Very long nitrous trip. Literally hours.

[Mycophile]

Did you read that article? I think you might have missed the point about oxygen deprivation – with nitrous it is much more dangerous than just holding your breath and the damage is severe and cumulative. This is because it overrides the body’s natural detection mechanism for low oxygen.

Yeah, but it doesn't happen from moderate use does it??

Every time I've read or heard a story about someone really messing themselves up with nitrous it's been by using MANY chargers in a row to create an experience that lasts an hour or more than that, like a few hours, and/or doing it daily for long periods of time with few breaks.

I tend to doubt anyone is going to get these problems from doing 20 chargers one or two weekends a month.

 

[Mycophile]

Yes, I read the article. Holding your breath - whether it is a breath of nitrous or regular air is still holding your breath. I might of held my breath for a minute or two with the nitrous in before breathing normal air. I didn't miss the point, and I understand that your body doesn't realize there is no oxygen in what you have just inhaled and more or less just assumes you breathed in and everything is hunky dory.


Does anyone know if hypoxia would cause you to have odd dreams that wake you up afterwards?

Yeah seriously, I don't get what he is trying to say.

Why would not breathing oxygen cause you are breathing nitrous for 1 minute be MORE dangerous than not breathing oxygen for one minute because you are holding your breath, or for the sake of argument, under water for 60 seconds?

Is using nitrous (OTHER than depletion of B12) really more dangerous than staying under water for long periods of time?

 

[pmoseman]

So after you hold your breath, you feel the need to breathe deeper, feel dizzy, tingly, etc. which we normally associate with low oxygen saturation; however, the body is actually checking for high CO2 concentrations and not low O concentrations. So you could breath N2O and thus lower CO2 concentration and thus not get the warning signal.

That is what I gathered from the article.

 

[jason7]

Yes, it would take high usage for a long time to cause serious health issues unless you're already B12 deficient, and it seems that most of the diseases caused are reversible after stopping and taking B12 for a few months. Still, unless you're a trained anesthetist how are you going to know how to safely administer it with the right amount of oxygen? And I've read several near death experiences which were caused by nitrous huffing. In other words, it killed them. They just happened to get sent back into their bodies because the Being of Light said it wasn't "their time" yet. It's pretty easy to die on nitrous.

 

[Doldrugs]

It's pretty easy to die on nitrous.

No, it's not. It's easy to die on nitrous if you attach a mask to your face, though, which is something you are never ever supposed to do. Using chargers I don't think it can be done.

 

[Transform]

Yeah seriously, I don't get what he is trying to say.

Why would not breathing oxygen cause you are breathing nitrous for 1 minute be MORE dangerous than not breathing oxygen for one minute because you are holding your breath, or for the sake of argument, under water for 60 seconds?

Is using nitrous (OTHER than depletion of B12) really more dangerous than staying under water for long periods of time?

The body can only measure air quality by blood acidity, which is only affected by CO2.

When you hold in a breath of air you diffuse out CO2 out of your blood, which keeps the acidity well adjusted and says to the body that there is no need for concern because blood-gas levels seem normal. Your body absorbs oxygen from this air and all is well.

With a lung full of nitrous your body diffuses out CO2, so your body still thinks everything is normal, but there is no oxygen entering your bloodstream. Your brain therefore does not warn you that you need to breathe and becomes starved of oxygen.


Does that make sense? What part is confusing?

 

[Doldrugs]

The point is, that's only dangerous if you're holding a mask on waiting to feel like you need a breath. Which is insanely dangerous anyway. If you're using chargers you're not going to forget to breathe in when the dispenser runs out.

 

[Transform]

The point is, that's only dangerous if you're holding a mask on waiting to feel like you need a breath. Which is insanely dangerous anyway. If you're using chargers you're not going to forget to breathe in when the dispenser runs out.

I'm not talking about death, I'm talking about minor but cumulative damage over the course of a few hours.

 

[pmoseman]

I am positive you could kill yourself with balloons and undoubtedly there are cases out there. After a hit my friend was unresponsive and pale. He sat back up instantly wanting to go back to that place. Nope. Someone else might have let him but not me or the home owner, who obviously would face responsibility.

 

[jason7]

No, it's not. It's easy to die on nitrous if you attach a mask to your face, though, which is something you are never ever supposed to do. Using chargers I don't think it can be done.

Here are some NDEs involving nitrous; https://www.google.com/search?q=site:www.nderf.org+nitrous&qfront=nitrous&gws_rd=ssl I didn't screen them, just searched the term "nitrous" at nderf.org, so some will be from Dentist offices etc. Some were recreational though. Here's one I picked out http://www.nderf.org/NDERF/NDE_Experiences/chris_d's_nde.htm

 

[Mycophile]

Yes, it would take high usage for a long time to cause serious health issues unless you're already B12 deficient, and it seems that most of the diseases caused are reversible after stopping and taking B12 for a few months. Still, unless you're a trained anesthetist how are you going to know how to safely administer it with the right amount of oxygen? And I've read several near death experiences which were caused by nitrous huffing. In other words, it killed them. They just happened to get sent back into their bodies because the Being of Light said it wasn't "their time" yet. It's pretty easy to die on nitrous.

This is DEFINITELY false.

I don't know where you are getting your data other than a couple random accidents.

If Nitrous were a serious health threat to the public we'd have heard about A LOT more deaths and brain damage and it would probably be banned now.

I really think you don't know what you are talking about when you say this and you already admitted that you have very little experience with nitrous and that you don't know much about it.

I doubt there's even ONE death per year from nitrous usage in the U.S., and assuming that there is...the number would be VERY low....CERTAINLY way under 100 people per year...and that's NOTHING in comparison to other drugs.

As long you don't go crazy using chargers for an hour or more straight and take breaths fairly regularly and don't usage nitrous more than once or twice a month max, you aren't going to be very likely to do yourself long term damage.

Dying on nitrous is VERY hard.

In order to do it most people would actually have to TRY to be overly reckless.

My guess is that if I bought a whole shit load of chargers and TRIED to overdose and commit suicide by way of nitrous that I would have about a 90% chance AT BEST of failing.

I'd probably just pass out and kill a whole shit load of brain cells and not feel well for a few days.

If something isn't a feasible means to committing suicide it's probably not easy to have an accidental nitrous overdose like you are saying.

It's FAR easier to overdose on alcohol, and even that isn't quite as easy as some might say unless other CNS depressant are involved or you are determined to drink yourself to death like some kind of "Leaving Las Vegas" scenario.

Nitrous is by and large a FAIRLY safe drug, but with dangers like most others drugs when taken too far...so basically...if you want to do it, you will probably be fine, as long as you don't go totally crazy.

You are making false assumptions based only on the very worst stories you've heard and that can be done with most drugs if you look for the horror stories.

I know someone who ended up in the ER from heart palpitations from drinking too much Iced Tea and that might lead me to believe Iced Tea is a dangerous drug, but it isn't.

 

[Mycophile]

The body can only measure air quality by blood acidity, which is only affected by CO2.

When you hold in a breath of air you diffuse out CO2 out of your blood, which keeps the acidity well adjusted and says to the body that there is no need for concern because blood-gas levels seem normal. Your body absorbs oxygen from this air and all is well.

With a lung full of nitrous your body diffuses out CO2, so your body still thinks everything is normal, but there is no oxygen entering your bloodstream. Your brain therefore does not warn you that you need to breathe and becomes starved of oxygen.


Does that make sense? What part is confusing?

Ok, I get it, but really, if you don't do 50-100 chargers in a row and don't do nitrous more than once or twice a month, and take breaths in between hits and wait a few minutes for effects to wear off before you do more, is it really THAT dangerous?

All the horror stories I hear are from people doing like 75-100 chargers in a row or using nitrous daily for long periods, not occassional weekend usage of a box of 24 or so.

 

[Mycophile]

Here are some NDEs involving nitrous; https://www.google.com/search?q=site:www.nderf.org+nitrous&qfront=nitrous&gws_rd=ssl I didn't screen them, just searched the term "nitrous" at nderf.org, so some will be from Dentist offices etc. Some were recreational though. Here's one I picked out http://www.nderf.org/NDERF/NDE_Experiences/chris_d's_nde.htm

I'll read this later but just let me ask you something:

Have you ever gotten REALLY drunk?

Probably.

So now go and look up "drinking near death experiences" on google.

I bet HUNDREDS of things will come up.

Most drugs other than weed can kill you if you take them too far.

 

[pmoseman]

I am not certain if the majority of recreational drugs commonly cause deaths by over dose; if you tried though, a 10 minute tank of nitrous and a certain mask sounds slightly easier than drowning yourself in alcohol.

 

[Mycophile]

I am not certain if the majority of recreational drugs commonly cause deaths by over dose; if you tried though, a 10 minute tank of nitrous and a certain mask sounds slightly easier than drowning yourself in alcohol.

Well, lets just say neither is a good idea, but WITHOUT a mask...seeing as most people don't use masks...cause it's not safe...it just doesn't seem easy to me to overdose on nitrous or die of asphyxiation.

Has it happened?

I'm sure it has.

But wouldn't you agree that as far as drugs go, nitrous is generally one of the safer ones??

I mean, it's not as safe as marijuanna, but it's not nearly as dangerous as Jason7 seems to think it is.

I'm not saying anyone should start doing a lot of it...but a box of 24 once a month is probably not going to kill anyone or do any serious long term damage.

If you sit down with 100 and do them one after another...yeah, you are going to kill some brain cells and probably have some other not so pleasant effects.

But overall, nitrous is not as dangerous a drug as alcohol by most people's standards, and yet we've got posters who seem to be under the assumption that it is simply something to avoid at all costs because it's SO dangerous, and yet they probably wouldn't bat an eye about going to the bar and drinking fairly heavily on a weekly basis for years.

Done IN MODERATION...I think most people who have used it before would agree that without a mask, without doing obscene numbers in a row, it's not extremely dangerous.

 

[pmoseman]

Here is the deal. OK. You and I do not buy nitrous tanks and masks. I also assume we not chug bottles of vodka either. There is no tangible risk for either of us dying from either of these.

On average the rate of death from an overdose for these two very different substances are probably both reasonably close and relatively small enough to be neglected, compared to the bigger overall long term health risk of alcohol.

The average consumption in the United States of alcohol is the equivalent of roughly 47 cans of Busch, 12 oz. 4.2% alcohol, each month.

Inhalant users show similar rates of dependence as alcohol users.

Modest drinking does not carry the same health risk as the 12 million heavy drinkers and may even include some benefits.

So you need to examine heavy use of nitrous oxide if you want to get a picture of long term health risks and compare it with the known health risks of alcohol.

 

[Transform]

Ok, I get it, but really, if you don't do 50-100 chargers in a row and don't do nitrous more than once or twice a month, and take breaths in between hits and wait a few minutes for effects to wear off before you do more, is it really THAT dangerous?

All the horror stories I hear are from people doing like 75-100 chargers in a row or using nitrous daily for long periods, not occasional weekend usage of a box of 24 or so.

Yes, you're quite right. As with many things, moderate use is fine. Use as described in the original post is dangerous and is likely to have caused the discussed damage.

Please also note that a near death experience does not necessarily correlate with almost dying. NDEs are a well-documented side effect of dissociatives. Fatality from nitrous (asphyxiation) is very easy if you continue inhaling it after falling unconscious. With a balloon this is obviously not possible and so deaths are extremely rare. The incidence of hypoxic brain injury is much harder to speculate on but I would not expect it to occur when 16g or less of nitrous are inhaled in a 10 minute period.

 

[swilow]

Yes, it would take high usage for a long time to cause serious health issues unless you're already B12 deficient, and it seems that most of the diseases caused are reversible after stopping and taking B12 for a few months. Still, unless you're a trained anesthetist how are you going to know how to safely administer it with the right amount of oxygen? And I've read several near death experiences which were caused by nitrous huffing. In other words, it killed them. They just happened to get sent back into their bodies because the Being of Light said it wasn't "their time" yet. It's pretty easy to die on nitrous.

An NDE under the effects of drugs is very different to actually dying; I think the operative word here is NEAR. And I'm not sure if the concept of beings of light is medically sound; given that, it would behove most readers to take the above comment with a grain of salt. Be cautious yes, and use wisely- its just not possible to use wisely based on a misperception.

If Nitrous were a serious health threat to the public we'd have heard about A LOT more deaths and brain damage and it would probably be banned now.

I'm sure the rapid half life is problematic in ascribing a death to its use.

Weighing in on the more generalised safety of nitrous debate here, I'd say that it lies somewhere in the middle of being acutely dangerous always and being totally innocuous always.

 

[Doldrugs]

Comparing nitrous to alcohol is absurd. Alcohol is spectacularly more dangerous and more toxic.

 

[letherman]

I used to be a NOS fiend, doing one after another after another, maybe up to 50 in 1 night and I had some long lasting effects which dwindled over 1.5 hours and afterwards having a zapping feeling in my arms/hands for a few days. I've also had the short rushes that loop, adding different audibles/visuals each loop and feel like they lasted hours, but only lasted minutes and felt great afterwards.

I learnt, in my experiences, that there are two different rushes you can get, one from oxygen deprivation where you keep holding your breath/using the balloon long after the effects kick in and they have lasted the longest (once I turned blue to the horror of my friends, but was still conscious and didnt realise it), and the other appears to be a oxygen rush if you inhale air just as the effects start which is the short sharp type.

The fact I turned blue is a sign of NOS not being "safe", but I do believe that was abuse on my behalf, where I was having an asphyxiation buzz and luckily I was with good friends who had to shake me to get me to inhale - it wasnt even a good rush, but had long lasting effects, which (again in my opinion) leave you wanting more and usually leads to doing another balloon asap. Where as I feel fully satisfied and amazed by the short rushes - euphoric, sometimes dazed, but happy choosing not to take any more NOS (at least for a while )

I now only do NOS every couple of months when I trip and love the short sharp rushes that help me enhance my LSD trips and even then maximum 10 over a weekend, but when I now do a balloon, as soon as I feel the effects kicking in trying to get the best out of both worlds (imho safer), I exhale into the balloon and take a full lungful of air (and the rush that comes with the inhale), exhale and then back to the balloon again for a few more inhales, which makes the rush last longer and I have to say its much better for me, with practically no lasting effects. Anyone I've shown this method to love it and use ot and it and a lot less NOS than they usually do.

As a daily smoker (nicotine and pollen) I also avoid smoking when I do NOS as I find it turns my stomach violently.