nitrous oxide

[kim]

My husband also remembers reading something about nitrous oxide affecting the blood brain barrier

 

If anyone runs across any info on this subject, please add. There was just a conversation about this on another forum. One mom said that she has learned just to say that uncle so and so had a bad reaction to nitrous oxide and family was told no one else should recieve it (instead of trying to explain her concern about it to anethesiologists).

 

http://journals.lww.com/anesthesiology/Ful..._Plasma.14.aspx

 

This prospective study demonstrated that endothelial function was impaired after surgery in patients with cardiovascular disease, but seemingly only in those exposed to nitrous oxide. Furthermore, in marked contrast to patients in the control group, the duration of nitrous oxide exposure strongly correlated with the extent of endothelial dysfunction. In the current study, we identified two potential mechanisms for the nitrous oxide-mediated impairment of endothelial function: (1) We found that some or all of the endothelial dysfunction can probably be explained by the observed increase in homocysteine; (2) in addition, we identified an overall reduction in l-arginine and l-citrulline postoperatively, indicating an increase in endothelial oxidative stress after surgery and/or nitrous oxide exposure. Differences in Fio2 between groups did not explain any of these adverse effects of nitrous oxide.

 

 

http://www.thorne.com/media/methionine_homocysteine_8-1.pdf

[momtotaylor]

Kim,

 

Ironic that this came up at this time. I specifically asked Dr. K about this last week because my daughter had to have a cavity filled and her dentist uses nitrous. (I was not aware that it could potential cause problems, but thought I would ask anyway.) He was quick to say that it would not cause an exacerbation. She went to the dentist Thursday and she received the nitrous. I did not notice that it affected her in any way.

 

Though....she may now have strep. We ended up in the ER yesterday to culture her. They did not have a rapid test. I am waiting for the results this morning.

 

I am going to read through the posted articles. Interesting.