Peeing a Jellyfish: Children's Ketamine Injuries Revealed
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Child ketamine users getting bladder damage describe 'peeing a jellyfish'
Image source: Getty Images
By Michelle Roberts Digital health editor
Published 28 minutes ago
Children as young as 13 are experiencing ketamine-induced bladder damage, according to doctors running the UK's first and only dedicated NHS clinic for this issue.
Medics at Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool have seen over 100 referrals since opening their specialist service last May.
Some patients describe "peeing a jellyfish", which refers to the shedding of part of the bladder's protective lining. Prolonged damage can lead to incontinence, uncontrolled urination, and even kidney failure. Many children had been using ketamine for a year or more, suggesting some may have started when they were 12 or younger.
Some with emotional trauma say ketamine, sold for pocket money prices, helps "shush" or quieten their brain.
Like weeing over broken glass
Ketamine is a general anaesthetic that reduces or blunts sensations in the body. Users often describe feeling dream-like and detached, chilled and relaxed. However, it can also cause significant harm.
Prof Rachel Isba, who runs the clinic, told the BBC:
"Sometimes they don't always make it. They might have accidents...and a lot of them report pain in their bladder."
"They describe this feeling of weeing over broken glass. It's very painful."
She explains that ketamine is a good pain reliever and some children use it to treat the pain caused by their bladder condition, leading to a vicious cycle.
"Ketamine is very cheap, 'pocket-money level'. And you only need a small amount to feel an effect," she said. Some children find it hard to quit if their friends continue using it.
K cramps
Ketamine abuse in children and young people is rising in the UK. The Alder Hey doctors saw one patient in 2023, nine in 2024, and then a rapid increase in 2025, leading to the opening of the clinic. They now get about one referral each week from GPs or emergency departments covering Cheshire, Merseyside, and surrounding areas. Of their first 60 patients, 43 were girls.
Despite its name, ketamine bladder can affect the entire urinary tract, including the kidneys and ureters. Symptoms include an urgent and frequent need to urinate, which is often painful and may be blood-stained. Stopping ketamine use can help, but sometimes the damage is so severe that surgical repair or even removal of the bladder is necessary. Users also experience abdominal pain and spasms, known as "K cramps."
There are reports of liver damage in heavy users, but it's hard to separate these harms from other substances people may be taking.
Isba says cannabis and alcohol remain more popular than ketamine, but it is now probably the third most common substance of abuse among young people.