• Psychedelic Drugs Welcome Guest
    View threads about
    Posting RulesBluelight Rules
    PD's Best Threads Index
    Social ThreadSupport Bluelight
    Psychedelic Beginner's FAQ
  • PD Moderators: Esperighanto | JackARoe |

Any tips to prevent headaches from N2O?

A

Aetherius Rimor

Bluelighter
Joined
Jan 16, 2012
Messages
404
Let me start by eliminating the "quality" aspect of this. I've tried various commercial grades; brand name from different types of vendors, and tried it out of the large professionally filled tanks at parties.

Never heard of anyone else getting them, but I always seem to get headaches from using nitrous oxide.

While the experience is easily accessible, and enjoyable for a quick and short lasting perception change, the headache makes it not worth it. Usually last for about an hour and fades away.

When I had my wisdom teeth pulled when I was younger, I unfortunately was given a benzo and opiate painkiller, rather than nitrous. So I have no clue if it's just a sensitivity to commercial grade itself and the medical grade wouldn't cause it, or if it's just a sensitivity to nitrous oxide in general.

Been over a year since I tried it last, but it came up in discussion so figured I'd ask for more information here.
 
i used to get headaches when i used nitrous, i think it is probably related to the quality and the amount of oils and crap in the tube, i would usually put some sort of tissue or paper in the cracker to act as a filter to catch most of that crap- seemed to help. I would echo the idea to use less nitrous and more other drugs though, nitrous kinda sucks and is too expensive, best used to make other drugs stronger in my opinion.
 
Seems like it would be common sense, but make sure you're getting enough oxygen. And yea using less nitrous might help, how much do you end up doing? If you're continuously using more after the previous high wears of that could have something to do with it
 
lack of vitamin b12 could cause head aches, many of my buddies get headaches from nitrous, i get them sometimes aswel if i do a bunch. iv been told if you get a b12 vitamin take that before you do your nitrous and it should get rid of most side effects, but i havent tried this so im not completely sure if itd work
 
Usually do 2 cartridges (about two lung fulls, with a quick lungful of regular atmosphere in between) at a time as that's minimum it takes for me to get audio distortion, and the most I'm willing to do at once. And usually no more than 3 times in a session (passing it around, with a few minutes in between each "hit").

Headache usually occurs within 30 to an hour after using it. I didn't even make the connection until I'd tried it a few times.

It seems there is a lot of assumption going on that I'm a heavy user. Had that been the case I would have immediately suspected lack of oxygen/B12 deficiency, but that's not the case.

Have only used it on maybe 6 or 7 different occasions in the past year. Always pass it up due to the desire to not have a headache... of course whenever I'm in the "fuck it" mood, it's all gone or no one can find a balloon -_-;. Cest la vie.

2c-goinsane said:
lack of vitamin b12 could cause head aches, many of my buddies get headaches from nitrous, i get them sometimes aswel if i do a bunch.
Click to expand...

Any idea how quickly that b12 deficiency takes effect, and if it could be cause by just 4 or 6 cartridges?
 
I doubt that b12 is depleted that quickly (and the neuropathic effects wouldn't manifest until some time later). The headache is more likely due to mild hypoxia. Try and get more oxygen between your hits. Using balloons is not really a good way to do it, because when you recycle the N20 back in to the balloon, all you are getting is stale air (C02) mixed with low levels of N20. The best way is to have a continuous flow of N20 + oxygen at the correct proportions. Or even half a lungful each of 02 and N20 on each inhale, but with clean air every time. With this method you can climb to the desired level of dissociation more slowly, but safe in the knowledge that you are getting fresh air each time.

By the way, although it sounds obvious, if you are worried about B12 deficiency, supplement with a B complex vitamin everytime you have a session (and maybe a few days after). This doesn't mean you can do it any more often than you normally would, it just means that you can top up any B12 that is lost in a normal N20 session. In fact I would do this anyway as a matter of course.
 
Thanks for the information SA. I'm not re-breathing from the balloon and don't even hold it in for more than 5 seconds, but next time I have the opportunity to try it, I'll try just doing one lung full and no more, and see if headache presents.

For majority of the things I've tried, I have a higher than average "tolerance" due to body weight, but Cannabis I'm overly sensitive too and will make me throw up, and N2O gives me headaches easily.

Only two things I really have a bad and unusual side effect from.

So it pretty much comes down to hypoxia or a sensitivity. I'll probably do two deep breaths, both half atmosphere and half N2O for the equivalent of 1 full lungful with oxygen mixed in. See if that resolves it. If it doesn't... sensitivity it is.

Thanks for input everyone!
 
Prea said:
Seems like it would be common sense, but make sure you're getting enough oxygen. And yea using less nitrous might help, how much do you end up doing? If you're continuously using more after the previous high wears of that could have something to do with it
Click to expand...

This. Make sure you're inhaling oxygen with the nitrous.

The lack of oxygen issue doesn't have to be in heavy use, a single charger can cause your brain to be deprived of oxygen if you're not inhaling both nitrous + oxygen. That can also be quite dangerous, causing damage and not just a headache.

As for the B12 issue, take some B12 on the day you plan to do the nitrous, and some the day after imo.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top