Nitrous oxide has been known for years to cause acute B12 deficiency spinal cord injuries resulting in paraplegia and quadriplegia that is often not reversible.
Nitrous oxide, also referred to as “laughing gas,” is a commonly used party drug by high school and college students across the country and is purchased insmall metal canisters and balloons in boxes often depicting attractive young adults smiling and partying. Unfortunately, nitrous oxide has been known for years to cause acute B12 deficiency spinal cord injuries resulting in paraplegia and quadriplegia that is often not reversible.
Greg Vigna, MD, JD, a practicing physician, national pharmaceutical injury attorney, and Certified Life Care Planner, states, “Whippits, Whippets, and Whip-Its are all the same thing…it is nitrous oxide that is filled into a balloon andinhaled by users that produces euphoria and a floating sensation. Most effects are transient but sometimes they lead to sudden death or coma, and in isolated cases acute B12 deficiency causing quadriplegia or paraplegia that isn’t completely reversible with B12 administration.”
Dr.Vigna explains, “Chronic B12 deficiency is a well-known cause of acute myeloneuropathy which is combined impairments of the spinal cord and peripheral nerves that may result in progressive problems with walking and self-care associated with numbness and tingling in the hands and feet. Fortunately, with diagnosis of this disorder and promptly treating the patient with intramuscular B12 injections, this can lead to significant functional recovery.”
“These injuries are caused by foreseeable misuse of products placed in the stream of conduct by various manyfacturers within and outside the United States and they must be held responsible…” – Dr. Greg Vigna
Unfortunately, nitrous oxide produces symptoms of myeloneuropathy including numbness, weakness, and unsteady gait which is often permanent by binding B12 and becomes neurotoxic producing quadriplegia and paraplegia by way of acute inflammation within the spinal cord that is evident by MRI. Unfortunately, unlike chronic B12 deficiency which responds to B12 injections, the acute nitrous oxide induced myeloneuropathy is not predictably improved with B12 injections.
Dr. Vigna explains, “I have had injured young adults with myeloneuropathy that tell me that they expected to maybe lose a few brain cells when using nitrous oxide but had no idea it couldresult in injuries that produce permanent impairments in bowel and bladder function, sexual function, walking, and self-care.”
Vigna Law Group is investigating nitrous oxide related acute spinal cord injury as product liability claims against the manufacturers of nitrous oxide, the canisters, and the balloons. Dr. Vigna concludes, “These injuries are caused by foreseeable misuse of products placed in the stream of conduct by various manufacturers within and outside the United States and they must be held responsible for the tremendous harm that they are producing wherever they domiciled. They know the harm they are producing and they know their products are being misused and they are profiting. They must be held accountable.
https://www.drugrehab.com/addiction/drugs/inhalants/whippits/
https://bmcneurol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12883-017-0990-3
Greg Vigna, MD, JD is a California and Washington DC lawyer who focuses on catastrophic neurological injuries cause by the vaginal mesh, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, brachial plexus injuries, and medical malpractice. He is Board Certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
The Vigna Law Group is a national neurological injury law firm that co-counsels with leading trial attorneys across the country to achieve justice.
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