Does anyone know of any useful websites/resources/publications for working with ketamine addiction? I must admit I feel it's a bit of a blind spot in my knowledge about drugs and I have a couple of clients for which this drug is their primary problem. Also, does anyone know of a company which offers on-site urine testing to detect ketamine?
Thanks,
Rich Carroll

http://www.drug-aware.com/arti...ne-ketamine-testing/

Hi Rich,
Google gives me the above but i've not bought tests from the company.

Hi Rich, see the links to papers on the chain posted by Simon. Please make your patients aware of the danger of damage to the lining of the renal tract, which can clearly cause long term and lasting damage. I don't know about screening tests.. I would have thought just rely on honesty of the person, as there is no substitute prescribing, but I would certainly suggest a mid stream urine test to check for blood or other signs of inflammation in the bladder. (and wise to repeat this every three months if use of ketamine continues, maybe, and certainly if any urinary tract symptoms. )

Maybe understanding this very real risk of internal damage might help your patients to find other ways to cope with life.

Thanks. the drug testing kit was for a colleague of mines personal use (not their own, I hasten to add) rather than for a clinical one. There doesn't seem to be any available on that web link- will keep searching...

And of course see the excellent article on treatment of ketamine use in the October edition (No 27) of Network - soon come on our website!

I have developed some tools for workign with ketamine users, drop me an email and I will send them (from home) of primary importance is remembering that although the patient may seem present their memory could be severly impared.
I do a lot of written work with ketamine users and always give them written summaries to take away (ITEP diagrams etc work well)
I always start a session with a 'test' of what if anything they recall from the last session.
also remember that even if they haven't used on the day they could still be impared and that sometimes users 'forget' they have even used.

I encourage users to seperate their own supply from social use and to keep a ket diary, this is very usefull with social users who may severly underestimate the amount they are using.

I also tend to work in a similar way as i do with cannabis users, often setting up a reduction programme, gradually incorporating abstinent days or periods.

information on urinary tract problems is as said very important as is harm reduction for accidents while intoxicated

I have written some information I give to professionals on ketamine which I can also send to anyone thats interested.

Its also worth checking the druglink articles, the lifeline booklet is also good.

Thanks for that. Could you send me the stuff through? richard.carroll@compass-uk.org. Thanks,
Rich

sent

K day on 19th November in London - this was an afternoon of sharing information between users, urologists, psychologists, GPs, drug workers etc and then a panel to discuss ways forward. I could only make it to the panel but the place was buzzing when I arrived. Many things came out but overwhelming themes were: how it was on the increase particularly in free party and squatting scene, how little information / knowledge both users and professionals had and how we needed to response. A report will come out of the day plus we agreed to have conference next year and share info, ideas etc. - will keep you posted
ps I use the THT leaflet which I think is great
pss since meeting Rachel earlier this week (she wrote article for Network) I started asking people about their ketamine use and was truely amazed how many people had used

Plus now if a person arrives with dysuria I did think is this chlamydia or urine infection, I now think is this ketamine, chlamydia or urine infection - don't forget to ask!