Deschloroketamine Stats & Data
[Cl-].CNC1(CCCCC1=O)c1ccccc1.[H+]KJMDOBYGKOIRQI-UHFFFAOYSA-NHistory & Culture
1966–present
Deschloroketamine was first described in a 1966 patent filed by Calvin Stevens at Parke-Davis in Michigan. Stevens, who is also credited with the synthesis of ketamine and phencyclidine, outlined the preparation methods for this structurally related compound. Despite this early documentation, the substance did not see significant investigation or use for several decades following its initial synthesis.
1998–2000
In the late 1990s, researchers Detlef Preiss and Akos Tatar from Germany filed a series of patents describing potential medical applications for deschloroketamine. Their work proposed that the substance possessed antimicrobial properties and could provide therapeutic benefit for bacterial, fungal, viral, and protozoal infections. The patents also suggested potential immunomodulatory effects at low doses of approximately 2 milligrams per day. These claims have remained largely uninvestigated by subsequent research, and speculation regarding these alleged properties continues within discussions of the substance. The potential implications of any antimicrobial or immunosuppressive activity, if validated, could represent health concerns for individuals using the substance recreationally.
2015–2016
Deschloroketamine first appeared on European drug monitoring systems in March 2015, when the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction received its initial report through the European Union's Early Warning System. This report originated from the United Kingdom. Analysis of drug seizures in Italy between 2015 and 2016 revealed that deschloroketamine was being sold misrepresented as ketamine. Of 102 envelopes seized that were purportedly ketamine powder, all green and blue envelopes were determined to contain deschloroketamine, while pink envelopes contained methoxetamine. By 2016, the substance had established a presence on dark net marketplaces including AlphaBay and Valhalla. Data from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration's laboratory system documented at least eight seizures of deschloroketamine within the country during that year. The compound has since become readily accessible through online research chemical vendors, where it continues to be sold as a designer drug despite its very limited history of human use and minimal data regarding its pharmacological properties and toxicity.
Effect Profile
Curated + 31 ReportsStrong dissociative depth, motor impairment, and mania with mild insight
Duration Timeline
BluelightCommunity Effects
TripSitTolerance & Pharmacokinetics
drugs.wikiCross-Tolerances
Experience Report Analysis
ErowidDemographics
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Reports Over Time
Effect Analysis
ErowidEffects aggregated from 31 experience reports (31 Erowid)
Effect Sentiment Distribution
Confidence Distribution
Positive Effects 10
Adverse Effects 8
Real-World Dose Distribution
62K DosesFrom 70 individual dose entries
Rectal (n=28)
Oral (n=14)
Sublingual (n=5)
Insufflated (n=15)
Common Combinations
Most co-occurring substances in experience reports
Form / Preparation
Most common forms and preparations reported
Body-Weight Dosing
Dose relative to body weight from reports with weight data
Redose Patterns
Redosing behavior across 28 reports
Legal Status
| Country | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Austria | Illegal | Controlled under the Neue-Psychoaktive-Substanzen-Verordnung (NPSV), Austria's new psychoactive substances regulation. |
| Canada | Controlled | Prohibited under a general ban on arylcyclohexylamines. Production, distribution, and possession are illegal. |
| Czech Republic | Legal | Not currently scheduled or controlled under Czech drug legislation. Possession and use are not criminalized. |
| Germany | NpSG (Controlled) | Controlled under the Neue-psychoaktive-Stoffe-Gesetz (New Psychoactive Substances Act) since July 18, 2019. Production and import with intent to distribute, administration to others, and trading are criminal offenses. Possession is prohibited but not subject to criminal penalties. |
| Italy | Illegal | Classified as an illegal substance under Italian drug control legislation. |
| Latvia | Illegal | Prohibited substance under Latvian controlled substances laws. |
| Netherlands | Legal (under review) | Remains unscheduled as of the available information, though regulatory review was scheduled with a plenary hearing set for January 21, 2025. |
| Switzerland | Controlled (Verzeichnis E) | Specifically named as a controlled substance under Verzeichnis E of the Swiss narcotics scheduling system. |
| United Kingdom | Class B | Controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Covered by the arylcyclohexylamine generic clause as an N-alkyl derivative of 2-amino-2-phenylcyclohexanone, added via S.I. 2013/239 effective February 26, 2013. Possession, production, supply, and import are prohibited. |
| United States | Uncontrolled | Not a scheduled substance at the federal level as of July 2017. However, it may be subject to prosecution under the Federal Analogue Act if sold for human consumption due to its structural similarity to ketamine. |
Harm Reduction
drugs.wiki• Identity/purity vary: DCK is frequently confused with or sold alongside ketamine analogues; lab checking is strongly advised where available. Toronto’s Drug Checking Service has detected deschloroketamine within expected ketamine submissions, highlighting substitution/mixing risk in real-world markets. Use lab‑grade drug checking when possible; reagents alone are not definitive. • Compared to racemic ketamine, DCK is typically reported as roughly 2–3× as potent by weight and longer‑lasting; this increases the risk of accidental over-intoxication if dosing by ‘ketamine-sized’ lines. • Strong dissociation can rapidly escalate to incapacitation or delusional states at higher doses; plan set/setting, sit down before dosing, and avoid heights/water. Physical accident risk is increased on dissociatives. • Bladder/urinary toxicity: heavy or frequent arylcyclohexylamine use is linked to ulcerative cystitis and kidney issues; stop immediately if you notice urgency, frequency, pain, hematuria, or incontinence, and seek medical evaluation. Space sessions (days to weeks), hydrate normally (avoid extreme over-hydration), and urinate regularly during/after use to reduce urothelial exposure. • Tolerance rises quickly and can promote compulsive redosing; many users report mood instability, insomnia, and cognitive fog after binges. • Insufflation harms nasal mucosa; crush finely, use your own sterile straw/scoop, rinse with saline, and rest your nose. • Vaporizing/inhalation has an ultra-rapid onset that can cause sudden blackout; avoid using in risky environments and beware of freebase aerosolization. • Do not mix with other depressants (alcohol, GHB/GBL, opioids); this combination is associated with unexpected unconsciousness and aspiration risk. Benzodiazepines add sedation and can complicate airway protection if you lose consciousness. • Avoid driving or operating machinery for at least 24 hours after dissociative use (and longer if you still feel affected). • Leave at least 48–72 h between sessions to curb tolerance and reduce urinary risk; weeks are safer after heavy days. • Always weigh doses on a milligram scale; if the batch is unverified, start at the threshold range and titrate slowly.
References
Drugs.wiki References
- PiHKAL • info: Deschloroketamine (names/structure)
- PubChem CID 437168: Deschloroketamine (registry)
- Erowid DCK experience vault index (timing/dose examples)
- Erowid DCK report: ‘Unpleasant First Hole’ (insufflated timing)
- Erowid DCK report: ‘Surprising…’ (dose/onset/feel)
- Bluelight Big & Dandy Deschloroketamine thread (naming, potency vs ketamine)
- Bluelight post comparing potency (~2–3× ketamine)
- Hi‑Ground: Ketamine HR (snorting care, combos, long‑term risks)
- TripSit Wiki: Ketamine (psychosis risk; duration context)
- Toronto Drug Checking Service 2021 report (ketamine samples may include deschloroketamine)
- Toronto Drug Checking Service site (program and reporting)
- Reddit: tried vaping deschloroketamine (abrupt onset/blackout risk anecdote)
- DrugWise: Ketamine (urotoxicity, accidents, dependence)