Doctors at a hospital in east London say they are seeing so many cases of laughing gas misuse that they have been forced to draw up treatment guidelines to share with their colleagues in Britain.
Nitrous oxide, sold in small metal tubes, is one of the most commonly used drugs by 16-34 year olds in the UK and other European countries.
Its intensive use can cause a vitamin deficiency that causes damage to the nerves of the spinal cord.
The Royal London Hospital team point out that doctors need to be vigilant as they are seeing around one new case almost every week.
Nervous system damage
These patients arrive at the hospital with symptoms linked to nerve damage: they are unable to walk, fall, or experience tingling or loss of sensation in their feet and hands.
Others suffer from bladder or bowel problems or incontinence.
An important detail is that few patients mention that they have used nitrous oxide.
“We’re seeing young people: teenagers and people in their 20s,” says Alastair Noyce, a neurologist at Queen Mary University, London.
“What’s surprising now is the severity (of cases). We’ve seen this increase in about the last 12 months.”
Noyce believes this may be linked to the use of larger gas cylinders that can contain about 60 or 70 times more amount of gas than the small containers that are usually seen lying on the ground in the streets or parks.
“If you have been using it and develop symptoms, stop using the gas immediately and seek medical help as soon as possible,” he says.
The drug can damage the nervous system by interfering with the vitamin B12 metabolism. This damages a protective layer that covers nerves, such as those in the back of the spine.
Correcting vitamin B12 deficiency quickly with vitamin injections can prevent permanent damage.
The guidelines, endorsed by the Association of British Neurologists and drawn up by experts from Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham and Queen Mary University, London, advise doctors what symptoms to look for and how to treat them.
What are the risks of nitrous oxide?
- Nitrous oxide slows down the responses of your body and your brain.
- Too much can cause you to pass out, lose consciousness, or suffocate.
- Heavy and chronic use can also cause nerve damage.
- Inhaling it directly from the cylinder is particularly dangerous. The gas is ice cold and at high pressure, which can damage the throat and lungs, stop breathing, or slow the heart rate.
- It can also cause a brief but intense feeling of paranoia.
“They are playing with their life”
Emma Cain, who lost her son Jon after he used another type of volatile gas called butane, wants to warn other young people about the dangers of inhaling substances.
Jon died at age 17 of cardiac arrest in 2011, immediately after inhaling this lighter gas.
“I’m just one person, trying to stop people from doing it, and if that means stopping people on the street, I’ll do it,” Cain said in an interview with the BBC in October.
“I will tell them that it is dangerous, that they are playing with their lives.”.
Kerry-Anne Donaldson, a 26-year-old Londoner, started using laughing gas cylinders when she was 18, mostly at parties.
The first time she ended up in a hospital she was seriously ill, but she continued to use the gas “for the first high it gave me.”
His legs, hands and feet gradually lost sensation, until, last year, he couldn’t walk anymore.
“I was 24 and hadn’t used it since I was 23, but the damage was still there,” he says.
Donaldson says she can get up and move around in her own apartment, but she can’t walk on the street.
“My message is don’t do it, it’s not worth it“.
“At least find out about the damage it can cause. I didn’t listen and hid what I was doing from my friends,” he says.
The government of England and Wales are currently considering banning its use and sale. In January, The Netherlands became the first country in the world to outlaw its use..
Authorities say the gas can continue to be used for medical reasons as an anesthetic and also in the food industry (to make whipped cream).
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BBC-NEWS-SRC: https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-64744105, IMPORTING DATE: 2023-02-24 09:10:06
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