how harmful is laughing gas??

Question

me and my mates have recently started using laughing gas by inhaling the stuff after spraying it on a towel..its actually an anaesthetic can...Anyway,i was wondering if anyone could tell me if there is any lethal effects to the body??

Answer 1

There have been a number of publications reporting studies showing that breathing nitrous oxide may destroy a person's vitamin B12. This has been reported not only in journal articles, but has finally been incorporated in the latest books on nutritional supplements as well as books on biochemistry.

Nitrous oxide, often called "laughing gas," is commonly used by dentists to help mitigate pain. This could present a risk to patients, but probably more often it presents a risk to people working in the office who would be exposed every day. However, a far greater potential concern came to mind when I recently read a news article that stated that the catalytic converters in automobiles are creating enough nitrous oxide emissions to contribute significantly to the greenhouse effect. It is also known to be a very stable molecule that has a lifetime in the atmosphere of approximately 150 years.

With cars continuing to produce it, one would expect the concentration in the atmosphere, world wide, to be increasing every year, and it appears to be doing so. It is lready producing B12 deficiencies world wide.

It seems that elevated levels of the body's natural compound, methylmalonic acid (MMA), indicate low levels of vitamin B12. Low vitamin B12 levels have been linked to several neurological conditions, such as:

Dementia
Spinal cord disease
Peripheral neuropathy

ALSO, abuse of it can lead to severe neurological damage to the spinal cord or peripheral nerves.

Answer 2

Are you sure that it is laughing gas? Nitrous oxide, commonly referred to as laughing gas can not be sprayed on to a towel and then inhaled. NO2 immediately dissipates when it comes into contact with air. Your roommate is huffing something harmful most likely. Go to a porn store and get some old fashioned Nitrous. Just don't use to much or you could get brain damage.

Answer 3

No known lethal effects. But because Nitrous Oxide "Laughing gas" expands faster than oxygen it can actually cause you to have a pneumothorax Meaning the rapidly expanding Laughing gas in your lungs pops a hole in your lung. It would require a doctors visit or 2.

Answer 4

Nitrous Oxide aka Laughing Gas replaces the oxygen in your body, esp the brain. It works like a narcotic in the brain, basically putting the nerves to sleep. That is why dentists started using it on painful dental work and esp on patients that have a very low tolerance for pain. Too much of it not only kills brain cells, it can also kill you by shutting off your intake of oxygen.

Answer 5

laughing/happy gas is nitrous oxide. this is not only illegal because it gives fast bursts in races, but more because people would buy it, install it to there car, and place a tube from it to the window of the car and they would sit there. this would get them "high" or strong euphoria. it will numb your body. you will lose a lot of feeling. it is used in operation with no oxygen for a few short seconds because for this time, it is concentrated, but will not kill you. if you stay in a room with it in the room, even if mixed with oxygen can cause serious brain damage or death. when used in hospitals, it is controlled and will not damage your brain. abusing this will most likely lead to early death. when you use it, you lose inhibitions. if you are "high" on it, and are told it will kill you because the concentration is too high and the door is closed or something, you still wont care or wont do anything about it

Answer 6

Any inhalant has inherent risks. Brain damage being the most major. Anytime you experience a black out or anything of that nature yo are killing cells and causing irrepairable damage to your nervous system.

Advice: don't do inhalants. They are easy to OD on and threshholds don't apply because a different doseage will cause different effects in the same individual every time regardless of tolerances and previous usage.

Answer 7

It's nothing to use recreationally. It is harmless when used in small amounts for relaxation in the Dentist Office, other than that I wouldn't use it at all!

Answer 8

I REMEMBER HEARING ABOUT PEOPLE "FREEZING" PARTS OF THEIR LUNGS FROM DOING THAT IN THE '70'S.

OF COURSE YOU KNOW IT CANT BE HEALTHY ...BUT IT IS LATER IN LIFE THAT YOU REALIZE HOW MUCH YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE LUNGS THAT WORK GOOD

ALSO IT IS EXTREMELY TOXIC AND GETS INTO THE CELLS OF YOUR BODY AND NOW YOU NEED TO DETOX
SO YOU CAN BE STRONG AND VERILE AND NOT WIMPY