A man who began experimenting with ketamine as a teenager says his life was devastated by ketamine bladder damage, leaving him incontinent and dependent on nappies after passing what he described as “jelly” — later confirmed to be the lining of his bladder.

Ketamine Started as a ‘Rite of Passage’

Jack Curran, now 29, began using ketamine when he was 16. He saw it as a common rite of passage among his peers. The drug, often known as “Special K,” is a dissociative anaesthetic with hallucinogenic effects. It is commonly used in club scenes but often underestimated for its long-term consequences.

Curran’s use escalated after a boating accident at age 19 left him with a broken leg. Struggling with pain, he began taking ketamine daily. “I was snorting loads of it all day,” he said. “The first time I had the cramps, I was in agony. I promised myself I would stop. But after the pain faded, I went back to using it within hours.”

Permanent Damage from Ketamine-Induced Cystitis

Curran’s addiction led to serious health complications. He started experiencing severe bladder problems, eventually developing ketamine-induced cystitis, a condition linked to frequent and heavy ketamine use. “I began urinating jelly. It was the lining of my bladder,” he explained.

He also suffered from incontinence, forcing him to wear nappies. “Even those would leak during the night. It was humiliating.”

According to the National Library of Medicine, ketamine bladder damage can be irreversible. The condition results in bladder pain, reduced capacity, urinary tract infections, ureter narrowing, and even kidney failure. Curran also developed jaundice due to liver damage. “I looked like a skeleton filled with water. I felt like a marshmallow, completely bloated.”

Doctors recommended surgery to remove his bladder, but Curran was too afraid. “The pain was demoralising. I was barely surviving, yet I couldn’t stop.”

Recovery and a Warning to Others

Now two years sober, Curran is training to become a therapist. He wants to use his experience to help others avoid the same path. “When I was 16, there was no information about what ketamine could really do to your body. Now I am left with lifelong damage because of it.”

He hopes young people will take the warning seriously. “You don’t have to go down the road I did. If you are struggling with drug use, get help early. The consequences are not worth it.”

Source: AOL