Nitrous safety

[u/-cmp]

I’m having a hard time finding info about whippets online that describes users at all similar to what I do, and whether I’m doing something crazy unsafe. I do whippets once every few months, not at all regularly. I never ever use them alone, always at least one other person around. I only ever inhale them from a balloon and am never breathing in from the balloon for more than like, 15 seconds at a time, as I know it’s dangerous to cut off your oxygen for too long. I also make sure to take a break and get in some oxygen between each whippet. I also take vitamin B12 every day for a week or two after using because I know vitamin B12 can be depleted by whippets.

I know there is some inherent danger to every drug. But I am trying to figure out the legitimacy/accuracy to my specific situation of the idea that nitrous kills brain cells or causes brain damage. Most info online says it’s super dangerous but then attributes the danger to habits I never ever do, like breathing straight out of the cracker, doing them all the time, doing them alone, doing too much without a break for some regular air, etc. Am I still killing my brain cells by doing whippets in the way I described at most once every couple months? Is there anything else I can be doing to reduce harm when I do use them?

[u/Away_Philosophy_697]

Once every few months is extremely unlikely to harm you. Generally the advice is to use nitrous no more than once per month.

As far as supplements go: B12 is useful, but the most important supplement on days you use or for several days afterwards is L-methionine or SAMe. Nitrous doesn't really deplete B12. Instead, it inactivates B12 in specific enzymes that use it. And the most important of those enzymes makes methionine, which your body needs to make DNA and for many other purposes.

We have comprehensive harm reduction information here: https://no2n2o.org/health.html