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Ketamine Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of ketamine include off label use, drug abuse, and nausea, based on 16,520 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 12.6% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Ketamine side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for ketamine.

1
Drug Ineffective12.6%2,076
2
Off Label Use9.5%1,562
3
Drug Abuse5.3%871
4
Nausea5.0%818
5
Hypotension4.8%795
6
Anaphylactic Shock4.3%716
7
Infusion Site Pain4.1%678
8
Vomiting3.7%603
9
Product Use In Unapproved Indication3.6%602
10
Hyperhidrosis3.6%600
11
Toxicity To Various Agents3.6%590
12
Fatigue3.5%573
13
Diarrhoea3.4%566
14
Sedation2.9%486
15
Dizziness2.9%475

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that ketamine caused these reactions.

Report severity

87.2%Serious14,410 reports
42.0%Hospitalizations6,937 reports
11.6%Fatal1,918 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Ketamine drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside ketamine. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Propofol19.5%3,222
2
Midazolam11.3%1,870
3
Acetaminophen11.1%1,837
4
Treprostinil10.0%1,660
5
Sufentanil-citrate8.8%1,446
6
Lidocaine8.6%1,426
7
Fentanyl8.2%1,360
8
Gabapentin8.0%1,329
9
Dexamethasone7.7%1,278
10
Hydromorphone-hydrochloride6.4%1,062
11
Apomorphine-hydrochloride5.8%961
12
Duloxetine-hydrochloride5.1%837
13
Levetiracetam4.9%815
14
Amitriptyline-hydrochloride4.9%810
15
Topiramate4.7%778

Taken alongside

1
Lidocaine14.9%2,469
2
Gabapentin14.6%2,413
3
Acetaminophen13.4%2,207
4
Clonidine13.0%2,147
5
Amitriptyline-hydrochloride11.7%1,934
6
Ketoprofen10.8%1,788
7
Dimyristoyl-lecithin10.2%1,683
8
Furosemide8.7%1,440
9
Propofol8.6%1,414
10
Midazolam8.1%1,345
11
Sodium-chloride8.1%1,343
12
Oxygen7.5%1,247
13
Fentanyl7.3%1,209
14
Ondansetron7.0%1,153
15
Albuterol6.0%995

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports ketamine side effects

47.2% of ketamine adverse event reports involve female patients and 41.9% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 69%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female47.2%
Male41.9%
Unknown10.8%

Age group

< 23.6%
2–116.0%
12–176.3%
18–6468.6%
65+15.6%

What is ketamine used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking ketamine when the adverse event was reported.

Abdominal PainAbdominal Pain LowerAbdominal Pain UpperAbortion InducedAbscess DrainageAccidentAccidental Exposure To ProductAccidental Exposure To Product By ChildAcute Respiratory Distress SyndromeAdjuvant TherapyAdverse EventAggressionAgitationAirway Complication Of AnaesthesiaAllergy Test

Showing 15 of 639 indications

Ketamine brand names and reporting trend

Ketamine is sold under the brand name Ketamine Hcl.

Brand names

Ketamine Hcl1

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking ketamine with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.