Loss of mobility and sense of touch: some of the serious consequences of laughing gas in young people

BarcelonaBetween 2020 and 2025, the Guttmann Neurorehabilitation Hospital in Barcelona admitted six young people with serious neurological sequelae from consuming nitrous oxide, a substance popularly known as laughing gasThese are five young men and one young woman, aged between 19 and 25, who were hospitalized for between one and three months. All of them presented with severe muscle weakness in their limbs (tetraparesis or paraparesis), five had lost the ability to perceive vibrations (hypopalesthesia), and two had a decreased sense of touch due to nerve damage (hypoesthesia). In some cases, the patients lost mobility and required the use of a wheelchair. According to the Department of Health, nitrous oxide is the most commonly used drug within the category of new psychoactive substances among young people, with 1.6% of students aged between 14 and 18 having used it in 2025. Rehabilitation physician Margarita Vallès at the Guttmann Hospital. Journal of NeurologyThe case of a 22-year-old man with a spinal cord disorder affecting sensation and movement, who had begun using laughing gas two years prior, is one example. For the past eight months, he had been inhaling up to 200 balloons a day, the expert explains. Professionals at the Guttmann Institute warn that, although continuous use of laughing gas is generally necessary for serious effects, the effects can occur much sooner, especially in people with low levels of vitamin B12. Vallès explains that sometimes the affected person recovers completely, but other times long-term consequences remain. In the case of the six young patients, one made a full recovery, and the rest continue to experience symptoms, although their mobility has functionally improved. The center's psychologist, Joan Saurí, adds that the typical profile of patients treated for this type of use is that of people without routines or habits, sometimes with complicated family situations, who use laughing gas "as an escape." That's why it's common for these young people to also consume excessive amounts of alcohol or suffer from anxiety disorders, which often leads to poor nutrition.

False perception of security

Laughing gas is inhaled through balloons or metal cartridges and is composed of only two components: oxygen and nitrogen. In recent years, it has been used as a recreational drug because it produces an almost immediate euphoric and disinhibiting effect, which can last between 15 and 45 minutes. The main users are young people, since it is a low-cost product—a dose costs only a few cents—and can be easily purchased online. Furthermore, it is odorless and has a slightly sweet taste, and a completely false perception of safety is often considered. Nitrous oxide—which is a neurotransmitter—can cause serious side effects in the brain, some of them irreversible, such as damage to voluntary body movement, coordination, and balance. It can also cause fainting and respiratory arrest because it limits the amount of oxygen reaching the brain. Continued use "can cause serious and irreversible neurological damage because it interferes with the metabolism of vitamin B12, essential in cellular and metabolic processes." All of this can lead to a loss of myelin, which is a structure in neurons that allows the transmission of impulses between them, especially in the spinal cord, but also in peripheral tissues and the brain. Laughing gas is used as a dissociative anesthetic, so it can cause hallucinations, uncontrolled vocalization, altered perception, spatial and temporal disorientation, and reduced sensitivity to pain. Burns to the mouth and respiratory tract are also common, as are traumatic accidents, since the drug alters perception and increases the risk of falls and traffic accidents.