Ketamine Users Risk Urinary Problems

Users of the drug ketamine, known by the street name 'special K,' face an increased risk of urinary and bladder control problems and abdominal pain. The more ketamine they use and the more often they use it, the greater the chance of developing urinary tract issues, a British study has found.

Ketamine users can experience pain in the lower abdomen, painful urination, blood in their urine and problems controlling their bladders, the researchers found.

Officially, ketamine is used in the medical field as an anesthetic, but it has become popular among the club set who snort or inject the drug to achieve a feeling of euphoria.

Prevalence of Urinary Tract Problems

After hearing of many case studies involving urinary tract problems among ketamine users, Angela Cottrell of the Bristol Urological Institute decided to examine the prevalence of those problems among young people in general and those who used the drug.

Using an online survey promoted in a popular UK club music magazine, Cottrell and her colleagues received responses from 3,806 young people, 1,285 of whom said they had used ketamine in the past year.

Of those who reported ketamine use, 26.6% also reported experience urinary symptoms. The researchers found there was a dose and frequency relationship between ketamine use and urinary symptoms.

Symptoms Reduced With Cessation

The good news is, for most ketamine users, the urinary problems improved when they stopped taking the drug. Among the young people who used ketamine, 51% said their symptoms improved after they quit using the drug.

There were 4% however, who said their urinary tract symptoms continued to get worse after they stopped using. The researchers said their could be a point at which the damage that ketamine causes in the urinary tract can become irreversible.

If you are using ketamine and are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned above, the best course of action is to stop using immediately and consult a healthcare provider.

^{Source: Winstock, AR, et al. "The prevalence and natural history of urinary symptoms among recreational ketamine users." British Journal of Urology International. 14 Mar 2012.}

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^{Photo: © DEA}