Ketamine
Drug Testing
SUMMARY #
U.S. DRUG TESTING SUMMARY | |
Ketamine | |
Tested for in Standard Drug Tests? | NO |
Tested for in Extended Drug Tests? | YES (some areas) |
Possible to Test for? | YES |
Detection Period in Urine | 2-4 days |
TEST TYPES #
Urine Testing
It is possible to test for the presence of ketamine metabolites in urine, blood, & hair, but it is an uncommon test to do. In the last couple years ketamine has become more widely known in the popular media and some testing companies have added it to their "Club Drug" testing battery. Unless there is a particular reason to be looking for it, as in the case of an autopsy, specific ketamine tests are not normally conducted. It is not one of the SAMHSA-5 standardly tested for in the basic drug test, nor is it included in the extended drug tests.
If testing for ketamine is specifically requested, according to Ketamine: Dreams and Realities, norketamine, the breakdown product of ketamine, is detectable in both blood and urine for 7-14 days and possibly longer in heavy users.
As of 2013, extended panel lab tests are now including ketamine in some areas.
If testing for ketamine is specifically requested, according to Ketamine: Dreams and Realities, norketamine, the breakdown product of ketamine, is detectable in both blood and urine for 7-14 days and possibly longer in heavy users.
As of 2013, extended panel lab tests are now including ketamine in some areas.
FALSE POSITIVES #
Substances or Conditions which can cause false positives
Ketamine may cause false positives for PCP on some drug screens (1), but is clearly differentiable using follow-up confirming tests such as GC/MS. This is of less interest now that Ketamine itself is also illegal.
CAUTION & DISCLAIMER #
Erowid's drug testing information is a summary of data gathered from site visitors, journal articles, websites, and other resources. Detection periods depend on amount and frequency of use, metabolic rate, body mass, age, overall health, drug tolerance, and urine pH of each individual. Many substances that are not tested for in basic or extended urinalysis tests CAN be tested for by a laboratory willing to go to the trouble, although that is uncommon.
RELATED RESOURCES #
OFF-SITE RESOURCES #
NorChemLab Club Drugs Testing Page - A commercial lab offering testing for ketamine as part of their Club Drugs battery
NOTES #
- Recent ketamine administration can produce a urine toxic screen which is falsely positive for phencyclidine.
Shannon M
Pediatric Emerg Care 1998 Apr;14(2):180