Ketamine (Racemic)

In organic chemistry, a racemic mixture contains equal parts of two molecules that have the same chemical structure but are mirror images of each other, much like a matching pair of left and right shoes. The two compounds are usually distinguished by “S” (or “es”) and “R” (or “ar”) prefixes. Often times, only one version is biologically active. However, ketamine is different: each compound interacts with different brain receptors, allowing the racemic mixture to have a stronger effect than individual types alone.

The overall effect of racemic ketamine is intermediate between type S and type R. It is not as “trippy” as pure type S but it has stronger anti-depressant effects than either type S or type R alone, with a relatively rapid onset coming from the S compound and a longer-lasting mood upswing coming from the R compound.

This mixture has exceptional purity as it does not require special processes to separate the S and R compounds. It is often used in hospitals as an anaesthetic given that is it well tolerated and does not affect breathing like anaesthetics from other drug families. As such, it is manufactured and sold worldwide under several different brand names, underscoring its overall safety when used correctly.