Paige Collins started taking ketamine as a teen when she was asked to ‘sort’ some for a rave, but it quickly spiralled into a daily habit that saw her snort £1,000 worth a month
A young woman revealed the gruesome reality of ketamine addiction that saw her splash £1,000 a month, caused her bladder to shrink to the size of a ‘shot glass’ and made her start ‘peeing jelly’.
Paige Collins, who is now 25, first started taking what is known as ‘Special K’ when she was 19 after she was asked to ‘sort’ the ‘party’ drug for a rave.
What started as a ‘young, reckless bit of fun’ quickly turned into something much darker. Paige would eventually become hooked by the class B drug, that saw her snort between 5g and 10g a day.
She’s now on a mission to raise awareness about the dangers of ketamine as the government face pressure to reconsider its classification to A after the death of drag star The Vivienne and reports of young people facing irreversible damage.
“Initially I really enjoyed it,” Paige reflected. “It took me three years to realise I was addicted. I would start off getting 1g or 2g a night and then at the start of 2024, I was doing between 5g and 10g a day.
“It was costing me anywhere between £150 to £250 a week.”
Paige then started to gradually notice worrying symptoms that would eventually leave her bedridden. She would also pee out the lining of her bladder and would find herself constantly needing the loo, something many people who take ketamine experience – it’s commonly known as ‘ket bladder’.
The young woman felt like she was trapped in a ‘cycle’ of physical pain and mental torment where she would have to use the loo up to 50 times a day.
It felt like her life was ‘ruined’. Paige continued: “It started with more frequent toilet trips but it took a little while to start peeing jelly – start peeing the lining of my bladder.
“I had absolutely no clue this could happen. Even when I knew [and] it was at its worst I still continued to do it.
“It was awful, I was in pain. I was stuck in a cycle of waking up, doing it, crying, saying ‘I’m never going to touch it again’ then picking it up again.
“I was nipping to the loo 50 plus times a day. It was ruining my life. I couldn’t go out for four or five months of 2023, I didn’t leave the house.”
Paige first sought medical help in 2021 due to abdominal pain known as ‘K cramps’, followed by repeated visits to her GP. In January 2023, an ultrasound and a cystoscopy revealed that her bladder had drastically shrunk. According to the NHS, a healthy bladder should hold around 400-600mls of urine, but Paige’s can only hold 30ml – just 5% of a healthy amount.
She recalled the shock of hearing the news and said: “When I woke up from having it [the cystoscopy] done the doctor said my bladder was only 30ml. It was really shocking to hear. I refer to it as just over a shot – a shot is 25ml.
“They’ve already said the damage is irreversible. There’s nothing I can do to make my bladder the way it once was.”
Paige now undergoes bladder instillation treatment, where liquid medicine is inserted to alleviate pain and inflammation and stretch her bladder.
She’s decided to share her story as a stark warning about the dangers of ketamine use, urging others to steer clear – especially after hearing The Vivienne tragically died after taking the drug.
It’s at a time where the latest government figures estimate that ketamine use in England and Wales has more than doubled in less than 10 years.
The Office for National Statistics revealed that 3.8% of people aged 16-24 have reported using ketamine in 2023. That is compared to 1% growth of that age groups use for the majority of other drugs, apart from cannabis (15%) and cocaine (5%).
Paige concluded: “Ket was an escape mechanism for me, which I know it also is for lots of other people. I was a party girl. Even now I still like going out dancing, but I don’t take ket when I go out.
“I watch Ru Paul’s Drag Race and remember the year The Vivienne was on it. It’s such a shame that ketamine can have a devastating effect on people from all different backgrounds, including celebrities.”