Why this page exists
Most GPs aren't trained to spot ketamine addiction, and symptoms often get misread as something else — especially bladder problems, which are one of the clearest warning signs of heavy ketamine use. Too many people are sent away with antibiotics for a "water infection," or painkillers, while the real cause goes unaddressed. This page is here to help you walk in prepared, say the right things, and ask for the right tests and referrals — whether you're going for yourself or with someone you love.
Before you go
- Write down how long, how often, and roughly how much ketamine is being used — GPs take a clear timeline seriously
- List the symptoms and when they started (see below) — bring it on paper or your phone
- If you can, ask for a double appointment when booking, so there's time to cover it properly
- Take someone with you if that helps — a parent, partner or friend. You're allowed support in the room
What to tell your GP — say it plainly
Be direct and use the word "ketamine." GPs can't help with what they don't know, and being honest is not going to get you in trouble — it's confidential. Tell them:
- How long, how often and how much ketamine is being used (daily, grams per day, how long this has gone on)
- Any urinary symptoms: needing to wee very frequently or urgently, getting up at night to wee, pain or burning when weeing, blood in the urine, leaking, or being unable to fully empty the bladder
- Any pain: lower tummy/bladder pain, or severe cramping pain under the right ribs ("k-cramps")
- Any mental health changes: low mood, anxiety, memory or concentration problems, or using ketamine to cope or "switch off"
- The sentence that matters most: "I think these symptoms are caused by ketamine use, and I want them properly investigated."
Tests to ask for
You can ask your GP directly for these. Tick them off as you go:
- Urine dipstick and MSU (mid-stream urine sample) — to check for blood and to rule out infection, since ketamine bladder is often mistaken for a UTI
- Blood test for kidney function — U&Es / eGFR
- Blood test for liver function — LFTs (ketamine can affect the liver and bile ducts too)
- An ultrasound scan of the bladder and kidneys — to look for bladder wall thickening, reduced capacity, or kidney changes
- A bladder diary — your GP or the urology team may ask you to record how often and how much you wee over a few days
If a GP only offers a urine dip and antibiotics, that is not enough on its own — ask for the bloods and the scan too.
Referrals to ask for
- Urology — for a proper assessment of ketamine-related bladder damage (ketamine uropathy). Say those words. This damage can become permanent if left, so ask for the referral to be made now, not "if it gets worse"
- Your local drug and alcohol service — for the addiction itself. You can often self-refer too (find yours via FRANK), but a GP referral helps
- Mental health support — for any low mood, anxiety or trauma underneath the use. For anyone under 18, this means a CAMHS referral
- Pain or symptom relief in the meantime — referrals can take weeks or months, so ask what can be done now. You don't have to just put up with the symptoms while you wait
What "good" looks like
You're being taken seriously if your GP: asks about your ketamine use without judgement, orders bloods and a scan rather than just a urine dip, refers you to urology when there are bladder symptoms, connects you to drug and alcohol support, and writes it all in your notes. If that's not happening, the next section is for you.
If your GP brushes it off — push back
Ketamine bladder damage and ketamine addiction still aren't well understood in general practice, and people do get dismissed. That is not the end of the road. If you're not being heard:
- Ask for it to be documented. Say: "I'd like it noted in my records that I've raised ketamine use and these symptoms, and that I asked for a urology referral." This alone often changes the response
- Name the guidance. The British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) published a 2024 consensus on managing ketamine bladder damage — there is a clinical standard to follow. You can ask your GP to look it up
- Ask for a second opinion or to see a different GP at the practice. You are entitled to this
- Go around the GP where you can. You can self-refer to most local drug and alcohol services directly via FRANK's finder — you don't need the GP's permission
- If symptoms are severe — for example you can't pass urine, or there's heavy blood in the urine — go to A&E or call 111. Don't wait for an appointment
You know your body, or your child, better than anyone in that room. Being persistent isn't being difficult — it's how people get the care they're entitled to.
A note for parents
If you're going on behalf of your child, you can still ask all of the above. For under-18s, push specifically for a CAMHS referral alongside the physical investigations, and ask how the drug and alcohol service supports young people. If your child is over 16, the GP may want to speak with them directly and keep some things confidential — that's normal, and it doesn't shut you out of supporting them.