l thought ketamine would kill me like 'The Vivienne' - party girl shares harrowing story of irreversible bladder damage

Paige Collins first tried the Class B drug at 19 while on a night out with pals. But the once-in-a-blue-moon dabble quickly spiralled into a daily habit that saw her snort between 5g and 10g a day and fork out £1,000 a month. Drug harm reduction websites warn that just 150mg is a heavy dose.

Over the course of three years Paige, 25, started needing the loo more often and was horrified when she started experiencing excruciating pain and peeing a jelly-like substance. At the height of her addiction Paige was bed-bound, struggling to eat, drink or sleep and needing to urinate around 50 times a day.

During an ultrasound doctors revealed her chronic ketamine usage had drastically shrunk her bladder, leaving it only able to hold 30ml - just over a shot glass-worth of liquid. Despite now being nine months clean of ketamine, Paige is still unable to work due to bladder problems and is now sharing her experience so others know the dangers.

RuPaul's Drag Race star The Vivienne reportedly died on January 5 from a cardiac arrest after taking the Class B substance.

Paige, from Havant said: “I was 19 when I first tried ketamine. My friend asked me to sort some for a rave we were going to and it started from there. It started as a once-in-a-blue-moon thing then it was a weekend thing then it started picking up during Covid to week days and then every day.

“Initially I really enjoyed it. It took me three years to realise I was addicted. I would start off getting one or two grams a night and then at the start of 2024 I was doing between five and 10 grams a day. It was costing me anywhere between £150 to £250 a week.

“I noticed symptoms over time. 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 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 went to hospital in 2021 with abdominal pain known as K cramps followed by repeated visits to her GP. In January 2023 Paige had her first ultrasound and a cystoscopy where doctors discovered her bladder had drastically shrunk. The NHS states that a healthy bladder should hold around 400-600mls of urine, while Paige's can only hold 30ml - just 5 per cent.

Paige 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. When they said that to me I felt awful but also felt a bit of relief, because I was really scared of them saying 'you're going to have to have a bag’. They've already said the damage is irreversible. There's nothing I can do to make my bladder the way it once was. “

Click here to learn more about The News’ emails and get the headlines delivered to your inbox

Paige undergoes bladder instillation treatment, where a liquid medicine is inserted to help with pain and inflammation and stretch her bladder.

She's sharing her story to warn people about the dangers and encourage them to stop taking it.

Paige said: “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 just want to raise awareness as I know the physical and emotional pain this has caused me and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

“I watch Ru Paul's Drag Race and remember the year she was on it. It's such a shame that ketamine can have a devastating effect on people from all different backgrounds, including celebrities.”