YOUNG PEOPLE IN Ireland are increasingly being diagnosed with spinal cord damage caused by the recreational use of laughing gas, according to a new study of patients at Beaumont Hospital.

The study was published in the American Journal of Neuroradiology and the research was led by professor Seamus Looby of RCSI and Consultant Neuroradiologist at Beaumont Hospital.

The research team showed that cases of spinal cord damage caused by nitrous oxide, which is commonly known as laughing gas, have spiked significantly since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Between 2021 and 2024, 14 cases were diagnosed at Beaumont Hospital, with the median age of patients being 20 years old. No such cases were recorded at the hospital between 2012 and 2020.  

“Presentations occurring exclusively between 2020–2024 correlate with the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath, which aligns with reported increased misuse across Europe at this time,” the study reads. 

“This clinical evidence supports warnings raised by youth workers and community organisations in recent years,” the RCSI said in a statement accompanying the publication of the study.

The college noted that nitrous oxide misuse has become increasingly common among children and young adults in recent years, which it put down in part to its low cost and easy availability.

Using the gas as a recreational drug can produce feelings of euphoria and giddiness. 

Nitrous oxide is available to buy online for legitimate medical and commercial purposes but its recreational use has caused alarm among medical practitioners. 

The drug can interfere with the body’s ability to process vitamin B12, leading to a condition called subacute combined degeneration (SACD) of the spinal cord. 

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Symptoms include numbness in the hands or feet and difficulty with balance and coordination. 

“The rise in cases of spinal cord damage since the pandemic is alarming and we hope it prompts greater awareness and education on nitrous oxide’s potential for permanent, damaging effects,” professor Looby said. 

“We want to encourage anyone experiencing early symptoms to seek medical help early and be open about any nitrous oxide use, to facilitate timely diagnosis and enable treatment to limiting long-term neurological damage.” 

Although most patients in the study improved after treatment, none made a full recovery, with all experiencing some degree of lasting neurological damage.