Doctors are warning of a sharp rise in bladder problems among young people due to chronic ketamine use, with some patients as young as 21 requiring major surgery. The drug, which affects the bladder lining and can shrink the organ, has seen usage more than double in England and Wales since 2016, and triple among under-25s, according to government figures.
Beth, an addict in her 20s, told the BBC: 'I can't walk 50 metres without either needing to sit down or needing to run to the toilet.' She began using ketamine as a teenager 'in the classroom at school' and now relies on it to cope with past trauma. Her bladder developed a growth that had to be surgically removed.
Consultant urologist Dr Carolina Ochoa from Southmead Hospital in Bristol, which treats around 60 patients from the West Country, said: 'If we are offering major surgery to a person who's 21, then the likelihood of having any sort of complications after that surgery [in the rest of their lives] - it's enormous.'
Dr Mohammed Belal from the British Association of Urological Surgeons noted a 'huge explosion' of young people with severe urinary symptoms, including needing the toilet every half hour. The association is preparing guidance to help health professionals spot 'ketamine bladder'.
Pagan, from Oxfordshire, recovered from a 12-year addiction during which she took over 10 grams daily. She said: 'I wanted to die... completely reliant on ketamine.' Her addiction led to bladder surgery and her daughter's adoption. Ketamine, a Class-B drug, is also used medically as an anaesthetic and painkiller.
