Nitrous oxide, the gas contained in whippets, has been used recreationally since the late 1700s. In recent years, whippet use has surged, partly due to increased exposure on TikTok and widespread use in the restaurant industry. Whippets are legal in many states. They’re also easy to buy online with no minimum age required for purchase, making them particularly popular with teenagers. Because they’re legal and easy to get, many people think that using whippets is harmless. But the truth is that misusing nitrous oxide can cause long-term neurological damage, organ damage, suffocation, and even death. To keep yourself and your loved ones safe, it’s important to know the dangers of whippets, the signs of nitrous oxide addiction, how to recognize nitrous oxide overdose symptoms, and how to seek treatment.
What Are Whippets?
“Whippets” is another name for a nitrous oxide delivery system, a chemical compound which takes the form of a sweet-smelling, tasteless, colorless gas at room temperature. Nitrous oxide is commonly mixed with oxygen and used in dental and medical settings as an anesthetic and a pain reliever during procedures. It’s also used to pressurize canisters of whipped cream, which is where the term “whippets” comes from. It is also extensively used in the restaurant industry, sometimes containing flavor additives.
Whippets have gained recent popularity as a recreational inhalant, which is a drug that can be ingested only by breathing it in from a closed container. You may also hear whippets referred to as laughing gas, whippits, and whip-its. Flavored whippets are sold under several different brand names, including Galaxy Gas, Cosmic Gas, Miami Magic, and Baking Bad.
Whippets typically come in small, pressurized steel canisters or cartridges. Inhaling gas directly from whippets cartridges can be dangerous. The gas in the canister is under high pressure and come out at a very low temperature. Inhaling directly from the whippets canister can cause injury and even frostbite. People often make whippets easier to inhale by transferring the gas to a balloon. This normalizes the pressure and warms the gas. Some users cover their face and the canister with a bag or a mask to create a larger container from which they inhale the gas.
How Do Whippets Work?
The exact way that nitrous oxide works isn’t clear, but scientists believe that it somehow affects the reward and pleasure centers in your brain. One thing that has been proven: nitrous oxide reduces the level of oxygen in your body. Starving your brain of oxygen can cause the feelings of euphoria whippets users are seeking.
Because whippets are inhaled, they are almost immediately absorbed into the bloodstream from the lungs, reaching the brain in mere seconds. The resulting high is almost instantaneous, lasting anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Users may feel euphoria, dizziness, or relaxation. Some users report feeling as if they’re floating. Whippets can also cause hallucinations. Because the effects of whippets are very short-lived, people often use high volumes of the drug at one time.
Are Whippets Dangerous?
Using whippets can be very hazardous to your health. Besides the brief feelings of euphoria and relaxation, whippets have several short-term side effects, including:
- Dizziness
- Blurred vision
- Tingling or numbness in limbs
- Loss of motor coordination
- Inability to maintain your balance
- Confusion
- Nausea and vomiting
- Headaches
The intensity of the side effects of nitrous oxide will vary according to your general health, your weight, how much nitrous oxide you’ve inhaled, and whether you’ve taken any other drugs or alcohol along with whippets. Because whippets cause dizziness and loss of coordination, they should never be consumed while standing. Doing so puts you at risk of injury from a fall.
Using whippets can also lead to serious long-term health problems. Nitrous oxide abuse affects your body’s ability to absorb the vitamin B12, which is essential to nerve health. A lack of vitamin B12 can cause damage to the myelin sheaths that protects your nerves. This is called demyelination and affects your nerves’ ability to function and carry messages to the rest of your body. Although whippets-induced nerve damage can sometimes be reversed if you get medical care in time, some level of nerve damage may be permanent.
Whippets also reduce the amount of oxygen available in your blood, leading to organ damage. Long-term dangers of whippets include:
- Liver damage
- Kidney damage
- Lung damage
- Loss of vision
- Loss of hearing
- Permanent muscle weakness
- Brain damage
- Bone marrow damage
- Loss of bladder or bowel control
- Mental health conditions including psychosis and depression
- Heart damage
- Paralysis
Using whippets while you’re pregnant can cause birth defects.
Do Whippets Kill Brain Cells?
Because whippets deprive your body of oxygen, it is possible for nitrous oxide to cause brain cell death. This risk is higher for people who use nitrous oxide on a long-term basis.
Using Whippets with Other Drugs
Mixing whippets with other drugs can cause unpleasant and sometimes dangerous side effects. When you take nitrous oxide and stimulants such as meth or cocaine at the same time, the combination of substances increases pressure on your heart which can cause dangerously high blood pressure and irregular heartbeat. Mixing whippets and psychedelics such as LSD or mushrooms may cause intense hallucinations and feelings of dissociation. And if you use whippets while drinking alcohol, you can experience increased nausea, dizziness, and vomiting.
Can You Overdose on Whippets?
It is possible to overdose on whippets. Because whippets deprive your body of oxygen, overdosing on whippets can cause you to lose consciousness and stop breathing. Nitrous oxide overdose symptoms also include dangerously irregular heartbeat and seizures. And in rare cases, inhaling a large volume of nitrous oxide can cause you to suffocate and die. If you think you or someone you know has overdosed on whippets, seek medical help immediately.
Are Whippets Addictive?
Whippets aren’t believed to be physically addictive like other drugs are, but they can definitely be psychologically addictive. Because whippets affect the pleasure and reward centers in your brain, you may find yourself unable to control your strong cravings for the drug. Using whippets in large amounts or over extended periods of time can also cause you to build up a tolerance to the drug. This means you need to do more and more nitrous oxide to achieve the same feelings of euphoria and relaxation.
Signs of Whippets Abuse
It can be hard to tell when someone is abusing whippets or other inhalants. Signs to look for include:
- Dizziness or clumsiness
- Finding nitrous oxide paraphernalia — empty canisters, cartridges, or balloons
- Sores around the mouth known as “huffer’s rash”
- Chronic headaches
- Mood swings
- Nausea / vomiting
- Slurred speech
Are Whippets Illegal?
Because nitrous oxide is used in the automotive and culinary industries as well as in dental and medical settings, the gas is legal, but only for legitimate uses. Nitrous oxide isn’t considered a controlled substance and therefore isn’t regulated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Instead, its legitimate use is governed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, California has made it illegal to possess nitrous oxide for the purpose of getting high. Other states including Arizona and Connecticut have made it illegal to sell whippets to anyone under the age of 18. Other states including Minnesota, Louisiana, and Alabama are following suit with similar restrictions around the sale and recreational use of nitrous oxide.
Whippets Withdrawal
Even though whippets aren’t physically addictive like other drugs, when you stop using them you can experience uncomfortable psychological effects. You may feel like you can’t be in certain situations without using the drug and have intense cravings to use nitrous oxide. Even though withdrawing from whippets isn’t as physically dangerous as withdrawal from other substances, it’s important to seek professional help with detox to ensure that you don’t rebound into misuse.
Treatment for Nitrous Oxide Addiction
Because abusing whippets can cause serious health problems and lead to the use of harder drugs, it’s important to seek professional help for nitrous oxide addiction. And, as with other drug addictions, nitrous oxide misuse is often masking underlying mental health issues. So, treatment for whippets misuse is the same as for any other addiction. Depending on your level of misuse, inpatient or outpatient treatment may be appropriate. You’ll also participate in group therapy, individual counseling, and other types of therapy such as DBT and EMDR.
If you or someone you love is struggling with whippets misuse, don’t hesitate to get help. Detox West Tennessee offers a safe, confidential environment where you can stop using nitrous oxide and begin your path to sobriety. Studies have shown that people who go through a medically supervised detox have a better chance at long-term success. At Detox West Tennessee, we know that no two people are alike, so no two journeys to sobriety are alike. We’ll tailor our program to address your unique needs and circumstances so that you have the support you need to break free from addiction and create the healthier life that you deserve.
Call us today to get started on your road to recovery. We’re available any time, day or night at 901-665-5090.