Man, 32, was left partially paralyzed after rampant use of 'whippets'

A 32-year-old man was left partially paralyzed after inhaling nitrous oxide using ‘whippet’ canisters for two months.

The unnamed man went to the emergency room six weeks after he began to feel a tingling sensation in his arms and two weeks after losing the use of his legs. Doctors discovered that he suffered from subacute combined degeneration (SCD), a condition in which a person’s spine begins to degenerate as a result of a b12 deficiency.

The man had recently used whippets. The devices have become popular with teenagers in the US and UK in recent years. Used for foods like whipped cream, nitrous oxide canisters can be opened and inhaled for a short but intense high. Individual canisters are inexpensive and can be easily purchased in bulk. Whipped cream cans also have a canister of nitrous oxide that can be used.

In response to rising use of the inhalant, New York officials have banned the purchase of nitrous oxide chargers for people under the age of 21. In the UK, doctors are warning of an epidemic of “hippy crack” as young people in particular are likely to suffer from it. severe brain development problems in the future.

A 32-year-old man developed tingling in his arms and lost function in his legs after he began using whippet. An MRI detected hyperintensity in his spine, indicating that the use of the gas had caused SCD.

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The case report was published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The unnamed man had started using nitrous oxide two months before seeking medical attention, and it was only two weeks of frequent use before his arms began to tingle.

Weeks after the tingling began, he began to lose function in his legs.

At the hospital, he performed a Romberg test, in which a patient tries to maintain balance while standing with eyes closed. It is a basic test to measure sensory function.

He lost his balance during the test, indicating that he suffered from some type of sensory or cognitive problem.

Doctors also noted that he had other balance problems and struggled to feel vibrations against his body, a further indication of nervous system problems.

An MRI detected hyperintensity in her spine. Additional tests found that she suffered from severe vitamin b12 deficiency and developed SCD as a result.

The use of nitrous oxide canisters is a known cause of vitamin b12 deficiency, and the gas can inactivate it in the body.

The vitamin is crucial for maintaining nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, and deficiencies put a person at risk for serious nervous system problems.

These dangers have terrified many officials as the use of gas cylinders has become more prevalent in the US.

Nitrous oxide chargers, often called whippets, can be inhaled for a quick high. Many young people are starting to use the devices in the US and UK, worrying health officials (file photo)

Inhalation of the gas has also been linked to low blood pressure, fainting, heart attacks, and sudden death.

To combat the increasing use of whippets (studies show that one in five Americans have used them before the age of 13), New York officials banned the purchase of nitrous chargers before the age of 21.

“This new law is an important step in combating a major problem for many neighborhoods in my district,” said Democratic state Sen. Joseph Addabo, who sponsored the bill.

‘The need to limit access to and sale of (whips) first became apparent to me after I received constituent complaints about empty (whips) on neighborhood streets.

“The used (whippets) piling up in our communities are not only an eyesore, they are also indicative of a significant nitrous oxide abuse problem.”