Psychiatric comorbidities in a young man with subacute myelopathy induced by abusive nitrous oxide consumption: a case report.
Falk Mancke, Gintarė Kaklauskaitė, Jennifer Kollmer, Markus Weiler
Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation 2016 DOI: 10.2147/sar.s114404 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | 35-year-old male with N2O-induced subacute myelopathy and comorbid substance use disorders |
| Topics | Addiction |
| Keywords | Addictive disorders Laughing gas Subacute combined degeneration Vitamin b12 deficiency |
| Key findings | N2O consumption can cause subacute myelopathy that may become irreversible if untreated for months, and clinicians should routinely exclude N2O toxicity in patients with substance use disorders and new neurological deficits. |
Abstract
Nitrous oxide (N2O), a long-standing anesthetic, is known for its recreational use, and its consumption is on the rise. Several case studies have reported neurological and psychiatric complications of N2O use. To date, however, there has not been a study using standardized diagnostic procedures to assess psychiatric comorbidities in a patient consuming N2O. Here, we report about a 35-year-old male with magnetic resonance imaging confirmed subacute myelopathy induced by N2O consumption, who suffered from comorbid cannabinoid and nicotine dependence as well as abuse of amphetamines, cocaine, lysergic acid diethylamide, and ketamine. Additionally, there was evidence of a preceding transient psychotic and depressive episode induced by synthetic cannabinoid abuse. In summary, this case raises awareness of an important mechanism of neural toxicity, with which physicians working in the field of substance-related disorders should be familiar. In fact, excluding N2O toxicity in patients with recognized substance-related disorders and new neurological deficits is compulsory, as untreated for months the damage to the nervous system is at risk of becoming irreversible.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on addiction, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ecstasy (MDMA) dependence Individuals meeting criteria for MDMA dependence | 1999 | Case series | n = 3 |
| Potential Human Neurotoxicity of MDMA (‘Ecstasy’): Subjective Self-Reports, Evidence from an Italian Drug Addiction Centre and Clinical Case Studies Polydrug consumers attending a Public Health Addiction Treatment Unit in Italy | 2000 | Review and clinical case series | |
| A case report SPECT study and theoretical rationale for the sequential administration of ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT in the treatment of alcohol use disorder. 31-year-old male military veteran with moderate alcohol use disorder | 2018 | Case study | n = 1 |
| LSD Overdoses: Three Case Reports Three individuals who experienced accidental LSD overdose | 2020 | Case series | n = 3 |
| Remission of Severe Opioid Use Disorder with Ibogaine: A Case Report. 37-year-old female with severe opioid use disorder | 2016 | Case study | n = 1 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Nitrous Oxide Abuse-Induced Vitamin B12 Deficiency and Neurological Injury IntechOpen eBooks May 28, 2026
- Nitrous oxide: a unique official French addictovigilance national survey Frontiers in Public Health May 3, 2023
- Severe length‐dependent peripheral polyneuropathy in a patient with subacute combined spinal cord degeneration secondary to recreational nitrous oxide abuse: A case report and literature review Clinical Case Reports February 1, 2023
- Co-Occurring Subacute Combined Degeneration and Guillain-Barré Syndrome Resulting From Nitrous Oxide Abuse: A Case Report. Cureus December 1, 2022