Cocaine and ketamine, also known as Calvin Klein, CK, or CK1; is a combo that’s been reported by folk on Erowid to be the best of both worlds — the jelly-like relaxation and empathetic/introspective effect of ketamine, and the active, happy, bouncy effect of cocaine.
Taking more than one substance at the same time isn’t something we recommend doing because it increases the chance of things going sideways. You’ve got the individual risks from each substance, and then there’s the risk of interactions between the two substances getting out of hand.
All that being said, if you decide that this combo is your jam, here are some things to keep in mind to help avoid any potential disasters:
Being safer with CK
Get your gear checked with us
Drug checking organisations have found fentanyl in both ketamine and cocaine in Australia, the US, and the UK.
We haven’t found it here in Aotearoa yet, but it’s only a matter of time before it happens. We don’t want you to be the first to find it the hard way, so bring your gear to us so we can make sure there’s nothing unexpected lurking in there.
When you’re mixing your substances, less is more
Both ketamine and cocaine have a high redose compulsion. Mixing both of these substances makes it easy to bump your way into a strong/dangerous dose without realising it, so it’s a good idea to only carry with you what you intend to take.
We also reckon it’s a good idea to start low, and go slow, especially if you’re a small human as doses are weight dependent. The common dose for both coke and ket is 30-60mg when snorted by themselves.
If you’re mixing, consider starting with 15mg of each and see how you feel.
Mixing stimulants and anaesthetics can be a rollercoaster
If you decide to take ketamine and cocaine together, getting your setting organised and your trip sitter all lined up is important.
Both ketamine and cocaine have risks of psychosis, memory suppression, and amnesia at high dose levels, and like we said earlier, it’s easy to bump yourself into a high dose range so it’s important to keep an eye on how much you’re taking.
As cocaine is a stimulant, it is unlikely that someone taking ket and coke together will k-hole. If they’re taking coke and ket in equal amounts they would go into cardiac arrest and potentially die from the high doses of cocaine needed before they hit the level of ketamine needed to reach the k-hole.
Heart attacks are pretty horrible, so if you’re a fan of the k-hole we recommend you save hunting it for a time when you’re doing ketamine by itself.
You do still run the risk of getting a bit wobbly and losing control of your limbs on CK like you would with ketamine alone.
It’s a good idea to make sure there’s nothing dangerous for you to fall on, so surrounding yourself with comfy things to land on like bean bags rather than things like fire or glass tables is a plan.
Also, (and we can’t believe we have to say this) driving on CK is a bad idea. It’s an easy way to crash your car and get yourself killed.
CK and Alcohol. There’s bad ideas, and then there’s THAT
Both cocaine and ketamine have alcohol as a substance of high risk for potential harm when you mix them. So, as you can imagine, CK and alcohol aren’t going to be a great combination.
Check out the latest version of the Interaction chart on the Tripsit website
If you have one (1) cheeky beverage before starting your CK adventure it probably won’t be too bad. Probably.
If you keep on with your cheeky beverages through your adventure you run the risk of
- Racing heartbeat, palpitations, and potential heart attack
- Overheating
- Breathing problems
- Sudden stroke
- Seizures
- In extreme cases, death.
We prefer it when people don’t die, so if you’re going to indulge, we recommend sticking to either booze or substances. Not both.
Snorting 101
Both ketamine and cocaine have snorting as the least risky way of taking them. However, snorting comes with its own risks to mitigate.
Straws vs. spoons
The lining of your nostrils is very delicate and you can break the skin on the inside of your nose super easily. It’s pretty damn unpleasant and gets a bit bloody.
If you use something that doesn’t actually go all the way inside your nostril, like a spoon or the back of your hand there’s less chance you’ll scrape up the inside of your nostril and open up a route of infection.
Also straws need a surface to be snorted off. Do you know what else has been on that surface? If you’re at home you can get a clean plate, which isn’t too bad, depending on how often the dishes get done at yours.
If you’re out and don’t have your phone with you, you’re looking at a toilet seat lid or the cistern. We don’t need to go into too much detail as to why you don’t want to put your face too close to a toilet seat in a club or festival [vomit emoji]
Bank notes are disease vectors. Don’t put them near your face.
A study done in 2014 showed that bank notes held antibiotic-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus, salmonella, e. coli, influenza, hepatitis A, and a bunch of other gross things that you absolutely don’t want to put up your nose while inhaling deeply. Also, the COVID variants live up to 14 days on a hard surface, and when you think about the number of people that handle money without washing their hands it gets a bit scary.
Sharing is not caring. Use your own utensils
If you’re doing a pass-the-plate with a single snorting straw, you’re putting something with someone else’s snot up your nose.
It’s gross as hell, but also if they’re contagious with something that’s passed on by breath or body fluids like any of the COVID variants, you’re putting the viral particles into the exact place they want to be to enter your bloodstream.
Even more so if you have a scrape on the inside of your nostrils and your open blood vessels are *right there* for the viruses to slide on into your system like a creeper into your DMs.
Rinse your sinuses with water
Yes, it feels horrible, but it will get rid of any build up in your nostrils and reduce the risk of irritating the lining of your sinuses and nostrils.
When to call the medics
If you’re feeling
- Short of breath
- Like your heart’s racing or beating weirdly
- Like your grip on reality is getting away on you
If you’re tripsitting somebody and they
- Start getting aggressive
- Start going down depressive tangents
- Lose control of their limbs
- Start having trouble breathing
- Start having heart trouble
Further reading
Cocaine: Know your stuff, NZ with KnowYourStuffNZ
Ketamine: Know your stuff, NZ with KnowYourStuffNZ
Ketamine bladder: 0 stars, do not recommend