*Ping* Mental health experts please *ping*

[mickle]

Thanks people. Thanks very much for all the advice. We called NHS direct t'other night, they were quite helpful, recommended the GP and even calling 999 if we became really concerned for his wellbeing. He had a good sleep last night and seems *ok* so far today. We'll keep a close eye on him and probably take him to A&E this afternoon.

What is a contra-indication Smeggers?
Oddysey, you mentioned seeing people consume vast quantities of the stuff. Over what timescale?

Mrs Mickle says thanks too.

 

[Smeggers]

What is a contra-indication Smeggers?
.

Side effects essentially.

 

[Danny]

Don't go to A&E as it is large and impersonal, and the staff there are not particularly geared up to dealing with psychiatric problems.

Also, rather than phoning NHS Direct I would strongly recommend going to your GP, or asking you GP to come and visit if at all possible. Your GP is going to be in the best position to refer him to appropriate services. If you phone your GP's practice you should be able to get a doctor to ring you back and give you some advice on what to do.

Alternatively you could try ringing Bootham Hospital which provides accute psychiatric services in York. In the past people could refer themselves to Bootham, but I am not sure whether this is still the case.

 

[mickle]

We're in Bristol mind.

 

[Odyssey]

Oddysey, you mentioned seeing people consume vast quantities of the stuff. Over what timescale?

A few hours. I haven't got the greatest memory at the best of times, so that could be anywhere between 4 and 12 hours. I'm talking controlled substances in a hospital though.

 

[Smeggers]

I'm not expert and there's no way I can rule it out, but I would've thought brain damage would be unlikely. laughing gas, as far as I've seen, is used in no small amounts throughout hospitals in the UK and I've never heard of any problems from it (I'm assuming this is the same stuff!). I've seen people go through entire bottles of it, that stand 4 feet tall from the floor.

That will be Entonox which is 50% N20 (laughing gas) and 50% O2.

Used predominantly as a pain killer - especially on maternity wards during child birth. Prolongued heavy use of 12+ hours is not unusual. Entonox has no contra-indications (side effects) whatseover and will normally wear off in a few hours.

A few balloons of pure N2O is a drop in the ocean IMO.

 

[Odyssey]

That will be Entonox which is 50% N20 (laughing gas) and 50% O2.

Used predominantly as a pain killer - especially on maternity wards during child birth. Prolongued heavy use of 12+ hours is not unusual. Entonox has no contra-indications (side effects) whatseover and will normally wear off in a few hours.

A few balloons of pure N2O is a drop in the ocean IMO.

That be the stuff. Seen it dished out for a few injuries, sometimes in large amounts, even had it myself on occasion, but when my son was born, his mother was sucking the bottles dry! They don't ration it when it's needed.

 

[domtyler]

I'd be less worried about the gas and more worried about what you weren't told.

 

[walker]

the Mrs is a trainee Counsillor, but without asking her my first impression was drugs

 

[bonj2]

As someone who has experienced a long-term delusional after effect of drug taking 6 years ago I would disagree with most of the advice given. I'm unkeen to elaborate unless anyone wants to hear my advice as it probably differs greatly from the received wisdom and as such I'd rather not be shot down in flames for doing so if I'm being candid and serious but if anyone actually wants my advice please feel free to probe deeper on this thread.

 

[User169]

That will be Entonox which is 50% N20 (laughing gas) and 50% O2.

Used predominantly as a pain killer - especially on maternity wards during child birth. Prolongued heavy use of 12+ hours is not unusual. Entonox has no contra-indications (side effects) whatseover and will normally wear off in a few hours.

A few balloons of pure N2O is a drop in the ocean IMO.

There are in fact a number of contraindications for N2O use, for example decompression sickness and patients with pneumothorax, bowel obstruction or facial/jaw injuries.

Probably also not advisable to use during first trimester of pregnancy given the effect on DNA methylation.

In the Netherlands, N2O is not available as pain relief during child birth. I have heard that it was withdrawn in view of an increased incidence of birth defects in midwives which appeared to be linked to exposure to N2O (not seen any study to back this up though).

Apologies to Mickle for the aside - I hope your wife's son gets the treatment he needs.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

from your description i'm afraid it sounds like an episode of paranoid schizophrenia (psychology degree here). i would recommend seeking psychiatric help asap. it may or may not be drug induced, iirc your stepson is of the age where schizophrenia first appears.

it is a condition that can, in many cases, be treated with medical intervention, and it is curable (or at least goes into remission).

best of luck.

 

[mickle]

As someone who has experienced a long-term delusional after effect of drug taking 6 years ago I would disagree with most of the advice given. I'm unkeen to elaborate unless anyone wants to hear my advice as it probably differs greatly from the received wisdom and as such I'd rather not be shot down in flames for doing so if I'm being candid and serious but if anyone actually wants my advice please feel free to probe deeper on this thread.

Go ahead Bonjy, it's all good.

 

[mickle]

Apologies to Mickle for the aside ..

Not at all.

 

[LLB]

4 years of smoking dope in my teens really screwed with my memory for years afterwards. My father went ballistic when I told him 5 years ago, I dabbled in drugs as a teenager, but at the time, he has absolutely no idea about it, and I was doing a fair bit of it for a while.