Addiction Experts

with Adam Cox

Nitrous oxide: honest help if you can’t stop using laughing gas

Please read this first

Heavy, regular use of nitrous oxide can cause a lack of vitamin B12, which can lead to serious nerve damage. If you have numbness or tingling in your fingers or toes, weakness, or trouble walking or keeping your balance, please see your GP urgently and tell them you’ve used nitrous oxide. If it’s getting worse quickly, or you can’t walk properly, go to A and E.

Call 999 if someone has passed out and won’t come round, or is struggling to breathe. FRANK warns that taking too much can make you fall unconscious or suffocate from lack of oxygen, and that people have died this way.

FRANK is confidential and open 24 hours on 0300 123 6600, or text 82111. If you’re feeling hopeless or thinking about ending your life, call Samaritans free on 116 123, any time.

For a lot of people, nitrous oxide starts as a few balloons at a party. It feels harmless because the high is so short. But short highs are easy to repeat, and some people find themselves moving on to big canisters, using on their own and getting through far more than they meant to. If that’s where you are, you won’t get a lecture from me.

In England and Wales, 0.5% of people aged 16 to 59 used nitrous oxide in the last year, and 1.3% of 16 to 24 year olds (ONS, 2025). Since November 2023 it has been a Class C drug, and having it to get high is now illegal (GOV.UK, 2023).

Signs nitrous oxide has become a problem

FRANK says the evidence on dependence is limited, but some people report cravings and a strong wish to carry on using. Signs to look out for include:

  • Using more often, or moving on to large canisters
  • Cravings, or finding it hard to stop once you start
  • Using on your own, not just with friends
  • Numbness, tingling or wobbly legs, and carrying on anyway
  • Spending more than you can afford, or hiding how much you use

FRANK points out that using straight from a large canister makes it much harder to keep track of how much you’re taking. It also warns never to put a plastic bag over your head, and that using it in an enclosed space is very dangerous.

Where to get help in the UK

Where hypnotherapy fits

Hypnotherapy is not a treatment for nitrous oxide addiction or the nerve damage it can cause, and I don’t offer it as one. Your GP and, if you need one, a drug service need to be part of your recovery.

Where I can help is alongside that care. Nitrous is often about a quick escape, from boredom, stress or a low mood. Sessions can focus on handling stress and boredom, sleeping better, feeling more sure of yourself and planning for the situations that tend to lead to using, like a certain group of friends or a long empty evening. You still have to make the change yourself, but it can be easier with that kind of support behind you.

Before we work together I’ll ask whether you’re getting support, and whether you’ve seen your GP about any physical symptoms. If I think you need that first, I’ll tell you honestly.

Things that can help day to day

  • Get any symptoms checked first. Numbness or tingling is a reason to see your GP now, not something to keep an eye on.
  • Clear it out. Get rid of canisters, chargers and balloons so they aren’t there when the urge hits.
  • Plan the risky times. If you mostly use at parties or with one group, decide in advance how you’ll handle it, or give those nights a miss for a while.
  • Never drive after using. FRANK says driving while high is dangerous and illegal.
  • Talk to someone. A friend, your GP or FRANK. Saying it out loud takes some of the pressure off.

If nitrous is part of a wider pattern with other drugs, my pages on cannabis and ketamine may help too.

Common questions

Is nitrous oxide addictive?

FRANK says it may be possible to become psychologically dependent on nitrous oxide, although the evidence is limited. Some people report cravings, or a strong wish to keep using once they start.

Can nerve damage from nitrous oxide get better?

Nobody can tell you that without examining you. FRANK warns that severe B12 deficiency can lead to paralysis and that the damage may be lasting, which is why getting checked early matters so much.

Is nitrous oxide illegal?

Yes, when it’s used to get high. It became a Class C drug in November 2023. FRANK says possession can lead to up to 2 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both, and supplying it, even to friends, up to 14 years.

Is it confidential?

Yes. What you tell me stays between us. As with any therapist, the only exception is if I believed you or someone else were at serious risk of harm.

I’m worried about someone else’s nitrous oxide use. What can I do?

If they’ve mentioned numbness, tingling or trouble walking, encourage them to see their GP straight away. Adfam and Addiction Family Support are there for you too. You can’t force someone to stop, but you can look after yourself while you support them.

Talk it through

If you’re already getting support and want help alongside it, book a £49 consultation call. We’ll talk about whether sessions would help with what you’re already doing. Sessions are one to one over Zoom, and you get a recording of the hypnosis afterwards. You can also read more about working with me.

Book a consultation (£49)

Written by Adam Cox, clinical hypnotherapist. Sources: FRANK, nitrous oxide; NHS, causes of vitamin B12 deficiency; GOV.UK, possession of nitrous oxide is now illegal, 2023; ONS, Drug misuse in England and Wales, year ending March 2025. Checked October 2026.