Nitrous oxide addiction: Man says he was paralyzed after one year of heavy use

(InvestigateTV) — A drug legally used by dentists and sold at minimarts, gas stations and major online retailers is fueling addiction and causing severe physical harm, including paralysis, for some users.

Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, is at the center of a growing public health concern that experts say is hiding in plain sight.

Portland man paralyzed after one year of use

After one year of heavy nitrous oxide use, David Warwick of Portland, Oregon, said he developed lesions up and down his spine.

“My spine is so depleted. I got lesions all up and down my spine,” Warwick said.

Warwick said he initially turned to the drug to cope with stress.

“I wanted to forget about work and all the stress of life and how bad I felt about myself for situations, and that’s what did it,” he said.

Because the high lasts only about 15 minutes, Warwick said he quickly needed more. He began concealing canisters in his coat, using them throughout the day without anyone noticing. Eventually, he was going through seven canisters a day.

“So, these canisters I was using, I could put them in my coat and I just sit there and I hit it every once in a while. Nobody had a clue. Not at all,” Warwick said.

As his use escalated, his life began to fall apart. He eventually called his mother, MariJo Mesa, for help.

“And finally it got to the point where things got so bad and I felt so terrible about myself. I called my mom and I said, ‘Mom, I need help,’” Warwick said.

Mesa said she knew something was wrong.

“Well, it rocked my world. Yeah. I knew something was going on and said, ‘What do you need?’ He said, ‘Treatment,’” Mesa said.

Instead of treatment, Warwick ended up in the emergency room, unable to walk.

“Pretty much from my chest down right here, I was completely paralyzed,” he said.

Warwick spent a month in the hospital and another month in a nursing facility.

Medical risks and rising poisoning cases

Recreational nitrous oxide use can damage the body’s myelin sheath, which insulates and protects nerves in the brain and spinal cord. The Food and Drug Administration warns repeated inhalation of the gas can result in blood clots, frostbite, paralysis and brain damage

Dr. Courtney Temple, a specialist at Oregon Health & Science University who studies the drug’s impacts, said recovery is not guaranteed.

“Even with the correct treatments, sometimes patients have very, very long recovery processes and they may still be incomplete. So, they may never fully recover,” Temple said.

Temple said the drug’s legal status does not make it safe.

“A repeated use can injure the brain and the nerves, and just because it is sold in shops does not mean it is safe,” Temple said.

Nationally, the number of nitrous oxide poisoning cases rose from 28 in 2003 to more than 400 in 2024. Experts say that figure is likely a significant undercount.

Easy access, deceptive packaging

Nitrous oxide tanks are sold at mini marts and gas stations. They are also available through major online retailers and can be shipped directly to consumers. The canisters are labeled for culinary use only, marketed for making whipped cream, but Warwick said the colorful packaging and large container sizes signal a different purpose.

“It’s not for whipped cream. It’s being advertised for people to get high on,” Warwick said.

As Warwick recovered in the hospital, his parents cleaned out his home, finding hundreds of canisters throughout the house.

“This is literally death in a can,” Israel Mesa, Warwick’s father, said.

State laws vary on age restrictions

In June 2025, Oregon passed a law requiring buyers to be 18 or older to purchase nitrous oxide. Several other states, including Arizona and Ohio, have also enacted legislation with age restrictions on nitrous products. Laws vary nationwide.

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