Nitrous Oxide Tragedy

[Portia1974]

Admins, is there some way of reaching out to this young lady do you think? Surely if ever there were a case for urgent b12 therapy....!!

m.facebook.com/story.php?st...

[Portia1974]

I know right?! Where is people's compassion? I deeply detest that aspect of Facebook .

Knowing what we know, it wouldn't surprise me if b12 has not even been mentioned to her.

[Foggyme Administrator]

Hi Portia1974

The fact that this young lady has been diagnosed with Lichtheim's disease (named after the person who first identified it and now also called subacute degeneration of the spinal cord) means that she will be receiving intensive B12 therapy, since this is the recognised (and well documented / explicit treatment regime) for this condition.

medigoo.com/articles/lichth...

An additional tragedy here: the use of nitrous oxide as a 'recreational' drug - no information campaigns to warn of the danger of potentially irreversible neurolgical damage due to deactivation of vitamin B12, with an ever increasing risk in the case of frequent or long-term use.

Just wondering how many 'recreational' users out there are unknowingly suffering the symtpoms of B12 deficiency, which is all to often undiagnosed...and which can ultimately lead to subacute degeneration of the spinal cord.

And even more of a tragedy...too few GPs have even heard of this so what chance picking it up early and advising 'recreational' users of the dangers they are unknowingly exposing themselves too.

About reaching out - can understand why you ask this but that's not something that we Admin's can do within the context of our roles in the virtual world here - we're all volunteers and have no medical qualifications or any kind of 'authority' (for want of a better word) that would enable or sanction us to do so.

Having said that, I expect that many forum members here do 'reach out', in various ways, to people in the 'real' world. Me included (but not in the guise used here or indeed (as here) not with any claim to medical authority or with any 'expert' hat on).

It's really lovely that you have been thinking of the plight she finds herself in but rest assured, by virtue of having a firm diagnosis with an explicit treatment regime, she will be getting the B12 injections that she needs (even if this has not been explicitly stated - and what a shame that is 🤔).

👍