Ketamine is giving more young people bladder problems – an expert explains |
Urology departments in England and Wales have reported seeing an increase in the number of 16- to 24-year-olds being admitted for bladder inflammation associated with ketamine use.
This appears to coincide with an increase in ketamine use – with the number of adults and teens entering treatment for ketamine abuse last year jumping substantially compared to even just a few years previously.
Ketamine abuse can have many affects on the bladder, causing frequent urination, night-time urination, sudden urges, leakage, inflammation, pain in the bladder or lower back and blood in the urine. These symptoms can be severe, make daily life very difficult and may even be permanent in some cases.
Ketamine was first approved in 1970 for human use as an anaesthetic. More recently, studies have suggested that ketamine used at low doses may have antidepressant effects.
But a growing number of people are now using ketamine........