A woman in the UK has recounted how her young son died after becoming addicted to ketamine, the same recreational drug tied to 'Friends' actor Matthew Perry's death. According to Metro, Rian Rogers, 26, kept using the drug to try to ease his urinary tract pain. He was found dead in a shower with a fatal dose of ketamine in his body while on the waiting list to have his bladder removed.
The 26-year-old's bladder had reportedly shrunk to the size of a marble, all because of his addiction to the drug. His bladder capacity was only 150ml, compared to the normal 500ml capacity for an adult.
Clare Rogers, Mr Roger's mum, told The Times: ''This drug is a killer. It's taking bladders from young children. Why is ketamine not class A when it's doing so much harm to our kids? He was in a lot of pain over the last three years due to his bladder issues and would regularly take tramadol, ibuprofen, paracetamol et cetera but none could give him good relief to sleep. His bladder had shrunk to the size of a marble. It was ulcerated. His ketamine use was because of the pain and addiction.''
The grieving mother is now campaigning for the drug to be labelled as Class A. Urologists have been reporting several deaths every year due to excess use of the drug and ketamine bladder, a condition triggered by overuse of the drug.
It was recently revealed that 'Friends' actor Matthew Perry also died from an accidental ketamine overdose. In an official statement, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office said, ''Matthew Perry's cause of death is determined to be from the acute effects of ketamine."
Mr Perry, who played Chandler Bing on the hit TV sitcom from 1994-2004, died at the age of 54, having been found unconscious in a swimming pool at his house in Los Angeles in October.
What is Ketamine?
Ketamine is illegally used as a recreational drug for its numbing and hallucinogenic effects. The drug can also be used by doctors as an anesthetic, and researchers are exploring its use as a mental health treatment. As per ABC News, in recent years, Ketamine has been used off-label to treat psychological disorders like depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Notably, the FDA approved the drug in 2019 as a medication for treatment-resistant depression. While some experts and patients call it lifesaving, others say it's addictive and causes bladder ailments. Long-term, heavy use, of ketamine can cause severe, irreversible damage to the bladder and kidneys and excruciating abdominal pain. The drug should only be obtained and administered by a licensed and experienced medical doctor.
