Nitrous Oxide side effects: heavy use of laughing gas could lead to spinal damage warn doctors - here’s how

Heavy use of nitrous oxide can lead to a vitamin deficiency that damages nerves in the spinal cord, according to a team at the Royal London Hospital. The team says medics need to be on alert and claim they have been seeing a new case involving spinal damage and nitrous oxide almost every week.

Nitrous oxide, often referred to as ‘laughing gas’ is sold in metal canisters, and is one of the most used drugs by 16-24 year-olds.  Doctors at a hospital in East London having drawn up a treatment guideline for colleagues after ‘“seeing so many risky cases of laughing gas misuse”.