Spinal Cord Injury Risk of Galaxy Gas Caused by Nitrous Oxide

Greg Vigna, MD

Nitrous oxide, also known as "laughing gas," can cause irreversible spinal cord injuries, paralysis, and B12 deficiency, often affecting young adults

Nitrous oxide produces a euphoric sensation that is usually transient but sometimes leads to sudden death or coma, and can cause acute B12 deficiency which causes quadriplegia or paraplegia.”

— Greg Vigna, MD

SANTA BARBARA, CA, UNITED STATES, March 3, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- "Galaxy Gas is a brand of nitrous oxide, also referred to as “laughing gas,” is a risk for those who like to party frequently, is very attractive to young adults, and has various flavors. 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," states Greg Vigna, MD, JD.

Greg Vigna, MD, JD, spinal cord injury physician (mostly retired) and product liability attorney, states, “Nitrous oxide produces euphoria and a floating sensation that is usually transient but sometimes leads to sudden death or coma, and can cause acute B12 deficiency which causes quadriplegia or paraplegia that isn’t completely reversible with B12 administration.”

Dr. Vigna explains, “I have taken care of young adults who thought they were doing well by staying away from cocaine and opioids only to become paralyzed due to acute or chronic B12 deficiency caused by nitrous oxide. Nitrous oxide is known to cause acute myeloneuropathy, which is combined injury to the spinal cord and peripheral nerves. Injuries vary from numbness and impairments in coordination to inability to walk and provide self-care. Fortunately, with early diagnosis of this disorder and prompt treatment, most patients respond to intramuscular B12 injections, which can reverse the neurological signs and symptoms. Unfortunately, others are not so lucky and have long-term physical impairments such as weakness, numbness, and tingling.”

Dr. Vigna adds, “Nitrous oxide produces injures to the spinal cord and peripheral nerve by binding to B12 and becoming neurotoxic, causing quadriplegia and paraplegia by way of acute inflammation within the spinal cord that can be identified by MRI. Unfortunately, unlike chronic B12 deficiency from nutritional deficits that generally respond to B12 injections, the acute nitrous oxide induced spinal cord and peripheral nerve injuries do not reliably improve with B12 injections.”

Greg Vigna, MD, JD, is a national malpractice attorney and has testified as an expert in spinal cord medicine, brain injury, catastrophic orthopedic injuries, and wound care. The Vigna Law Group, along with Ben C. Martin, Esq., of the Ben Martin Law Group, a Dallas, Texas national pharmaceutical injury law firm, jointly prosecute hospital, physician, and nursing home neglect cases nationwide on a non-exclusive basis.

Click here to read Dr. Vigna’s book, ‘The Mother’s Guide to Birth Injury.’