Risks Of Mixing Cocaine And Ketamine (CK Blend)

Mixing cocaine and ketamine can produce a range of intense effects, including extreme euphoria, cardiovascular manifestations, and psychosis.

These are both powerful, mind-altering drugs with the ability to result in fatal overdose as individual substances taken alone.

Risks and the potential for life-threatening effects increase when these substances are mixed together.

Learn more about the dangers of polysubstance abuse

What Is “Calvin Klein”?

The combination of cocaine and ketamine is known as “Calvin Klein” or “CK blend.”

It’s a widely abused party drug across the world, most often snorted to result in powerful euphoric highs and hallucinations.

This mixture of cocaine and ketamine has become more popular among younger generations, including teenagers and college students.

Risks Of Mixing Cocaine And Ketamine (Calvin Klein, CK Blend)

Both cocaine and ketamine are highly addictive, mind-altering drugs. The substances work by blocking dopamine transporters, resulting in a build-up of dopamine.

When mixed to create “Calvin Klein” (CK), effects such as violent behaviors, bad trips, and psychotic reactions can set in.

Extreme Euphoria And Hallucinations

Both cocaine and ketamine have stimulant properties. Many people use CK in order to experience an extreme high, but this is very dangerous.

The hallucinogenic effects usually last anywhere between a few minutes to an hour. If the effects wear off and a person wants more of the same feeling, they’re at risk of fatally overdosing.

Extreme euphoria can also create a “bad trip,” characterized by:

• anxiety
• paranoia
• irritability
• psychotic reactions

These effects and other undesired outcomes can cause impaired judgment, leading to dangerous situations and behavior.

Cardiovascular Complications

If a person overdoses on CK, they can experience a number of potentially fatal cardiovascular complications.

By blocking dopamine transporters, repeated doses of cocaine and ketamine can result in high levels of catecholamine, hormones in the brain released when under physical or emotional stress.

Catecholamines include dopamine and norepinephrine. A major build-up of these neurotransmitters can lead to dysrhythmia (abnormal heartbeat rhythm) and cardiac arrest.

Using CK can cause:

• heart attack
• heart palpitations
• increased heart rate
• sudden death

Mixing Cocaine And Ketamine Can Be Fatal

The U.S. National Library of Medicine published a case study of a girl who fatally overdosed on CK in 2019.

Researchers found that both cocaine and ketamine are extremely potent and dangerous by themselves, and when taken together, life-threatening symptoms can occur.

The study found that ketamine has been associated with a high risk for abuse and fatality.

Finding Treatment For Cocaine And Ketamine Addiction

If you suspect that you or a loved one are addicted to one or both of these substances, treatment might be the right choice.

Contact our helpline to talk with a trained specialist about your options in addiction recovery.

Written by the Addiction Resource Editorial Staff