Is ketamine safe?

When taken responsibly under the care of a healthcare professional, ketamine has been shown to be a notably safe and well-tolerated drug.

Ketamine has been approved by the FDA for use as an anesthetic agent since 1970. Unlike other anesthetics, ketamine does not slow cardiac or respiratory function, and it preserves airway reflexes, making it one of the safest anesthetic agents available at the time. Since 1985, ketamine has been on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines - a list of medicines the WHO deems to be a minimum necessity for a basic health care system.

Ketamine continues to be used widely in clinical settings today with an excellent safety profile. When used as a mental health treatment, ketamine is administered at much lower doses than are used for anesthesia. 

While the misuse of medication can be unsafe, the risks associated with the appropriate clinical use of ketamine are minimal. At low doses, such as the doses used at Wondermed, patients may experience mild, temporary side effects, such as dissociative symptoms, dizziness, nausea, or headache, all of which resolve on their own after a session. Although ketamine is relatively safe, it does have a potential for abuse with a history of illicit recreational use as a club drug. Chronic recreational abuse of ketamine is dangerous, and over time, can lead to memory impairments and damage to the urinary tract and liver.