A young man is hospitalized with paralysis and neurological damage following the use of foam gas

The dangers of inhaling the aerosol gases: a young man in his twenties has been hospitalized for several weeks at Kaplan Hospital in serious condition due to inhaling foam gas, which he used to inhale with his friends. He suffers from severe neurological damage, blood clots and paralysis in his legs.The affair began last month when a young man in his twenties arrived at Kaplan Hospital in Rehovot suffering from loss of feeling in his legs and difficulty standing. He began undergoing a series of imaging and neurological tests. “The initial suspicion we tested was pressure on the spine or inflammation of the nerves,” says Dr. Anda Elam, a neurologist from the hospital, “but all the tests we performed showed that he was suffering from a vitamin B12 deficiency and nerve damage.” The medical team, which had been exposed to similar cases in the past, asked the young man about inhaling “Kaffat gas”, and he did admit that he regularly inhales this gas with friends.

Nitrogen monoxide, popularly known as “whipped gas” is known for its illegal use, when its users experience a sense of temporary euphoria, but may cause neurological damage to the nervous system. “With regular use, its users may experience damage to the nervous system to the point of paralysis in the legs, and in some cases even irreversible paralysis,” says Dr. Elam.

In addition to the neurological damage to his legs, the tests revealed that the young man suffers from a vitamin B12 deficiency, and the doctors decided to hospitalize him for intravenous treatment. During the hospitalization, the doctors discovered an unexpected complication, which has not been seen so far in similar cases, which is blood clots, first in the legs and later in the lungs. “The nerve damage in the legs is known to us from the medical literature in cases of regular use of foam gas,” says Dr. Elam, “but the phenomenon of blood clots is not documented, and we suspect that this is a devastating result of the use of the gas.”

The young man was hospitalized for several weeks, receiving treatment with blood thinners along with B12 treatment, after which he was released for rehabilitation while still suffering from neurological damage. “There is actually no treatment for the damage caused to the legs, and now it will require a lengthy rehabilitation. Only at the end will we be able to know whether the damage is reversible or irreversible,” explains Dr. Elam.

In the past year, five young men in their twenties were treated at the Kaplan Medical Center who suffered from the same symptoms due to the use of foam gas. “We are very disturbed by the increase we see in the number of young people being hospitalized with numbness or paralysis in the legs as a result of prolonged use of foam gas,” says Dr. Elam. “It is very important that the young people and their parents be aware of the severity of the dangers arising from this dangerous gas.”