Woman warns of 'ketamine bladder' after drug use scarred hers for life

The lack of proper data collection in Scotland is an issue highlighted by Justine Royle, a consultant urological surgeon at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI).

She told BBC Scotland that a rise in the number of patients in the north east of Scotland has led the urology department at ARI to create a specialist 'ketamine bladder' clinic.

"Initially there were one or two a year coming through," she says.

"We now see between one and two a month that have significant levels of damage to their urinary tract."

She says she thinks this is just "the tip of the iceberg" and could get much worse.

Royle says the patients she sees are "young and fit".

"Intelligent kids who have a bit of disposable income and think ketamine is not going to do them any harm," she says.

"In reality, they are damaging themselves beyond redemption."

She says children as young as 14 have been admitted to ARI experiencing symptoms of 'ketamine bladder', and in England colleagues have seen patients as young as 10.

Royle says the damage ketamine causes does not stop at the urinary tract.

"The vast majority of people who have long term usage will end up with significant damage to their bodies," she says.

"It can affect erectile function, it affects the liver, and there is some evidence that it may affect the brain in long term usage as well."

She told BBC Scotland she knows of cases handled by colleagues of cardiac arrest related to ketamine, "probably related to renal failure".

Claire, not her real name, is recovering from five years of ketamine addiction.

She was first introduced to the drug about 18 and at the height of her addiction, she was taking between 14g and 21g - about £150 worth - of ketamine a day.

"It was a very dark time for me," she says.

"I was really physically unwell and in such a bad place mentally I just didn't want to be alive anymore."

Due to damage to her bladder caused by ketamine, Claire now relies on nephrostomy tubes to drain urine directly from the kidneys through an opening in the back, into an external bag that can be emptied.

For those experiencing bladder-related pain due to ketamine use, the numbing or pain-relieving effect it provides can make using it a difficult cycle to break.

"The only thing that helped with my pain was taking more ketamine," Claire says.

"You're in so much pain and you just want that relief for a few minutes.

"Both the times I've been in hospital because of my ketamine use I have gone home and used the next day."

Now 10 months ketamine-free, Ellie has set up a peer support group, Safe Space Ketamine Recovery, to help other people struggling with addiction.

She says it is important for young people to be able to surround themselves with people who understand issues like incontinence caused by ketamine use.

Ellie also says she thinks young people can be naïve, adding that there is a perception that "it happened to them, so it won't happen to me".

"It will," she says.

"Maybe if it doesn't happen straight away it will come. I just think it's not worth it."