Woman loses job at Asda after £2,000 a month ketamine addiction causes her to take 'too many' toilet breaks
Warning: This article contains discussion of drug addiction which some readers may find distressing.
A woman revealed she was let go from her supermarket job after £2,000-a-month ketamine addiction ravaged her bladder and meant she needed 'too many' toilet breaks.
Jordan Harris was just 19 years old when she started experimenting with the Class B substance, taking the drug alongside cocaine at parties.
"Over time, I built my tolerance. I couldn't afford to do coke all the time because it's very expensive so I ended up just doing ket," she explained.
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"[But] when Covid came it made it worse."
The 27-year-old's drug use spiralled during the Covid-19 pandemic, seeing her snort as much as 28 grams of ketamine a day.
It wasn't long before Jordan's dependence on the drug led to serious health issues, with the Oxfordshire native left with poorly functioning kidneys and a shrunken bladder, meaning she had to urinate very frequently.
According to the NHS, the average adult bladder should be able to comfortably hold around 500ml of urine, equivalent to a pint, however Jordan's drug use meant hers held much less.
Jordan claims that her bladder issues were the reason she wasn't kept on at ASDA, as she was going to the toilet too frequently and having too much time off.
"I lost my job due to having to go to the toilet all the time. I didn't pass probation at Asda," she said.
"They recommended I get a doctor's note, but they said I had too much time off. I did it every day since 2018."
Going 'cold turkey' from ketamine
At the height of her addiction, Jordan was spending up to £2000 a month to snort around seven grams of ket daily, ending up in adult nappies after no longer being able to hold her urine.
"I got to the point where I was urinating blood clots for three years and always had water infections. I get stomach cramps," she explained.
"It's the cycle when you think it's helping you. I ended up in adult nappies. I physically couldn't hold it. It was the first thing I would do, I did it before everything.
"I did it for so long all the time it was like my routine. I associated it with everyday things."
Revealing that she would even resort to borrowing or stealing money from people in order to fund her habit, Jordan added: "I'd always find the money for it."
Jordan's health would deteriorate even further, with her mother calling an ambulance after she'd been bed-bound and vomiting for two weeks.
Once in hospital, Jordan was informed that her right kidney was failing, leading to her having a nephrostomy bag fitted.
After being released from hospital, Jordan went 'cold turkey' from ketamine, as doctors told her that using the drug could potentially kill her.
Recalling her reaction to the stark warning, Jordan said: "It hit me hard. I've had pain every day for the last three years. The pain from my kidneys was gone when I had the bag was fitted.
"I have to be very careful with what I eat and drink. That was a turning point. I just went cold turkey."
She is now working to raise awareness of the dangers associated with the popular party drug, saying: "I never expected it to happen to me. Drugs are fun but you can't control them. You think you can but in the end they always win."
How does ketamine impact the bladder?
Known as Ketamine-Induced Cystitis or 'ketamine bladder', the drug destroys the bladder lining, causing scarring, inflammation, and pain.
Symptoms of ketamine bladder can include:
- needing to wee more often
- Incontinence
- Pain and discomfort in the bladder and surrounding areas
- blood in the urine
The bladder's ability to heal depends on the amount of ketamine taken by a person, varying between weeks and months. However, in severe cases, the damage can be irreversible.
LADbible Group has approached ASDA for comment.
If you want friendly, confidential advice about drugs, you can talk to FRANK. You can call 0300 123 6600, text 82111 or contact through their website 24/7, or livechat from 2pm-6pm any day of the week.
Brenna Cooper