Back in late November, about 2 months after I started using N2O on a regular basis, I began to notice some lower back
pain on the left side. I've had some history of disc problems (specifically L5-S1, the very bottom disc in the
spine) and I've been treated with cortisone injections every 6 months for the past two years and I was due for another.
So I made an appointment to get another facet block done. It was performed on December 16th and this time it didn't
completely take the pain away as it usually does. I only got about 70% relief. To my dismay, they wouldn't repeat the
injection before I had to leave for my new year's trip to California on the 30th of December. I went to Cali with some
very minor lower back pain and while there, I did two acid trips and sucked up a total of about 90 or so whippets
during them. I was there for 5 days and on the last day, I got out of bed and could barely walk. My left leg had lost
80% or more of motor control below the knee and I was in EXCRUCIATING pain (mainly in my outer thigh, knee and lower
leg muscles). Thank God I was comfortable when sitting.

When I got back home I made an appointment to see my orthopedic spine surgeon. He had me get an MRI of my lower spine
and the results were that I have still got just slightly bulging discs at L4-L5 and L5-S1 and no surgery can fix it.
He told me it would fix itself in 4 weeks to 4 months, but I wasn't satisfied with that answer and begged him to do
SOMETHING to help me get out of this pain and get my motor skills back. He scheduled a nerve block for January 25th.
(A nerve block is the same as a facet block, except that they inject the cortisone and xylocaine directly into the
nerve instead of next to it.) This is the most painful procedure I've ever experienced. It felt like I was stepping
on the third rail of the subway with a ground wire taped to my lower back! It seemed to work great at first, but
that's normal because the xylocaine numbs the nerve. But, after a day or so, the pain, numbness and motor control loss
came back. I stopped using N2O 3 days later (January 28th) because I felt like shit from it.  Explained In This Post

Then, yesterday, I read this article and FREAKED OUT! It seems obvious to me that the N2O abuse caused the
escalation of the left lower back pain to paralysis of my left leg.

Quote:

Overuse of Nitrous

This 36-year old electrical engineer came to the emergency room complaining that he was unable to walk. Symptoms had begun 4 days earlier with "pins and neeedles" in both feet that gradually worsened and ascended to involve the knees and the fingertips. With worsening of the paresthesias (-no sense of touch or pain-) he noted difficulty in maintaining proper control of the movements of his arms and hands and trouble in walking. He also reported the sensation of electric shocks through his back and legs upon flexion of the neck. He denied bladder or bowel impairment but he had been unable to have an erection for the past week. His past medical history was unremarka- ble except for occasional abuse of alcohol in the past. However he denied any drinking of alcohol for the past 8 months.

For recreational purposes he had inhaled two to three boxes of nitrous oxide, each box containing 24 cartridges, practically every day for the past six months.

When first seen his general physical examination was completely unremarka- ble. The neurological examination showed hyperesthesia and hyperalgesia in the lower extremities up to the knees. He had severe bilateral sensory dystaxia and could only stand with support.

Intramuscular B12 injections were started and during the following days his hematological status inproved, (-apart from neurological symptoms, the functional B12 deficiency caused by N2O also produces megaloblastic anemia,- ed.) although his neurological condition continued to deteriora- te. The paresthesias ascended to the nipples and he developed fecal and urinary incontinence. (- stuff deleted-)

Four weeks later he began to improve and four months after the onset of the symptoms, and his last use of nitrous oxide he could walk with some hesitation and had completely regained bowel and bladder control and sexual function (-stuff deleted-).

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TripMeister said:

Well, to be honest, I have no idea. I haven't told the surgeon about the nitrous abuse.
I don't think I can. It seems to be improving ever so slightly each day, so I'll wait
until my follow-up appointment with him on the 23rd and see what the progress is at that point.

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