UCPPS - Prostatitis, Interstitial Cystitis Forum

Note: ketamine is abused as a recreational drug, referred to as a "Special K", "K", "Ket", "Kez", "Kezbar", "Horse", "Hoss", "Kezzle", "Kowbell" or "Horse Tranquillizer"

The Destruction of the Lower Urinary Tract by Ketamine Abuse: A New Syndrome? - Abstract

Wednesday, 13 August 2008
Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Tuen Mun Hospital, Hong Kong, China.

To report the clinical spectrum seen in young abusers of street-ketamine (regular recreational abusers of street-ketamine, for its hallucinogenic effects) in Hong Kong, presenting with significant lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) but with no evidence of bacterial infection.

We retrospectively analysed the clinical presentations, pelvic pain and urgency/frequency scores, video-urodynamic studies, cystoscopy findings, histological features of bladder biopsies and radiological findings of 59 ketamine abusers who were referred to the urology units of Princess Margaret and Tuen Mun Hospital, Hong Kong, from March 2000 to December 2007.

Of the 59 patients, all had moderate to severe LUTS, i.e. frequency, urgency, dysuria, urge incontinence and occasionally painful haematuria. Forty-two (71%) patients had a cystoscopy that showed various degrees of epithelial inflammation similar to that seen in chronic interstitial cystitis. All of 12 available bladder biopsies had histological features resembling those of interstitial cystitis. Urodynamically, either detrusor overactivity or decreased bladder compliance with or without vesico-ureteric reflux was detected to some degree in all of 47 patients. Thirty patients (51%) had unilateral or bilateral hydronephrosis on renal ultrasonography, and four (7%) showed features suggestive of papillary necrosis on radiological imaging. Eight patients had a raised serum creatinine level.

A syndrome of cystitis and contracted bladder can be associated with street-ketamine abuse. Secondary renal damage can occur in severe cases which might be irreversible, rendering patients dependent on dialysis. The present data do not establish the precise cause nor the incidence. Street-ketamine abuse is not only a drug problem, but might be associated with a serious urological condition causing a significant burden to healthcare resources.

Written by
Chu PS, Ma WK, Wong SC, Chu RW, Cheng CH, Wong S, Tse JM, Lau FL, Yiu MK, Man CW.

Reference
BJU Int. 2008 Aug 1. Epub ahead of print.
doi:10.1111/j.1464-410X.2008.07920.x

PubMed Abstract
PMID:18680495

Just saw this, my pain specialist says that Ketamine is great NMDA receptor blocker similar to memantine. I was going to give it a shot but looking at this now I see that it cause further LUTS? I also see some studies showing that nerve blocks may incite new nerves giving the patient a return of the old nerve pain but new nerve pain, especially in patients that have had neuropathic pain for over 1 yr.

Jay, I know you were looking into this, might be something to consider.

There has also been some talk awhile back between RSD and CPPS, take a look at this ridiculous study. The results weren't bad — 4 patients were totally recovered without any pain but I don't know where any of us with or without RSD are going to be put in a Ketamine coma.

http://pain-and-depression.com/Message- ... amine-coma

Has anyone tried Ketamine for CPPS?

Hi,

Ketamine coma is a method often discussed within the CRPS community, and even among the PNE folk. Unfortunately, I don't think the hazards are emphasized enough by laymen. There's a very real possibility that one may go into the coma and never wake up. One can only speak for oneself, but with my specific condition, I'd never consider it.

As to nerve blocks, I have discussed with my physician the potential risks of the procedure, including the possibility of worsening the pain. He's been doing this for a long, long time, and heads the pain management department of a leading cancer treatment center. I trust his judgment when he tells me that it's quite unlikely. Certainly, it's less of a menace than Ketamine, which (not even talking the coma) is very addictive and quite deadly when abused.

Ketamine abuse may lead to bladder damage, pain

A new study finds that long-term regular use of the club drug ketamine, sometimes called Special K, can alter bladder function, leading to bothersome symptoms such as urgency and pelvic pain.

Is it just crude forms of manufactured ketamine for street use or pharmaceutical grade stuff that causes problems?

I would just forgo nerve blocks (x ray guided or unguided). Any look of the people reporting back from blocks (pudendal and others) usually show they can be very expensive, and mostly provide a day or hour of relief with a common nasty lenghtly flare afterwards. A sizeable minority are crippled in pain for quite some time afterwards. I've read of lenghtly (6mo ) or so relief from symptoms in cases but they are few and far between, being the great exception rather than the rule.

I've read of pudendal nerve blocks being given to women in labor, but don't know how common it is. Theoretically this is for a few hours relief during this time. If it is fairly common, I really don't understand the problems people with chronic pelvic pain regularly have with them compared to possibly far more common labor use. But it is what it is. I've never read of a woman on a pelvic pain board whose pain was believed started by a nerve block during labor.

On one extreme I can think of three people offhand, two cyclists, and one a jogger/weightlifter who rue the day they agreed to shot #1, and have suffered additional and increased pain for years. On the other I can recall of perhaps 2 (females, athletic) who have had 13-15 of them, for relief of 1-2 months (or less) each.

Their diagnostic usefulness is questionable also, so for the most part, avoid.

I like digging up old posts.

superuse wrote: ↑Wed Jul 13, 2011 1:22 am Is it just crude forms of manufactured ketamine for street use or pharmaceutical grade stuff that causes problems?

Kind of odd but when it comes to ketamine then stuff you get in the hospital and the stuff you get on the street come from the same lab. The only reason it would be different is if someone decided to give their street drug a 'bonus' and cut it with something else.

I have read about this and I am curious if any study asked the users how they took the drug. Most people snort it since it is easy. This causes a lot of the medication to drip down into your stomach and who knows what happens after that. It's easy to imagine it making it through your organs and causing problems. At ketamine clinics they do an IV so it would bypass a lot of the way a recreational abuser would metabolize it.

That being said, the FDA just approved a ketamine-esque nasal spray for PTSD treatment. Ketamine is one of the cheapest drugs to make and is used in the poorest countries because of that. I'm told on the street it isn't uncommon to trade a beer for a hit or whatever they call it of ketamine. Basically dirt cheap which is why no one funded studies for FDA approval for mental health issues. In any case, a company made a slightly modified version or something could patent so a drug that should of costed a few dollars now costs between 4,000 to 6,000 a month. /rantoff

Interesting timing to dig this one up. I am working with a pain clinic and Ketamine Infusion therapy is one of things they suggested as option. I am going to give it a try as nothing else has helped, and I've tried a lot. Interested to hear if anyone has recently tried this therapy in a clinical setting (not recreationally).

If you go through with it I would love to hear your experience. I've searched this board for ketamine before and I think I only found one person who tried it and said it didn't work for him. That doesn't mean much though given how generic diagnosis are.