Etomidate is a short-acting dissociative anaesthetic, used medically for surgery. It is sold as liquid in a vape pod but can also come as a powder or crystal.
Key things to know
Avoid taking too much by starting with a small dose, keeping track of how much you are using, and setting limits.
▼ How to stay saferAvoid mixing with other drugs, medicines and alcohol, particularly other depressants such as benzos or opioids.
▼ How to stay saferWhat to expect
How does etomidate make you feel?
Etomidate can make you feel relaxed, euphoric, numb, nauseous and drowsy.
A reddit user describes their experience with vaping etomidate (r/obscuredrugs):
“It's like a short acting, 2-10 mins, benzo like drug with very strong redosing desire cos it's so easy too just a couple hits. Also numbs the whole body especially with low/no tolerance”
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Pleasant Effects |
Unpleasant Effects |
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Euphoria |
Nausea |
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Relaxation |
Vomiting |
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‘Floating’ sensation in body |
Drowsiness |
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Numbness |
Confusion |
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Dissociation |
Agitation |
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Feeling disconnected from reality |
Anxiety |
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Dizziness |
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Tremors or seizures |
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Loss of consciousness |
Dosage
It is very difficult to estimate dosage of etomidate when it is vaped. Some vape pods may have higher concentrations than others. We suggest starting with a tester dose of one puff and waiting to see how you feel before using more.
How to stay safer
Try a ‘tester’ dose first. Unlike regulated nicotine vapes, etomidate vapes do not have any quality control. This means that it is impossible to know what exactly is in them, or what the dose is per ‘puff’. It is a good idea to take a test dose first (by vaping a small amount) and wait half an hour to see how it makes you feel, before you decide whether or not to use more.
Be aware of your environment. If you accidentally take too much, you could become dizzy or pass out. Consider sitting down to avoid accidental injury.
Avoid mixing with other drugs, including medicines and alcohol, particularly other depressants such as benzos or opioids. Mixing etomidate with other drugs can significantly increase your risk of experiencing an overdose. If you are taking other drugs with etomidate, try to leave as much time as possible between your dose of each to reduce the risk.
Use with a sober buddy. If you are taking etomidate, it is a good idea to have someone with you who knows what to do if you start to become unwell. This is particularly important as etomidate use can sometimes cause seizures - which can be very dangerous if you don’t have someone with you to keep you safe and get medical attention. See our information on how to respond to a seizure here.
Take your etomidate to a drug checking clinic. It's a good idea to get your etomidate checked at a drug checking service so you can know what is really in it. You can’t tell if a vape or vape juice contains etomidate by the way it looks, smells or tastes. Note that depending on the concentration of the vape, it can sometimes be hard for drug checking to detect etomidate – but it’s still worth getting checked out.
Track how much etomidate you are using avoid re-dosing. Vaping drugs can make it really hard to dose accurately - and make it a lot easier to take too much. Etomidate is very short-lasting, which can make it tempting to keep vaping to ‘chase’ the high. However, this is much more likely to lead to unpleasant effects and increase your risk of overdose. Consider finding a way of tracking how much you are vaping (i.e on your phone) and plan for when you are going to stop.
A person explains their experience re-dosing etomidate:
Once you start it’s kinda hard to stop because it all wears off very quickly
Comedowns
What do comedowns from etomidate feel like, and how can you feel better?
If you have only used etomidate a few times, or for a short time, the comedown is not usually very noticeable-especially in lower doses. At higher doses, you might experience some symptoms after using etomidate.
If you…
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Have headaches or nausea
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Feel tired or groggy
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Experience ‘brain fog’
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Have a low mood or feel anxious
Then try…
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Get plenty of rest and sleep
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Remember to eat and drink plenty of water
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Get moving to release feel-good brain chemicals
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Reach out and talk with friends and whānau for support. Relax and do things that you enjoy to take your mind off not feeling well
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Avoid caffeine, alcohol and other drugs
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Practise mindfulness and deep breathing, and try writing down your thoughts and feeling
If any of these symptoms intensify or don't go away, then call a doctor or Healthline 0800 611 116. They can talk you through the next steps.
If your symptoms worsen or you are with somebody who:
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Experiences severe memory loss (such as not knowing where you are or who you are)
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Has sudden personality changes
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Has intense paranoia and or hallucinations
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Experiences emotional distress or delusions
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Loses consciousness
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Has suicidal thoughts
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Develops seizures or tremors
Call 111. These are signs that something more serious is going on- such as etomidate withdrawal. You or the people around you should act quickly.
One person describes their experience with etomidate the following day:
You feel a bit hazy after vaping it the next day, a bit like after using ketamine, the sort of light dissociation can hang around, but it's pretty mild for me.
If you've had too much
What happens if you have too much etomidate?
You might feel confused, dizzy, ‘out of it’, paranoid, nauseous or shaky. You might feel disconnected from your body or surroundings and have a hard time communicating with people around you.
Try to:
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Focus on your breathing- try taking slow, deep breaths
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If you are able, call and talk to somebody you trust and ask them to help keep you calm.
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Do not take more benzos, caffeine, alcohol or other drugs, as these can make you feel worse.
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Move to somewhere quiet – try to sit or lie down and do something relaxing.
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Drink water to stay hydrated.
If you have more severe symptoms, like vomiting, tremors, agitation, paranoia or have an irregular heartbeat, call a doctor or Healthline (0800 611 116). You won't get in trouble if you tell them you've used drugs. They can talk you through the next steps.
Chest pains, severe tremors, breathing problems, seizures, psychosis and loss of consciousness are signs of an overdose. Call 111.
After my friend had been hitting the etomidate vape over the evening she became super out of it, her body went floppy and she couldn’t respond to any of us, it was really scary
Long-term effects
What are the long-term effects of using etomidate?
Etomidate works on the GABA-A receptors in the brain, similar to other drugs such as alcohol and benzodiazepines. Using etomidate regularly can cause withdrawal symptoms such as tremors and seizures that can be dangerous if they aren’t managed with medical supervision. Both long term etomidate use and etomidate withdrawal can cause neurological issues, including tremors and muscle spasms.
Etomidate affects the adrenal system and can cause adrenal insufficiency where the body fails to produce enough cortisol. This can make a person feel weak, very tired, have low blood pressure and skin darkening. In severe cases especially with long term use of etomidate, this can cause an adrenal crisis which is life threatening.
Etomidate use, especially regularly, or in high doses can cause very low potassium levels (called hypokalaemia). If left untreated, this can cause a variety of issues, including gastrointestinal problems, cardiac arrythmias and paralysis.
Etomidate can also decrease the levels of serotonin in the brain over time, which can increase your risk of developing (or worsening symptoms of) depression or anxiety. Long term use of etomidate can also worsen or result in other mental health issues such as paranoia or psychosis. Etomidate can cause other issues with your brain including memory impairment and cognitive decline.
Noticing physical symptoms early can help prevent health problems from developing. Check out our physical health section for things to watch out for.
Cutting down
How do you manage withdrawal from etomidate?
See the 'Making changes' page for more information on how to Manage withdrawal from drugs and alcohol.
If you are using a large amount of etomidate daily, even over a relatively short period of time, you can quickly develop tolerance and dependence. If you suddenly stop using etomidate, you can experience withdrawal, which can be dangerous. If you are planning on stopping etomidate, speak with your doctor or an addictions service first so they can help you to manage it safely.
Withdrawing from etomidate can be difficult and is different for everyone. Some people might experience withdrawal symptoms for a long period of time. If you are withdrawing from etomidate:
You might:
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Have aches and pains, headaches, nausea
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Feel sweaty or very hot or cold
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Have mild memory loss
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Feel agitated, irritable, confused, anxious or low
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Have mood swings
You can try:
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Following a tapering plan from a health professional to reduce your dose slowly.
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Explore further support options if feelings of anxiety and depression are getting worse.
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Lean on a support network of friends, family and professionals.
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Stick to a routine – waking up, eating well, keeping active and rewarding yourself with things that bring you joy.
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Practise mindfulness by writing down your feelings, doing breathing exercises or meditating.
If your symptoms worsen, or you experience panic attacks, tremors, intense agitations, paranoia, hallucinations or heart palpitations, call a doctor or Healthline (0800 611 116).
You can talk to your doctor about:
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other prescription medications to help you get through withdrawal
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rehab or withdrawal clinics in your area – visit Health Point to see what services are available.
Chest pain, very high heartrate, feeling extremely emotional, acting violently, psychosis, trouble breathing, suicidality, seizures and losing consciousness need urgent medical care. Call 111. These are signs you could be experiencing severe benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome. You or the people around you should act quickly.
Working and driving
How can etomidate affect your daily activities?
As etomidate is very hard to dose when vaped, even a small amount can affect your everyday activities. The main effects of etomidate wear off very quickly (after several minutes) but the aftereffects may last for a few hours.
Etomidate can cause loss of muscle control, drowsiness, poor reaction time, impaired judgement, vision problems and confusion, so it is unsafe to drive or use heavy machinery while using etomidate. Etomidate can also affect your fine motor skills, making it hard to do focused tasks. It also causes dissociation and disconnection with reality, which can make it difficult to interact with others while using etomidate.
Will etomidate show up on a drug test?
Etomidate is very short acting and is quickly eliminated from the body. This can make it harder to detect than many other drugs. Etomidate is also not commonly tested for on standard panel drug tests.
Specialist metabolite testing can detect etomidate in urine for 24-48 hours. Specialised saliva tests may be able to detect etomidate in saliva for several hours after use. Blood tests for etomidate may be able to detect it for 12-24 hours. Hair follicle tests for etomidate may be able to detect it for up to 90 days after use.
If you fail a drug test, this may affect your employment, government support, court cases or official licences or registrations. At work, you may face legal consequences, especially if you have put the safety of others at risk.
The law
Is Etomidate Illegal?
Etomidate is a medicine that is regulated under the Medicines Act in New Zealand. As of December 2025, Etomidate was also placed under a Temporary Drug Class Order (TDCO) as a Class C controlled drug. This TDCO expires in December 2026.
This means that it is illegal to use, buy, sell, make, import, or possess etomidate.
You can also get in trouble with the law if you are found to be impaired by etomidate while driving.
To find out more about the law around legal and controlled drugs, including cocaine, see Drugs and the law.
