Urinary tract effects
A study in Bristol reported in the British Medical Journal linked urinary tract disease with ketamine use. Symptoms reported by users included an increased need to urinate, passing blood in urine, leakage of urine and pain on urination. These symptoms may be associated with the scarification of the bladder lining, which leads to a shrunken bladder, erythema, and contact bleeding, and can then move to the ureters and damage the kidneys.[92]
Another small study found "marked thickening of the bladder wall, a small capacity, and perivesicular stranding, consistent with severe inflammation. At cystoscopy, all patients had severe ulcerative cystitis. Cessation of ketamine use, with the addition of pentosan polysulfate, appeared to provide some symptomatic relief."[93]
Many long term users report "K-pains" or "ketamine cramps".[94] The exact cause of these pains are unknown. The Ketamine induced abdominal pain is primarily limited to users of a gram or more of ketamine a day (route of administration does not seem to affect this symptom). It has been suggested that the amino acid Tyrosine may help alleviate the pain.[95]
In October 2009, a British researcher, formerly of the British Home Office's Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, recommended that ketamine be re-classed in the UK, as several patients who have used the drug recreationally had experienced bladder spasms and some have "irreversible bladder damage". Professor Nutt also reported that a small number of patients have had their bladder completely removed due to ketamine abuse.[96]
