Izzy was a beautiful, funny and talented young woman. Unfortunately she began using ketamine in her late teens unaware of the devastating and long-term impact it would have on her physical health. What started as recreational use spiralled into addiction, resulting in Izzy developing ketamine urinary tract syndrome (‘ketamine bladder’) in 2024. It’s an incredibly painful and debilitating condition, and a devastating side-effect of prolonged ketamine use.
As a consequence of ketamine bladder, she suffered chronic, intense pain and was doubly incontinent. Her family sought advice from private pain specialists in London who in April 2023 recommended the use of morphine patches and oramorph, which thereafter were prescribed by Izzy’s GP. Izzy found the pain so intense that the only way to relieve it was to take more ketamine, resulting in a vicious cycle of damage, pain and ketamine abuse. Evidence obtained by the coroner for the purposes of the inquest – which included Izzy’s medical records – documented her significant pain and difficulties in managing it.
Her mother, Ann, spent considerable time trying to get Izzy the help she needed, which were unsuccessful. This resulted in Izzy losing significant amounts of weight and becoming skeletal in appearance. Her pain management had become increasingly difficult.
Izzy saw a number of specialists and departments, and felt people only saw her for her addiction and judged her for it. Toward the end of her life, Izzy had become fearful and distrusting of hospitals and doctors and felt no one truly wanted to help her.
On 24th April 2025, Izzy was taken to Poole General Hospital after losing consciousness while driving at low speed. Attending officers were concerned for her wellbeing due to her emaciated appearance and overall weak and unstable presentation, and called paramedics to attend.
Paramedics transported Izzy to the hospital, and observed very low blood pressure and a high pulse rate. Izzy discharged herself before an assessment could take place due to her fears and avoidance of hospital settings. She returned home to her mother Ann the same day, where she continued to deteriorate.
Tragically, Izzy died on 26th April 2025 from respiratory depression caused by combined morphine and gabapentin toxicity as well as biliary sepsis due to ketamine-related chronic liver disease. She was just 22 years old.
HMC Brendan Allen recorded on 4 June 2026 a verdict of misadventure. He acknowledged that her ketamine use and the damage arising out of it resulted in her need to rely upon morphine to manage her pain, which in turn placed her at greater risk of opioid overdose.
Izzy’s mother, Ann, said:
“I am devastated by the loss of my beautiful daughter, Izzy, who lost her life after battling with addiction. Ultimately, it resulted in her suffering with debilitating pain and being reliant upon morphine to manage it. No parent should ever have to watch their child suffer the way I did.
I want people to learn from Izzy’s death. Ketamine is so readily accessible, and I fear that people using it don’t truly appreciate the devastating, irreversible consequences. I don’t want anyone else to go through what Izzy and I did.
Even in the midst of her poor health and chronic pain, she talked of getting better and wanting to train how to help people like her – despite it all, her kindness and desire to be a good person never wavered. She was a truly wonderful, funny, talented and incredible person. Life is not the same without her.
Isabelle’s death was a tragedy that could have been avoided. She fought so hard to live in order to help other young adults get support and to be recognised at the earliest possible stage. If the appropriate pathways for ketamine use were in place, she would have had a chance.”
Serious Personal Injury Solicitor Abagail Clarke, who is representing Ann, said:
“It has been abundantly clear, throughout these proceedings and from hearing the evidence, that ketamine addiction is still not fully understood. As a consequence, management of ketamine addiction and those engaging in its use is inadequate, resulting in ketamine users falling between the cracks of various teams who are unable to provide appropriate support or signposting.
What is alarming about ketamine is the degree of harm caused by prolonged use – such as the development of ketamine bladder – which results in scarring and shrinkage of the bladder, causing chronic pain and incontinence. Despite the tangible risk of permanent harm, it remains a Class B substance and can be easily and cheaply available, which is attractive to younger people and those with limited financial means.
Significant reform and education about ketamine addiction is needed in order to ensure deaths like Izzy’s become a minority and not a pattern.”
