Poppers: honest help when using them has become a problem

Please read this first

Never use poppers with Viagra-type medicines. FRANK says poppers can make your blood pressure drop, and you shouldn’t use them if you take erectile dysfunction medicine such as Viagra, take blood pressure medicine or have blood pressure problems. They’re also potentially dangerous if you have heart problems, anaemia or glaucoma.

Poppers can damage your eyes. FRANK reports people losing their sight after using poppers, sometimes for a short time and sometimes for good. If your eyesight changes, get medical advice from your GP or NHS 111 and tell them about the poppers.

Never swallow them. FRANK says swallowing poppers can be fatal. Call 999 if someone has swallowed poppers, has chest pain, has collapsed or can’t be woken. If they’re unconscious but breathing, put them in the recovery position. Drinking alcohol while using poppers raises the risk of passing out and choking on vomit.

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.

Poppers are easy to buy and often treated as harmless, part of a night out or part of sex. Over time, some people find they’ve become something they feel they need, or that they’re causing problems nobody warned them about, like headaches, a rash round the nose, or changes in their eyesight.

FRANK says there’s no evidence that poppers are physically or psychologically addictive, so this page won’t pretend otherwise. But heavy users can build up a tolerance and need more, and using them can still turn into a habit that costs you. If that’s you, here’s what’s worth knowing and where to go.

Signs poppers use has become a problem

  • Needing more to get the same rush, which FRANK says can happen with heavy use
  • Using them every time you have sex, or finding sex hard to enjoy without them
  • Headaches, dizziness, nosebleeds or chest pain after using
  • A rash or burns around your nose and mouth
  • Any change in your eyesight
  • Taking sexual risks you wouldn’t usually take, such as not using a condom

FRANK says that because poppers lower inhibitions, people may take more risks, and they’ve been linked to sexually transmitted infections and injuries during sex. A sexual health clinic can test you and give you confidential advice.

Poppers and the law in the UK

FRANK says poppers are legal to sell, but only as products not for human consumption, which is why they’re often labelled as room odouriser or leather cleaner. Possession isn’t illegal, but supplying them can be an offence. Poppers are not covered by the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016, and are regulated under the Medicines Act 1968. Being legal to sell doesn’t make them safe to use.

Where to get help in the UK

  • Your GP. The place to go about eyesight changes, headaches, chest pain or anything else that worries you. Tell them about the poppers, and about any medicines you take.
  • FRANK. Confidential advice 24 hours a day on 0300 123 6600, or text 82111. Read FRANK’s guide to poppers.
  • Local drug services. Useful if poppers are part of a wider pattern of using. Services in England are confidential and you won’t pay to use them, and the NHS confirms you don’t need your GP to contact one. Find a local service
  • Sexual health clinics. Free, confidential STI testing and advice, open to everyone. Find a sexual health clinic
  • Support groups. SMART Recovery and Narcotics Anonymous both run groups, with NA’s helpline on 0300 999 1212 taking calls from 10am until midnight.
  • Family and friends. Partners and relatives can get support of their own from Addiction Family Support on 0300 888 3853, or through Adfam.

Where hypnotherapy fits

Adam Cox, clinical hypnotherapist

Hypnotherapy is not a treatment for problems with poppers, and I don’t offer it as one. If they’ve affected your eyes, your heart or your sexual health, your GP or a clinic needs to be part of the picture.

Where I can help is alongside that care. For a lot of people, poppers are tied to confidence, nerves or how relaxed they feel during sex. Our sessions can focus on stress, sleep and confidence, including feeling at ease in your body and with a partner, and on the settings and routines where you tend to use. You do the changing. Sessions can make it feel more manageable.

Before we work together I’ll ask whether you’re getting support from your GP, a clinic or a drug service, and whether poppers have caused you any health problems. If I think you need that support first, I’ll tell you honestly.

Common questions

Are poppers addictive?

FRANK says there’s no evidence that poppers are physically or psychologically addictive. Heavy users might develop a tolerance and need more to get the same high. Using them can still become a problem habit.

Can you use poppers with Viagra?

No. FRANK says poppers can make your blood pressure drop, and you shouldn’t use them if you take erectile dysfunction medicine such as Viagra, or blood pressure medicine. If you take any regular medicine, ask your GP or pharmacist about the risks.

Can poppers damage your eyes?

Yes. FRANK says repeated use can damage your eyesight, and there have been reports of people losing their sight after using poppers, sometimes for good. If you notice any change in your eyesight, get medical advice and mention the poppers.

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 poppers use. What can I do?

If they’ve swallowed poppers, have chest pain or have collapsed, call 999. Otherwise, share the facts on this page, especially about Viagra and eyesight, and FRANK can talk things through with you in confidence. Addiction Family Support also helps the people around someone who uses drugs.

Talk it through

If you’re already getting support and want help alongside it, book a £49 consultation call. We’ll talk through what’s going on and whether sessions would fit alongside your other support. Sessions are one to one over Zoom, and you’ll be sent a recording of the hypnosis afterwards. Full details and prices are on my sessions page. If drinking or nitrous oxide are part of the same nights, my pages on alcohol and nitrous oxide may help.

Book a consultation (£49)

Written by Adam Cox, clinical hypnotherapist. Sources: FRANK, poppers; NHS, find a sexual health clinic; NHS, when to use 111; NHS, drug addiction: getting help. Checked October 2026.