Ketamine was FDA approved as an anesthetic in 1970 and has an excellent safety record. According to the World Health Organization’s Fact File on Ketamine, “Ketamine is extremely safe because, unlike other anesthetic agents, it does not depress breathing or blood pressure.” The World Health Organization has included ketamine on its list of essential medicines since 1985 and has repeatedly recommended that ketamine should not be scheduled as a controlled substance because “the medical benefits far outweigh the potential harm from recreational use.”

When used as an anesthetic, an initial ketamine dose administered intravenously ranges from 1.0-4.5 mg per kg of body weight, and an initial dose administered by intramuscular injection ranges from 6.5-13 mg/kg. Additional doses are then administered as needed for prolonged anesthesia. Subanesthetic doses used to treat depression and anxiety are often between 0.5-1.0 mg/kg (depending on the route of administration).

Each person’s experience is a bit different. You’ll likely start to feel the effects of the ketamine 10-15 minutes after it was placed under your tongue, and the peak experience will last approximately 30-45 minutes thereafter. Most people return to their ordinary level of awareness within 1-2 hours following administration. In some cases, mild side effects may linger until you’ve had a full night of rest.

OORA’s partner clinicians administer ketamine as a tablet that dissolves under the tongue.