Ketamine abuse tied to urinary tract woes
Source: Agencies |
April 6, 2012, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
MANY people who use the club drug ketamine - known as "special K" - may risk abdominal pain, bladder control problems and other urinary tract issues, and the heavier the dose or frequency of use, the more likely the problems, according to a United Kingdom study.
The study, which appeared in the British Journal of Urology International, found that of 1,285 young adults who said they'd abused ketamine in the past year, 27 percent had developed urinary tract symptoms.
In medicine, ketamine is used as an anesthetic. In clubs, where it's better known as "special K," it is snorted or sometimes injected, with users saying it creates feelings of euphoria and being "out of your body."
Ketamine abuse is on the rise in many countries, and repeated use has been linked to mental problems such as hallucinations and impaired memory, thinking and concentration. It can also cause high blood pressure.
The study, led by Bristol Urological Institute's Angela Cottrell, looked at the prevalence of urinary tract symptoms such as pain in the lower belly, painful urination, blood in the urine and bladder-control problems.
"The take-home message is that regular ketamine use can lead to severe urinary symptoms," Cottrell said, although she did say it was not clear how the rate of urinary problems among ketamine users compared to young people in general.
The findings were based on an online survey promoted by a UK club-music magazine called "MixMag."
The study, which appeared in the British Journal of Urology International, found that of 1,285 young adults who said they'd abused ketamine in the past year, 27 percent had developed urinary tract symptoms.
In medicine, ketamine is used as an anesthetic. In clubs, where it's better known as "special K," it is snorted or sometimes injected, with users saying it creates feelings of euphoria and being "out of your body."
Ketamine abuse is on the rise in many countries, and repeated use has been linked to mental problems such as hallucinations and impaired memory, thinking and concentration. It can also cause high blood pressure.
The study, led by Bristol Urological Institute's Angela Cottrell, looked at the prevalence of urinary tract symptoms such as pain in the lower belly, painful urination, blood in the urine and bladder-control problems.
"The take-home message is that regular ketamine use can lead to severe urinary symptoms," Cottrell said, although she did say it was not clear how the rate of urinary problems among ketamine users compared to young people in general.
The findings were based on an online survey promoted by a UK club-music magazine called "MixMag."
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