You’ve probably heard someone call it Special K. It’s the classic, the one that made it into the headlines in the nineties and never really left the public consciousness. But honestly, if you’re actually out in the world, nobody really says that anymore without sounding like a D.A.R.E. officer from 1996. The language around slang terms for ketamine has shifted drastically because the drug itself has moved from the dance floor to the doctor's office. It’s weird. One day it’s a horse tranquilizer, the next it’s a "miracle" cure for treatment-resistant depression being administered in a high-end clinic in Manhattan.
Language adapts.
The Street Names You’ll Actually Hear
People are creative when they want to hide things in plain sight. K, Kitty, or just Vitamin K are the low-effort staples. You’ll hear "Ket" a lot in the UK and Europe, where the drug has a massive presence in the festival scene. It’s short, punchy, and everyone knows what it means. Then you get into the more descriptive stuff like Wonk or Wonky. That’s a direct reference to the "wonky" walk people get when their motor skills start to disconnect from their brain. It’s a literal description of the physical state.
Some names are just weirdly cute for a dissociative anesthetic. Cat Valium is a big one. It’s a bit of a misnomer because ketamine isn't a benzodiazepine like Valium, but the "cat" part sticks because it is, in fact, used in veterinary medicine. You might also hear Super Acid or Mean Green, though those are older and much less common now.
Sometimes the names get coded into activities. "Going skiing" usually refers to cocaine, but in certain circles, if the context is right, it’s about ketamine. This is where it gets dangerous. If someone thinks they're getting one thing and gets another, the night takes a very different turn.
Why Do We Have So Many Slang Terms for Ketamine?
It’s mostly about evasion. If you’re texting a dealer or talking in a loud club, you don’t want to scream "KETAMINE" across the room. Law enforcement keeps tabs on keywords. Parents keep tabs on keywords. So, the slang evolves to stay one step ahead of the "normies."
But there’s a second reason: identity.
The terms used by a 19-year-old at a rave in Berlin are going to be completely different from what a 45-year-old tech executive calls it during an off-label therapeutic session. In the clinical world, they don't use slang. They call it Esketamine (Spravato) or just "the infusion." But even there, the culture bleeds through. Patients talk about the K-Hole—that terrifying or transcendent state where you lose all sense of self—even when they're under medical supervision. It’s the one piece of street slang that the medical community has basically been forced to adopt because there isn't a better word for that level of dissociation.
The Veterinary Myth vs. Reality
Let's clear this up once and for all. People call it Horse Trank.
Yes, it is used on horses. It’s also used on cats, dogs, and humans. In fact, the World Health Organization lists ketamine as an "Essential Medicine." It’s one of the safest anesthetics because it doesn't suppress your breathing the way opioids do. When you hear slang terms for ketamine like "Donkey Dust," it’s leaning into that animal sedative reputation. It makes it sound more "hardcore" or industrial.
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The reality is that the stuff used in a hospital and the stuff found on the street usually started in the same place: a pharmaceutical lab. Most street ketamine is diverted from legal supplies, often in liquid form, and then cooked down into a powder that looks like shards of glass or fine salt.
How the High Dictates the Name
The experience of the drug is so specific that the slang has to reflect it.
- Bump: A small amount, often taken off the tip of a key.
- K-Land: The general state of being high, but not totally gone.
- K-Hole: The point of no return. Complete dissociation.
- Green: A less common term, sometimes referring to the color of specific pharmaceutical labels.
If someone says they are "in the hole," they aren't having a conversation with you. They are essentially paralyzed, experiencing internal hallucinations. This is why you see terms like Blind Squid popping up in certain subcultures. It sounds nonsensical, but it captures that feeling of being a floating entity with no limbs and a confused sense of sight.
The Danger of "Legal" Slang
We are seeing a new phenomenon where "Regulated" ketamine is getting its own set of nicknames. Since the FDA approved Spravato (esketamine) in 2019, the drug has entered the mainstream "wellness" lexicon. You’ll hear people talk about their K-journey or K-trip in a way that sounds more like a yoga retreat than a drug experience.
This rebranding is fascinating. By shifting the slang terms for ketamine from "Special K" to "Infusion Therapy," the stigma evaporates. But the chemistry is the same. Whether you call it Kit Kat or a Therapeutic Dose, the risk of bladder issues (cystitis) and psychological dependency remains if it’s misused.
Dr. Roland Griffiths and other researchers at Johns Hopkins have looked extensively at how mind-altering substances are perceived based on the language we use. When we call it "medicine," we treat it with respect. When we call it "Vitamin K," we treat it like a party favor. The danger isn't just in the drug; it's in the casualness the slang invites.
Looking Ahead: The Future of the Lexicon
As more states look into decriminalizing psychedelics and dissociatives, the language will continue to flatten. We might see brand names become the new slang, much like how people say "Xanax" instead of "alprazolam."
If you are trying to identify if someone is using or talking about this substance, look for the context of "disconnection." Words that imply being stuck, being in a "void," or "melting" are huge red flags. The slang is always more about the feeling than the chemical.
Next Steps for Safety and Awareness:
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First, understand that street ketamine is increasingly being cut with research chemicals or, in horrific cases, fentanyl. If you or someone you know is using "K" or "Kitty" outside of a doctor's office, using a reagent testing kit is a literal lifesaver. These kits can distinguish between ketamine and dangerous analogues like DCK or 2-FDCK.
Second, be aware of "K-pains" or bladder issues. This isn't just a side effect; it’s a sign of permanent organ damage. If someone is using slang like Cooked to describe their physical state, it’s time to seek medical help.
Lastly, if the interest in ketamine is for mental health, stick to the clinical route. The "street" version and the "medical" version might be the same molecule, but the set, setting, and purity are worlds apart. Don't let the "casual" nature of the slang fool you into thinking it's a casual substance.