Depression Cured By Laughing Gas: Nitrous Oxide has Antidepressant Properties

Laughing gas nitrous oxide, the commonly used anaesthetic in dentist offices, can be used to treat medication-resistant depression, a new study claims.

According to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine at St.Louis, inhaling just an hour of nitrous oxide at doses used for sedative purposes can help people suffering from depression rid of symptoms including sadness and guilt, Economic Times reported.

Nitrous oxide induced a high or euphoria in two-third of the participants in the study without causing any side effects. Though the study comprised only 20 participants, researchers said the findings warrant further research.

"Our findings need to be replicated, but we think this is a good starting point, and we believe therapy with nitrous oxide eventually could help many people with depression," said principal investigator Peter Nagele assistant professor of anesthesiology at the school, in a news release.

Huffington Post reported nearly a third of people suffering with clinical depression do not respond to treatment. Conventional medication can take weeks before becoming completely effective, leaving patients at the mercy of their symptoms during the intervening period.

In the study while two-third of participants received nitrous oxide and oxygen mixture, the remaining were given a placebo mixture.

"When they received nitrous oxide, many of the patients reported a rapid and significant improvement. Although some patients also reported feeling better after breathing the placebo gas, it was clear that the overall pattern observed was that nitrous oxide improved depression above and beyond the placebo. Most patients who improved reported that they felt better only two hours after treatment with nitrous oxide," said co-investigator Charles R Conway.  

The study's authors indicated that nitrous oxide could also be used temporarily before oral medication starts working.