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Inhaling nitrous oxide gas from balloons or whipped cream chargers may seem like harmless fun, but it can also become a dangerous habit. Although nitrous oxide isn’t exactly heroin, misusing it comes with serious risks and can open doors to more serious substance abuse problems down the road.
What Are Whippits?
Whippits (also sometimes spelled whippets or whip-its) refers to nitrous oxide that is used as a recreational drug.
Nitrous oxide is a colorless gas that is commonly used by dentists and medical professionals for sedation and pain relief. It is also used as a food additive (such as for whipped cream) and it’s used in the automotive industry to enhance engine performance.
Nitrous oxide is classified as a dissociative anesthetic. It can produce a floating sensation and euphoria, or distort a person’s perceptions. Sometimes, in very rare cases, it can also produce hallucinations.
Many people also misuse nitrous oxide, or whippits, recreationally to get high. In fact, whippits are the most commonly abused inhalants because they’re easy to get and they produce a fast and easy high.
Typically, people who abuse whippits inhale the gas directly from a pressurized canister or balloons. This produces a short high that is characterized by feelings of euphoria, weightlessness, excitement, and sometimes hallucinations.
What Are Other Street Names or Slang Terms for Whippits?
- Buzz bomb
- Hippy crack
- Laughing gas
- N20
- NOS
- Nangs
- Nitro
- Whippets
- Whip-its
How Long Does a Nitrous Oxide High Last?
Generally, a nitrous oxide high can be felt almost immediately and will last a few minutes. However, the way a nitrous oxide high feels and how long it lasts varies from person to person depending on:
- How much a person inhales
- The size, weight, and overall health of a person
- Whether the person is accustomed to inhaling nitrous oxide
- Whether the person took any other drugs
One person’s reaction to whippet abuse may be more or less severe than another person’s, which can be dangerous, especially if a person decides to abuse nitrous oxide for the first time while they are alone.
Additionally, the high produced by whippit abuse isn’t the same as the high produced by other addictive drugs. Other addictive drugs affect the brain’s pleasure center, but whippits deprive the brain and body of oxygen, which produces feelings of floating, euphoria, and excitement for a very brief time.
What Are the Dangerous Side Effects of Whippits?
Although whippits can cause very serious and even life-threatening side effects, very few people are aware of the risks. To make matters worse, the most serious side effects aren’t necessarily reserved for chronic whippit abusers. Whippets can be deadly the first time they are used, so the euphoric high is simply not worth the risk.
If someone inhales too much nitrous oxide or inhales it too quickly, they are more likely to experience some negative short-term side effects. These potential immediate side effects of whippet abuse include:
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Shivering
- Excessive sweating
- Fatigue
- Hallucinations
- Distorted hearing
- Loss of consciousness
- Frostbite to the nose, lips, and throat
- Sudden sniffing death syndrome
- Suffocation (If a person is using a mask to inhale nitrous oxide and they pass out, they won’t be able to take off the mask. The lack of oxygen can cause suffocation.)
Potential long-term side effects of whippet abuse include:
- Memory loss
- Ringing or buzzing in the ears
- Incontinence
- Numbness in the hands or feet
- Limb spasms
- Weakened immune system
- Depression
- Mobility problems
- Impaired vision and hearing
- Brain and nerve damage (due to severe Vitamin B12 deficiency)
- Damage to other organs including the lungs, heart, liver, and kidneys (due to oxygen deprivation)
- Subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord (a condition that causes permanently stiff limbs, weakness, grogginess, and tingly hands)
- Anemia
- Psychiatric problems or psychosis
- Psychological dependence
Another major risk of abusing whippits is mistakenly inhaling poisonous gases. Some trick balloons are filled with toxic gases like butane or pentane. These kinds of solvents can cause a heart attack or death if they are inhaled.
Are Whippits Addictive?
Yes, some people may develop a psychological dependence and addiction to whippits after misusing them.
In these instances, a person may feel an uncontrollable urge or compulsion to abuse whippits. Most often, this is because the person likes the way the high feels, it helps them deal with stress, or they just want to forget their problems.
Sometimes, people also mix whippits with alcohol or other drugs, which can produce serious side effects or contribute to the development of substance use disorders.
Although teens and young adults are the most likely individuals to develop a whippit addiction, adults who work around large quantities of nitrous oxide are also particularly vulnerable to it. Examples include dentists, doctors, or food service workers.
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Can Whippits Kill You?
Yes, whippits can kill you. Even if you don’t abuse nitrous oxide regularly, a single use of the drug can be deadly. Using whippits may unintentionally cause death in the following ways:
- Suffocation due to lack of airflow
- Asphyxiation due to chemical vapors in the lungs
- Physical injuries caused by mobility issues while under the influence
- Seizures
- Coma
What Are the Signs of Whippit Abuse?
Maybe you’re concerned that your child, another family member, or a close friend is abusing whippits. It’s not always easy to distinguish drug abuse, but if you observe your loved one closely, you may notice some odd behavior or certain signs of whippit abuse.
The most common signs of whippit abuse include:
- Discarded metal canisters
- Empty balloons
- Strange-smelling balloons
- Canister crackers (small tubes that are used to open whippit canisters)
Is Nitrous Detectable in Urine?
Yes, if someone were to use special testing techniques, nitrous oxide could be detected in urine or blood shortly after exposure. However, nitrous oxide is not detected in the results of routine drug screening panels.
That means, if you have to take a drug test for a potential employer or school, nitrous oxide would not be detectable unless they were specifically testing for it.
What Are Common Whippit Severe Withdrawal Symptoms?
There is an ongoing debate about whether inhalants like whippits cause withdrawal symptoms.
The DSM-5 does not officially recognize inhalant withdrawal due to its mild and inconsistent symptoms. However, studies report various whippit withdrawal effects, such as nausea, headaches, insomnia, mood swings, cravings, and hallucinations.
The severity and duration of symptoms depend on an individual’s health and history of use. Some research shows that symptoms can begin shortly after the last use and last up to seven days.
Do I Need to Complete a Whippit Drug Detox Program?
Although whippit withdrawal may seem mild, it can cause serious mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and hallucinations if left untreated. If you or a loved one struggles to stop using nitrous oxide and experiences severe symptoms, a medically supervised detox may help.
In a whippit detox program, patients receive 24/7 care to manage vital signs and ease psychological symptoms like cravings and anxiety. Nutritious meals are also provided to restore depleted nutrients and support mood stability.
After detox, providers offer referrals to residential rehab or IOP based on addiction severity and financial needs.
How Can I Get Treatment for Whippit Addiction?
Often, the act of abusing nitrous oxide is a sign of a larger issue. As such, recovery from whippit addiction and abuse is a process that may require behavioral therapy in individual and group settings.
- A residential whippit rehab program that lasts for several months can provide adequate time to overcome whippit addiction and implement new skills and ways of living. An inpatient whippit rehab program also provides on-site living arrangements and 24/7 staffing to ensure clients’ physical and psychological safety as well as to provide the highest levels of structure and support possible during treatment.
- An intensive outpatient program (IOP) provides a more flexible whippit treatment program that allows clients to live at home or in a sober living house while they attend treatment for a set number of hours each day or each week. Online IOP is also available for those who need it or prefer it.
If you’re worried about the potential costs of detox or rehab for whippit addiction, many programs may be covered by your health insurance. If you don’t have health insurance, alternative payment options for whippit treatment programs are typically available.
Whippit addiction can cause serious and life-threatening problems. If you’re ready to get sober and start fresh, call Briarwood Detox Center at (888) 857-0557 to learn more about our medically-assisted detox programs.
