{"id":94214,"date":"2026-10-07T11:37:02","date_gmt":"2026-10-07T17:37:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=94214"},"modified":"2026-10-07T11:37:02","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T17:37:02","slug":"nitrous-oxide-uses-side-effects-risks-of-laughing-gas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/nitrous-oxide-uses-side-effects-risks-of-laughing-gas\/","title":{"rendered":"Nitrous oxide: Also known as laughing gas, nitrous is not all fun and games"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Dentists have used nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, for decades. It’s now common to see “nitrous” in birthing centers, med spas and tattoo shops. But how well does it work, and is it safe? Photo: Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Pain has never been a laughing matter.<\/p>\n

And now, nitrous oxide, commonly known as \u201claughing gas,\u201d is gaining popularity \u2014 both in medical and non-medical settings \u2014 for its ability to \u201ctake the edge off\u201d in birthing centers, emergency rooms, gynecologists\u2019 offices, psychiatric clinics and places like med spas that do waxing or lasering of body and facial hair, as well as tattoo removal.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Nitrous oxide \u2013 formally dinitrogen oxide or dinitrogen monoxide \u2013 is a clear, nonflammable gas with a slightly sweet scent. Long a tool dentists have relied on, nitrous oxide has become more common in various medical settings because it has a short duration, patients can control the dose, and it has short-term impacts. Some medical professionals use nitrous to distract women from pain during childbirth or while inserting IUDs<\/a>, while other providers use it to assist patients with alcohol withdrawal.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

But there are aspects to nitrous oxide\u2019s increasing popularity that are no laughing matter. Is nitrous oxide safe? Are there side effects? Is it an effective painkiller? And does nitrous oxide harm the environment? To answer your top questions about nitrous oxide, we turned to two experts: Jennifer Marquart, a charge nurse at the Birthing Center at UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital<\/a>, and Dr. Jennifer Kollman<\/a>, an anesthesiologist at UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central<\/a>.<\/p>\n

When do medical providers use nitrous oxide?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Medical experts sometimes use nitrous oxide in ERs while assessing patients. Some gynecologists offer the gas to patients who want it as they insert IUDs. And doctors and nurses occasionally use nitrous oxide to support patients who are giving birth and want shorter-acting pain interventions than epidurals.<\/p>\n

Psychiatrists are even finding nitrous helpful. Last year, for example, the prestigious journal Nature published a study <\/a>showing nitrous oxide holds promise in helping patients with treatment-resistant depression. Addiction professionals have been using the gas to aid with alcohol withdrawal<\/a> since the 1980s.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, dentists have used nitrous oxide for over 150 years.<\/p>\n

Is nitrous oxide invasive to administer?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

No. Nitrous is non-invasive. Unlike an epidural, which requires doctors to place a needle in the epidural space surrounding a patient\u2019s spinal cord \u2014 bringing an infrequent risk of infection and spinal fluid leak \u2014 trained nurses can easily set up nitrous oxide for patients<\/a> to self-administer through a mask or a mouthpiece.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can use nitrous oxide during a water birth,\u201d said Marquart, referring to the popular childbirth method when women go through labor in a large birthing tub <\/a>to help them relax during contractions.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can inhale nitrous oxide and walk around, squat in the bath, or eat. If you get an epidural, you can\u2019t do any of those things,\u201d said Marquart.<\/p>\n

Is nitrous oxide relatively safe?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Yes. Nitrous oxide has a good safety record.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is generally safe for most people, depending on what’s also being given with it,\u201d said Kollman, the anesthesiologist.<\/p>\n

She points out that nitrous\u2019 safety often depends on whether patients are using it along with alcohol or other drugs. And in medical settings, if a patient eventually will need to be intubated, nitrous adds an elevated risk of nausea and vomiting, which in turn increases the risk of a patient inhaling vomit and developing a case of chemical pneumonia.<\/p>\n

But for some uses \u2014 in situations when doctors don\u2019t need\u00a0to intubate a patient or when they\u2019re not receiving other drugs, nitrous is considered safe.<\/p>\n

Nitrous is also safe for both mothers and babies during birth. Studies have shown that while the gas crosses the placenta<\/a>, newborns quickly eliminate it from their systems, and there\u2019s no evidence that nitrous causes breathing problems in newborns.<\/p>\n

Does nitrous oxide stay in a person\u2019s system for a long time?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Nitrous oxide is a very short-acting drug.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wears off in three minutes,\u201d Marquart said. \u201cThat means that if it makes someone nauseous, they can just stop inhaling for a few minutes and feel normal again.\u201d<\/p>\n

The effects of nitrous oxide fully wear off in 5 to 15 minutes for most people, so patients can drive after a procedure. That\u2019s not true with other forms of sedation. It can take hours for various other sedatives to wear off.<\/p>\n

Does nitrous have a calming effect?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Yes. Nitrous can reduce anxiety for many people.<\/p>\n

\u201cNitrous is really more of an anxiolytic (or anti-anxiety medication), than a pain reliever,\u201d said Kollman.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why it is popular in dental offices.<\/p>\n

\u201cDentists use it to reduce anxiety so they can then inject local anesthetic to numb oral nerves much more easily,\u201d said Kollman.<\/p>\n

Is nitrous addictive?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201cThe addictive potential is mild,\u201d said Kollman. “Nitrous is often used recreationally at raves and festivals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Are there potential risks in using nitrous?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Unfortunately, there are many potential problems associated with nitrous oxide, including its poor efficacy as a painkiller, its tendency to make people nauseous and its harmful effects on the environment.<\/p>\n

Is nitrous oxide a good painkiller?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

No. Nitrous oxide doesn\u2019t work well as a painkiller.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt really just takes the edge off,\u201d said Marquet. \u201cAnd a lot of people who opt for nitrous in the beginning go on to get an epidural.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kollman agrees, citing an American Society of Anesthesiologists study<\/a> that shows \u201cnitrous really doesn\u2019t alter labor pain, and most patients who try nitrous for their pain in labor ultimately go on to get an epidural.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marquart sums up why fewer than 10% of patients who are giving birth opt for nitrous, and many decide to get an epidural.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think a lot of people desiring low intervention births want no<\/em> pain medication. And among those who do want intervention, nitrous isn\u2019t enough for them,\u201d Marquart said.<\/p>\n

Does nitrous oxide have negative side effects?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Yes. Nitrous oxide can cause negative side effects in some people, which makes it unpopular in procedures when medical providers must intubate patients.<\/p>\n

According to researchers<\/a>, the \u00a0negative side effects of nitrous oxide include:<\/p>\n