Nitrous Oxide (N2O) Prevents Suicidal Behavior, Reverses Learned Helplessness

haidut

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First, please note that this study is about nitrous oxide (N2O) and not nitric oxide (NO). There is a huge difference in effects despite the minor difference in chemical structure. Peat has written about both - the benefits of the former and the dangers of the latter. N2O is commonly known as laughing gas and is widely used in surgical procedures, as well as recreationally due to its rapid antidepressant and dissociative effects. N2O is a known NMDA and 5-HT3 antagonist, as well as GABA and glycine agonist. It is perhaps its extremely rapid antidepressant effects (much quicker onset than even ketamine) that is behind the beneficial effects the study below is based on. As many of you know, there is no currently known effective treatment for suicidal behavior / ideation, except possibly electroconvulsive therapy. N2O has shown a lot of promise in animal studies and according to the authors of the study below, it should be able to prevent suicide in humans as well. Furthermore, as the authors themselves state, suicidal behavior is an extreme form of learned helplessness and N2O can quickly reverse such a state. As a side note, N2O is a strong oxidizing agent and as such has positive effects on the redox balance of the organism including NAD/NADH ratio, CO2 levels, and of course thyroid function. So, the metabolic foundation in depression, learned helplessness and suicide is highly visible once again.

Nitrous Oxide for Treatment-Resistant Major Depression: A Proof-of-Concept Trial. - PubMed - NCBI
New Study Finds Laughing Gas Could Help Prevent Suicide - Thriveworks
"...And while there is no one cause for suicide, mental illness is often involved—depression, for example, is most commonly associated with suicide, which is typically undiagnosed or untreated in these individuals. This condition, left untreated (as well as many others) increases one’s risk for suicide. There are currently no treatments specifically approved to stop suicidal thoughts. Instead, identifying and treating underlying mental illnesses as well as coping with any stressors are essential to reducing the risk. This, however, may soon be joined by an unlikely ally: laughing gas. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are studying the potential use of laughing gas (nitrous oxide) as an effective treatment method in patients hospitalized for suicidal thoughts. More specifically, the study is exploring whether laughing gas may speed up recovery and even reduce one’s risk of suicide."

"...Charles R. Conway, MD, a professor of psychiatry, and Peter Nagele, MD, an associate professor of anesthesiology, head the study, as they have been studying whether the substance—known to lessen pain and anxiety in dental patients—could provide relief to depressed individuals. And the fact that 85% of suicide attempts are made by clinically depressed individuals has inspired them to expand their research and investigate whether laughing gas may help suicidal patients as well."

Suicide attempts and suicidal thinking often stem from an individual’s belief that there’s no way out of a situation other than ending one’s life,” explained Conway. “We think nitrous oxide might help patients break out of that mindset and realize they do have options.” While as many as one-third of patients with depression don’t respond to existing treatments, Conway’s research team is confident that laughing gas will finally provide relief, thanks to an initial study that revealed two-thirds of depressed participants treated with the nitrous oxide saw improvement in their symptoms."

"...Most existing antidepressants work by targeting norepinephrine and serotonin receptors; this, however, can take weeks to actually alleviate one’s symptoms. Nitrous oxide, on the other hand, interacts with another kind of receptor (NMDA glutamate) and can improve symptoms within hours. Furthermore, it has minimal side effects: “Nitrous oxide may very quickly improve depression in these patients. The gas has very few side effects because it leaves the body very quickly once people stop breathing it,” explained Nagele. “However, it appears from our previous research that the antidepressant effects of nitrous oxide may linger in the brain long after the drug is out of the body.”
 

AretnaP

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Good stuff, haidut.

This site continues to leave me speechless with new findings every single week.
 

Tarmander

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I remember I was in a health food store about 2 month ago chatting with this couple. This guy, all of a sudden, was really intense. He said, "You know, all this stuff...it is all ***t compared to Nitrous Oxide." I looked at him a bit oddly and said "Laughing gas?" He said "yes! I was close to death, my heart was almost done, my blood pressure was way out of whack, and I started breathing it in everyday. Now I am strong and have perfect blood pressure. My ticker is still going too!" I will admit I thought he was a bit crazy.
 

Regina

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First, please note that this study is about nitrous oxide (N2O) and not nitric oxide (NO). There is a huge difference in effects despite the minor difference in chemical structure. Peat has written about both - the benefits of the former and the dangers of the latter. N2O is commonly known as laughing gas and is widely used in surgical procedures, as well as recreationally due to its rapid antidepressant and dissociative effects. N2O is a known NMDA and 5-HT3 antagonist, as well as GABA and glycine agonist. It is perhaps its extremely rapid antidepressant effects (much quicker onset than even ketamine) that is behind the beneficial effects the study below is based on. As many of you know, there is no currently known effective treatment for suicidal behavior / ideation, except possibly electroconvulsive therapy. N2O has shown a lot of promise in animal studies and according to the authors of the study below, it should be able to prevent suicide in humans as well. Furthermore, as the authors themselves state, suicidal behavior is an extreme form of learned helplessness and N2O can quickly reverse such a state. As a side note, N2O is a strong oxidizing agent and as such has positive effects on the redox balance of the organism including NAD/NADH ratio, CO2 levels, and of course thyroid function. So, the metabolic foundation in depression, learned helplessness and suicide is highly visible once again.

Nitrous Oxide for Treatment-Resistant Major Depression: A Proof-of-Concept Trial. - PubMed - NCBI
New Study Finds Laughing Gas Could Help Prevent Suicide - Thriveworks
"...And while there is no one cause for suicide, mental illness is often involved—depression, for example, is most commonly associated with suicide, which is typically undiagnosed or untreated in these individuals. This condition, left untreated (as well as many others) increases one’s risk for suicide. There are currently no treatments specifically approved to stop suicidal thoughts. Instead, identifying and treating underlying mental illnesses as well as coping with any stressors are essential to reducing the risk. This, however, may soon be joined by an unlikely ally: laughing gas. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are studying the potential use of laughing gas (nitrous oxide) as an effective treatment method in patients hospitalized for suicidal thoughts. More specifically, the study is exploring whether laughing gas may speed up recovery and even reduce one’s risk of suicide."

"...Charles R. Conway, MD, a professor of psychiatry, and Peter Nagele, MD, an associate professor of anesthesiology, head the study, as they have been studying whether the substance—known to lessen pain and anxiety in dental patients—could provide relief to depressed individuals. And the fact that 85% of suicide attempts are made by clinically depressed individuals has inspired them to expand their research and investigate whether laughing gas may help suicidal patients as well."

Suicide attempts and suicidal thinking often stem from an individual’s belief that there’s no way out of a situation other than ending one’s life,” explained Conway. “We think nitrous oxide might help patients break out of that mindset and realize they do have options.” While as many as one-third of patients with depression don’t respond to existing treatments, Conway’s research team is confident that laughing gas will finally provide relief, thanks to an initial study that revealed two-thirds of depressed participants treated with the nitrous oxide saw improvement in their symptoms."

"...Most existing antidepressants work by targeting norepinephrine and serotonin receptors; this, however, can take weeks to actually alleviate one’s symptoms. Nitrous oxide, on the other hand, interacts with another kind of receptor (NMDA glutamate) and can improve symptoms within hours. Furthermore, it has minimal side effects: “Nitrous oxide may very quickly improve depression in these patients. The gas has very few side effects because it leaves the body very quickly once people stop breathing it,” explained Nagele. “However, it appears from our previous research that the antidepressant effects of nitrous oxide may linger in the brain long after the drug is out of the body.”
IdeaLabs SmileOn
 

RobertJM

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Jeez. I honestly thought this was a joke.

I grew up believing this stuff was lethal? Kids overdosing and killing themselves on it?

Is there a safe way of taking it? And just to check, this is completely different from poppers (amyl nitrate)? A quick google search didn't tell me much. Cheers!
 

RobertJM

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Those pharmalogical effects could easily be achieved from combining a NMDA antagonist with anple amounts of gelatin (glycine agonist), niacinamide/MB (NAD/NADH ratio) and thyroid/metabolically enhanced diet/lifestyle (CO2)?
 

BibleBeliever

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Very interesting

Nitrous Oxide Dangers

So moderation is the key; an excess can lower b12/folate according to this:
"
would suggest that the following types of people in particular avoid exposure to significant amounts of nitrous:

  • Pregnant women: since nitrous oxide is a known teratogen in rodents, acting by depleting folates and partially reversible by oral folinic acid, we can expect a similar syndrome in humans.
  • Vegans who don't take B12 supplements: although documented cases of vegans with B12 deficiencies are scarce, theories on nutrition indicate that vegans are unlikely to get as much B12 as other groups of people."

    " There have been a few cases of malignant hyperthermia (raised body temperature),and this is considered a potentially serious threat to those with the genetic requirement (check out your family history - look for deaths during surgery, both minor and major)."

 
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Diokine

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Very interesting.

Chronic glutamatergic excitation ==> NMDA desensitization ==> Higher and higher setpoint for sympathetic "pressor" action ==> Sympathetic fatigue / Depression

I talk about the breath a lot, and I figured I'd mention it once again. With enough observation and experience, I believe the breath allows one to identify and remedy nearly any issues with metabolism. Intermittent breath holds, and concentrating on the sensations it brings, can allow for nearly the same effect as inhaling nitrous oxide, albeit on much different time scales.



Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia Induces NMDA Receptor-Dependent Plasticity and Suppresses Nitric Oxide Signaling in the Mouse Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus

This paper examines some of the changes that occur in the hypothalamus during hypoxic episodes, similar to sleep apnea. I'm not recommending that you stop breathing while sleeping, but trying to illustrate the intimate connection between respiration and the brain.
 

marcar72

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I used to abuse "whippets" when I was younger a few times. We would get a case or two, a cracker, and some balloons to dispense the gas into, lol. :jawdrop:

Also at Grateful Dead shows, in the parking lot you'd hear the "tanks" here and there and we'd get a balloon or two. Deadheads would call it hippie crack! Went to a couple "tank" parties when I was younger as well. Cracked my head pretty well once doing a balloon hit on top of a pile of concrete blocks. I even heard of a few deadheads dying at shows, falling off of the tops of cars after doing a balloon hit and falling the wrong way. :hurting:
 
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So all this time the joker was really trying to prevent suicides and reverse batmans learned helpless caused by the trauma of witnessing his parents murder
 

lampofred

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So all this time the joker was really trying to prevent suicides and reverse batmans learned helpless caused by the trauma of witnessing his parents murder

Lmaooo

"Reverse Batman's learned helplessness"
Lmfao
 
Joined
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Lmaooo

"Reverse Batman's learned helplessness"
Lmfao

A billionaire who dressed up as a bat and goes around getting into fights with petty criminals. Talk about a cry for help.

If he wanted to clean up gotham he could start a nonprofit or a homeless shelter or even a private police force.
 

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