alcohol. The University of Bristol uses a harm-reduction model regarding substance use, so if you have any questions, concerns, or want to test the purity of your substances, please speak to a GP or someone from the Students' Union.
Featured Image: Epigram / Beth Robinson
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