debenedi@yale-comix.UUCP (Robert DeBenedictis) (04/03/84)
Hi,
I just dropped in on net.med to see what was going on.
I don't regularly read this newsgroup -- maybe I should.
Anyway, I just finished reading howard's (metheus.226) article
on Nitrous Oxide (N2O) and B-12. Amongst the folates and the
methionines I missed something crucial -- Is N2O Bad For You?
I mean, it's obvious to me that it's not GOOD for you but, given
that it's not good, how could one go about minimizing the damage
it does? I always thought that the chief danger of N2O was oxygen
deprivation (asphyxiation sp?). Now I find out it that results in
megaloblastosis. What is THAT?
Can someone tell me if N2O ingestion causes early death or brain damage?
As I see it those are the two most important things. Let me define
N2O ingestion. I don't mean prolonged exposure. I mean occasional
exposure (3-5 times a year) lasting maybe a week each time. Within
that week there will be maybe 4 days when it is done EXTENSIVELY (i.e.,
4 or 5 hours, interrupted only by the revelations that occur as one slowly
returns to consciousness).
In case anyone out there ever thinks of doing N2O, I have a few words of advice.
1. DON'T DO IT ALONE!
For some, nitrous affects time perception and you could
easily end up doing it for hours. Also, since it effects
your perception of pain you could bump into something,
start bleeding, and . . . die. Generally, the more people
the better. If you can find a NON-participant observer,
do so. Drugs are a pretty dumb thing to do; but if you
insist on doing them (as some people will) there's no need
to throw all caution to the winds.
2. USE BALLOONS
There are several ways of getting nitrous out of a tank
and into a body. Balloons are the safest way of doing this.
I have seen people do nitrous from garbage bags. Whenever this
is done someone always gets the bright idea of sticking the bag
on their head. *Someone else* then has to stop what their doing
and chastise/babysit the person with the bag on their head so that
suffocation does not ensue. A curious alternative to ballons is
milkbags. Milkbags are used to serve milk from those institutional
style machines that are sometimes called "milk cows." It just so
happens that the "spout" on these bags perfectlty fits inside the
valve on most tanks of N20.
*** NEVER do nitrous directly from a tank. You will freeze your
*** lips and burst your lungs. Always use some intermediary
*** device (prefererably balloons).
Balloons also serve another useful purpose. If one temporarily
loses consciousness they usually end up letting go of their
balloon. This informs everyone in the room (remember: you're not
doing it alone) that someone is maybe getting just a bit *too*
wasted. Balloons help to exert a subtle social pressure against
overimbibing. One thing, over time some people seem to develop
the ability to hold on to their ballons quite well while still
being unconscious. Don't worry about these people, they probably
got stoned earlier or are tripping so there's no hope for them anyway.
3. MARIJUANA AND NITROUS
Marijuana and nitrous mix in a very strange way. Nitrous usually
comes on strong and fades real fast. If you're stoned you don't
see it coming and it never seems to leave. It seems like some
one's always filling up another balloon and that since you feel
so good you might as well just keep doing whatever it was that
you were doing that put you in such a good mood.
4. HICCUPS
If you get the hiccups you're probably doing to much,
step out and get some fresh air.
5. NAUSEA
Nitrous on a full (or partially full) stomach will
probably cause vomiting.
6. SLEEP
I have observed that when people really imbibe heavily with
nitrous oxide they get very tired (as well as sensitive to
drafts). Heavy bouts with nitrous are usually followed by
a fairly strong desire to take a nice long nap.
7. NON-DRUG USERS
There are some people out there who've got their shit together
enough to realize that drugs are not the answer, the question,
or even the most comfortable point in between. HOWEVER, even
some of these people (roughly a third of them) will become
fascinated and absorbed by the facial expressions of those
doing nitrous. This combined with the fact that it (seems)
to last only 2-3 minutes often convinces non-drug users to
give it a whirl. A certain subset of "the non-drug users that
try nitrous" find that it makes serious (SERIOUS) inroads into
their non-drug ideology. For this certain subset, nitrous is
The Beginning Of The End.
8. THE LAW
Nitrous Oxide (as far as I know) is available in quantities
only by prescription. HOWEVER, small canisters of it are
sold through restaurant supply houses for use in whip cream
whippers (the gas is propelled under pressure through the
cream; I think). Also, I think drag racers use N2O to aid
combustion in their engines.
None of the above is intended to encourage the use of N2O or any other
substances. I'm posting this because experience has shown me that while
you cannot convince people to give up drugs (at least I can't) you can
persuade them that some modes of ingestion are less harmful than others.
If anyone out there has ANY comments on this, I'd like to read them.
I am particularly interested in the ways people rationalize away the
danger of using illicit (as well as licit) drugs. (EX: "I only use
heroin on the weekends. That way I won't become an addict.")
Either post them to the net or send them to me. I'm busy graduating
right now so you might not get a response for a few months.
REMEMBER: self-medication is a tricky and dangerous route
you need all the help you can getseifert@ihuxl.UUCP (D.A. Seifert) (04/06/84)
There are two grades of Nitrous, "medical" and "industrial".
As mentioned in the previous article, yes N2O is used to
get more power out of engines. Industrial grade N2O is used
for this. I will not lecture anyone on the merits of inhaling
medical grade N2O, but
DO NOT INHALE INDUSTRIAL GRADE NITROUS !!!!!
Got that? Good! bye now...
--
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/_____\ From the official doghouse of the '84 Olympics,
/_______\ Snoopy
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