Did nitrous kill brain cells?

[Noctis]

for the first time today i tried nitrous. i pushed a little of the air out of my lungs, and for ten seconds inhaled nos, then i exhaled and breathed a breath or two of sobering atmosphere, before repeating the process 2 more times. i did two balloons like this, divided by the course of maybe 4 minutes. on my second round i took breaks of maybe 3 or four deep breaths of oxygen. i'm not positive, but looking in the mirror a few minutes after my second dose, my lips/fingernails may have appeared slightly blue, and then with heavy respiration reverted to luscious kroovy.

is 10 seconds long enough to kill brain cells? i was breathing pretty heavy air immediately after finishing a balloon to avoid this. i still feel off 7 hours later, and have heard reports of people holding the hit for 20+ seconds?

 

[caff]

The brain is a lot more resilient than that. If you were doing nitrous every day there might be cause for concern, but once in a while is fine. Relax and enjoy!

 

[LawnChairSkank]

Nitrous does not kill brain cells. Lack of oxygen leading to hypoxia does. Not a good sign when your lips/ nails turn blue. I highly doubt you did any damage from a few balloons tho.

 

[Noctis]

do you think i was exaggerating?

 

[delta_9]

Nitrous does not kill brain cells. Lack of oxygen leading to hypoxia does. Not a good sign when your lips/ nails turn blue. I highly doubt you did any damage from a few balloons tho.

While low doses of nitrous can show neuroprotective properties, NMDA antagonists definitely have the potential to cause neurotoxicity. This has been demonstrated in rat brains.
I don't know the specifics though.

A few whippets here or there is nothing to worry about though, just take it slow and be sure to supplement some B12 during the night.
As is most often the case, moderation is key.