23 year old girl gradually paralyzed by laughing gas, inhaled 12-15 hours straight without her family knowing

SKĐS - The patient said the first time she came into contact with laughing gas was at a friend’s birthday party. The feeling of excitement and euphoria made her feel “interesting” and she quickly became addicted. At first, she only used it for fun, but later, she became more and more dependent.

Information from the Poison Control Center - Bach Mai Hospital, recently the unit received and treated a 23-year-old female patient, from Thanh Hoa , who had been using laughing gas for 3 years. Initially, the patient only used it occasionally, a few times a day. However, the frequency of use gradually increased, recently increasing to 2-3 times a week, each time up to several cylinders of laughing gas (equivalent to about 50-100 laughing gas balloons).

Female patient used laughing gas for 3 years.

After about a year, the patient experienced numbness in his limbs and hand tremors. Recently, the numbness has increased, his whole body is weak, he has to hold on to something when walking, and his grip is poor. The patient was admitted to the hospital on the evening of December 3rd in a conscious state but with weak limbs. Test results showed that the patient's memory had significantly decreased. The patient said that he had also used ketamine and some other drugs.

Doctors assessed that the patient was at risk of paralysis and the recovery process would be prolonged. The patient was currently prescribed antidotes, psychological treatment, and symptomatic treatment.

According to the patient, her family in the countryside was completely unaware of her long-term use of laughing gas, because she lived and worked mainly in the city.

Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen clearly shows the spinal cord injury in the cervical vertebrae on the patient's MRI image.

The patient said that the first time she was exposed to laughing gas was at a friend’s birthday party. The feeling of excitement and euphoria made her feel “interesting” and she quickly became addicted. At first, she only used it for fun, but over time, she became more and more dependent. From occasional use, the patient switched to using it several times a week.

How harmful is laughing gas?

Speaking to reporters from the Health and Life Newspaper, Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen, Director of the Poison Control Center, said that the above-mentioned patient may have later sequelae that affect his mental health and nervous system, making it difficult for him to fully recover.

According to Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen, N2O has a number of applications in daily life and medicine , but people absolutely must not use it arbitrarily and especially not for recreational purposes. When entering the body, this substance causes stimulation similar to drugs. In some countries, N2O has been classified as an addictive substance, in the UK it is classified as a narcotic.

People who have used laughing gas can easily switch to using mixed drugs, from recreational use to drug addiction is a process that happens quickly. Harm can appear even after a single use, because N2O inhibits the central nervous system, causes anesthesia and displaces oxygen in the body, leading to lack of oxygen, causing suffocation; severe cases can cause hypotension and coma. People driving and using laughing gas have a very high risk of causing an accident. For people with underlying diseases, just one inhalation can cause paralysis or nerve damage.

Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen.

If abused for a long time, the effects are extremely serious, including nerve damage, especially in the cervical spinal cord; brain damage; paralysis; sensory disturbances; effects on blood and fertility. In men, this substance reduces sperm quality, causing impotence; in women, it inhibits ovulation, causes menstrual disorders, and is prone to miscarriage, etc.

Video of Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen talking about the harmful effects of laughing gas (N2O gas):

Source: https://suckhoedoisong.vn/thieu-nu-23-tuoi-bi-liet-dan-vi-bong-cuoi-hit-1215-gio-lien-gia-dinh-khong-he-biet-169251205203505779.htm