Periphal Neuropathy Symptoms, most likely damage from nitrous oxide use, and shoddy doctors

[WilfriedZaha]

Hi all, hope youre well. this is going to be a bit of a story but i’m a bit angry and upset right now so bare with me.

i’m 18 years old, just finished school so i went on a Lads holiday to Cyprus. yes we drank a lot, barely slept and barely ate anything of nutrional value and killed our bodies, that’s what holidays are for right?

anyway, everyone gets ill on these holidays and i was no different, diagnosed with a chest infection. i was given two syrups. specifically actifed dry cough to take before bed. this medicine

netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/r...

has three ingredients, and is used as a legal high. i took the normal dose before bed as instructed and woke up in the night feeling like i was in space. it felt like someone has hit me with a boulder. i figures it could be the medicine but this feeling remained for the rest of the week.anyways i got home and treated with antibiotics, however this completely ‘out of it’ feeling remained with periphal neuropathy up my legs and arms. it’s been 4 months now.

i’ve seen that mini documentary story of a girl who did a nitrous oxide balloon and it damaged her nervous system overnight. i did probably about 10 over the course of the week which isn’t that many, but to my understanding even one is enough to damage you.

considering i’m having all the symptoms of one or maybe all three types of periphal neuropathy, such as fatigue, weakness, numbness, disorientation etc. i have almost self diagnosed it to be that. it has been getting much better hence the periphal nerves ability to regenerate. however my doctors keep blaming it on mental factors. my mother passed in may, however it was a long time coming and as a family it was dealt with very well and i had little negative thoughts since.

i tell them this and how the symptoms came suddenly over night and they do not help me, they’ve just done a blood test a while back even though blood test doesn’t detect nerve damage?

i’m pretty angry about how concerned i am and them being naieeve and reluctance to look into this and taking the easy option to blame it on my mum passing. where do i go from

here? do i wait until symptoms get better or worsen? considering i have improved i trust i should be ok eventually but i’m still very angry about doctors reluctance to diagnose me, which would at least rid me of anxiety!

[Mic67]

Hiya, I think it's understandable for you to be concerned about your health. Do you think the cough med interacted with the nitrous oxide?

Are things continuing to improve now? If so this seems a good sign. Do you have any follow up appointments with your doc?

Maybe try and stay off the gas for a while until your system rights itself!

[WilfriedZaha in reply to Mic67]

hiya. i don’t do balloons at all just did them on holiday because i’m drink and everyone does them.( silly i know). i completely understand the value and importance of mental health, however because my symptoms came on suddenly and up to that very moment i was loving life, still do. i also have had physical symptoms which makes me think it’s not mental, i’m just trying to be realistic.

my symptoms have improved over the last 4 months so i think it’s my nervous system slowly recovering, just wanted other people’s opinions! thanks for the reply :))))