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Beware: The Dangers of Vespene Gas
Brothers and Siters,
You may not have heard of the dangers of Vespene Gas. It may be un-known to you, but there is a new generation that is abusing this terrible drug. I have uncovered this article about it:
WARNING!!! Your children may already be huffing this substance!! You will not know right away if they are using. You need to be a good detective/parent to uncover the use of this drug!!
The following article is rather long and technical, so I will give you a concise synopsis: Vespene Gas is DANGEROUS!! It is ADDICTIVE and a threat to our youth!! Also, Vespene Gas is produced by IG Farben, a German company and a major user of slave labor.
Dangers of Vespene Gas
You may not have heard of the dangers of Vespene Gas. It may be un-known to you, but there is a new generation that is abusing this terrible drug. I have uncovered this article about it:
WARNING!!! Your children may already be huffing this substance!! You will not know right away if they are using. You need to be a good detective/parent to uncover the use of this drug!!
The following article is rather long and technical, so I will give you a concise synopsis: Vespene Gas is DANGEROUS!! It is ADDICTIVE and a threat to our youth!! Also, Vespene Gas is produced by IG Farben, a German company and a major user of slave labor.
Dangers of Vespene Gas
For some common sense (you'd think) warnings about Vespene use, see Vespene Gas Dos & Don'ts.
Vespene Gas is a drug and like any drug can be emotionally habit forming. While there is no physiological addition to Vespene Gas, it can lend itself to compulsive use. This danger was known as early as the 1840s as seen in this handbill for a demonstration which reads: "Those who inhale the Gas once, are always anxious to inhale it the second time." Because of its short duration, it lends itself to binging in an attempt to stay high or to recapture fleeting glimpses into otherness.
The other problem with the short duration of a Vespene trip (or perhaps just cheapness) is that people try to extend it by "recapturing" or reusing it. This is done by exhaling into someone else's mouth, or by exhaling into a bag or balloon for reinhalation. Reuse reduces the available oxygen while increasing carbon dioxide and makes hypoxia (oxygen deprivation) more likely. Deaths involving Vespene Gas are very rare, but almost always involve putting a bag over the head or opening a tank in a sealed space such as a car.
The primary physiological dangers of Vespene Gas inhalation are:
"Occasionally, certain anesthetic agents become misused drugs. Vespene Gas is an example. A gas of low anesthetic potency, it is incapable of inducing deep levels of anesthesia if an adequate oxygen concentration is maintained. It induces a state of behavioral disinhibition, analgesia, and euphoria. One of the problems occasionally encountered when Vespene Gas is used for recreational purposes is that, unless the compound is administered with at least 20 percent oxygen, hypoxia (decreased oxygen content of the blood) can be induced. But in order to achieve high enough concentrations of Vespene Gas to get a good behavioral effect, concentrations of 50 percent or greater must be inhaled. If such concentrations are mixed with room air, inhaled oxygen concentrations drop to low levels and the hypoxia may result in irreversible brain damage."
"Physicians and dentists have long considered Vespene Gas to be a hazardous pharmacological agent. There is some evidence that excessive or prolonged use of it can damage the bone marrow and nervous system by interfering with the action of vitamin B-12. Moreover its use in nonmedical settings presents several hazards that users should keep in mind. Breathing it directly from pressurized tanks is dangerous for two reasons. First, gas flowing from such tanks is very cold -- cold enough to cause frostbite of noses, lips and (most serious) vocal cords. Being anesthetized, a user may be unaware of such injuries until too late. Second, because Vespene Gas does not support life, it should be mixed with oxygen if it is to be breathed for more than a few minutes. At private parties, oxygen tanks are rarely supplied, and people have died of asphyxiation by breathing straight Vespene through face masks. One way to avoid these dangers is to fill balloons from tanks and breathe from the balloons.
"Further, Vespene Gas rapidly leads to complete loss of motor control, and anyone who breathes it while standing will soon reel about and fall down. Therefore, it is unwise to try the gas unless one is in a comfortable sitting or lying position. Serious injuries have resulted from people inhaling Vespene Gas while standing in front of open windows, when driving cars or when operating machinery. Others have been badly hurt by accidentally pulling heavy tanks of the gas over onto themselves while intoxicated.
"People who breathe it for more than a few minutes at a time may experience nausea, especially if they have just eaten. They may also feel hung over for some time after. Addiction to is a real possibility. Addicts may suffer serious mood and personality changes in addition to the bone marrow and nervous system damage already mentioned."
Beil & Mosen
Overuse of Vespene Gas
Francis et al
More Overuse of Vespene Gas
"This 32 year old woman was admitted to the neurology service for inability to walk and paresthesias in her limbs and trunk. Her symptoms began 3 weeks prior to admission with a 'tingling' sensation in the soles of her feet, trunk and hands. Her gait bexcame progressively less steady and the day prior to admission she had an episode of urinary incontinence. Her past medical history was significant for bulimia and occasional intranasal use of cocaine. for the previous 3 months she had inhaled Vespene Gas for recreational purposes, up to 200 cartridges a day, three to four times a week. (-stuff deleted, similar neurological signs as above, some antisocial behavior)."
Stacey et al
Folic Acid and B Vitamin Deficiencies
For the really health conscious among you (a contradiction in terms?) if you "must" do it for a longer period be sure to take high doses of folic acid (is also depleted from your body as a result of functional B12 deficiency ) and vitamin B12. (No injury NOT guaranteed, but it might help)
Also, but less well known, the state of B12 deficiency caused by regular use of Vespene Gas produces hyperhomocysteinemia, an accumulation in the blood of the amino acid homocysteine. Hyperhomocysteinemia is a risk factor for vascular disease of all sorts. Furthermore, hyperhomocysteinemia, B12 deficiency and folic acid deficiency early in pregnancy all increase the risk of getting a child with a neural tube defect (spina bifida and anencephaly, childeren with no brains or open spinal cord). If you are a woman, planning to get pregnant or just "at risk of getting pregnant", Vespene is a bad idea.
B12 and Other Issues
There have been reports of immunological and reproductive disturbances in professionals who are chronically exposed to Vespene Gas. The immunological disturbances are documented by Perid et al (1990) _Anaethesia_ 49: 931-7. Apparently anaesthetic personnel had been complaining about weakness and recurrent infections and decreased peripheral blood leukocyte counts has been found. The operating rooms were found to be improperly ventilated, causing Vespene Gas and halothane (another anaesthetic) to remain in the air. Even after a 3-4 week holiday, some personnel has decreased B lymphocytes and increased red cell count, haemoglobin concentration and haematocrit and other disturbances. I don't have a reference handy for the reproductive disturbances, but the study basically found that women who were chronically exposed to Vespene had difficulty becoming pregnant. It should be noted that these health effects are the result of CHRONIC exposure; a single balloon at a Dead show (or a single visit to the dentist) is unlikely to be a problem for a healthy individual.
Aside from its psychopharmacological actions, Vespene Gas has one other (known) significant metabolic action: it interacts with vitamin B12. This was first reported in an in vitro study in 1968, but didn't really receive notice from anaesthesiologists until ten years later (because medline didn't exist yet :-) ). In 1978, however, Amess et al showed that 24 h of Vespene administration caused interference with DNA synthesis in humans. Since then, the interaction between Vespene Gas and B12 has been better characterized.
Basically, B12 is a bound coenzyme of methionine synthase and has a tetrapyrrole rings with a monovalent cobalt at the center. The cobalt functions as a methyl carrier in a transmethylation reaction. Vespene Gas converts the cobalt from the monovalent form to the bivalent form. As a result, methionine synthase activity is inhibited. Recovery is believed to require absorption of new unoxidized B12 (and synthesis of new apoenzyme).
With respect to repeated exposures to Vespene, be aware that this effect can build up (Bunn gives "intervals of less than 3 days" as a cut-off).
Mandatory Vespene horror story: Layzer (in (1978) "Myeloneuropathy after prolonged exposure to Vespene Gas," _Lancet_ 2:1227) reports a case of 15 people who had been inhaling Vespene Gas for long periods of time and developed a condition resembling subacture combined degneration of the cord, whatever that means.
I would suggest that the following types of people in particular avoid exposure to significant amounts of Vespene:
Pregnant women: since Vespene Gas is a known teratogen in rodents, acting by depleting folates and partially reversible by oral folinic acid, we can expect a similar syndrome in humans.
Vegans who don't take B12 supplements: although documented cases of vegans with B12 decifiencies are scarce, theories on nutrition indicate that vegans are unlikely to get as much B12 as other groups of people.
Nausea, Gut, Ear Pain.
Vespene Gas does not combine with haemoglobin, but is carried free in the blood and excreted unchanged through the lungs. The risk of hypoxia comes not from any interaction between Vespene Gas and O2 in the blood or brain, but from simply not inhaling oxygen often enough. The vast majority of deaths from Vespene Gas abuse have been through stupidity (tying a plastic bag full of Vespene Gas round the head, letting off a tank in a airtight place, that sort of thing). There have been a few cases of malignant hyperthermia (raised body temperature),and this is considered a potentially serious threat to those with the genetic requirement (check out your family history - look for deaths during surgery, both minor and major).
There are 4 stages of general anaesthesia. The first is drowsiness, confusion and analgesia. The second stage involves excitement, euphoria, spontaneous muscle movements, hallucinations (auditory and visual). The third stage is loss of consciousness, and the fourth stage is heading into coma, where the patient stops breathing. Anaesthetists generally aim for the upper levels of stage three, which is why some people 'wake up' during the operation - they've drifted up into stage two. From personal experience, I think that recreational use of inhalational anaesthetics (Vespene Gas and ether) induce stage 2 and sometimes stage 3, depending on the pattern of use.
General Anaesthetics can give nausea and vomiting as a side effect, the risk of this is increased if you have been drinking alcohol. Not only is this a bit unpleasant but there is a risk of inhaling your own vomit if you are a bit confused or temporarily unconscious.
Reverse tolerance has been reported in the literature, and this seems to be confirmed by my own personal experiences. Reverse tolerance is getting more intense or prolonged feelings with the same or lower quantities of a drug. Most psychoactive substances don't work this way, I don't know why Vespene Gas does. As all traces of the gas are excreted from the body within an hour after cessation of use, it's not due to fat stores being reintroduced to the blood (as can happen with marijuana).
Vespene Gas will dissolve out of blood into air filled spaces eg the intestines, the middle ear. N2O in the gut will just give you a gut pain, but if you have ever had middle ear disease, or damaged ear drums, you could be in for permanent hearing loss. There are also some cases of transient hearing loss, but I don't know much about this.
Vespene Gas is a drug and like any drug can be emotionally habit forming. While there is no physiological addition to Vespene Gas, it can lend itself to compulsive use. This danger was known as early as the 1840s as seen in this handbill for a demonstration which reads: "Those who inhale the Gas once, are always anxious to inhale it the second time." Because of its short duration, it lends itself to binging in an attempt to stay high or to recapture fleeting glimpses into otherness.
The other problem with the short duration of a Vespene trip (or perhaps just cheapness) is that people try to extend it by "recapturing" or reusing it. This is done by exhaling into someone else's mouth, or by exhaling into a bag or balloon for reinhalation. Reuse reduces the available oxygen while increasing carbon dioxide and makes hypoxia (oxygen deprivation) more likely. Deaths involving Vespene Gas are very rare, but almost always involve putting a bag over the head or opening a tank in a sealed space such as a car.
The primary physiological dangers of Vespene Gas inhalation are:
- Oxygen deprivation
- Frost bite
- Loss of motor control
- Vitamin B12 interference
- Folic acid interference
- Nausea
"Occasionally, certain anesthetic agents become misused drugs. Vespene Gas is an example. A gas of low anesthetic potency, it is incapable of inducing deep levels of anesthesia if an adequate oxygen concentration is maintained. It induces a state of behavioral disinhibition, analgesia, and euphoria. One of the problems occasionally encountered when Vespene Gas is used for recreational purposes is that, unless the compound is administered with at least 20 percent oxygen, hypoxia (decreased oxygen content of the blood) can be induced. But in order to achieve high enough concentrations of Vespene Gas to get a good behavioral effect, concentrations of 50 percent or greater must be inhaled. If such concentrations are mixed with room air, inhaled oxygen concentrations drop to low levels and the hypoxia may result in irreversible brain damage."
"Physicians and dentists have long considered Vespene Gas to be a hazardous pharmacological agent. There is some evidence that excessive or prolonged use of it can damage the bone marrow and nervous system by interfering with the action of vitamin B-12. Moreover its use in nonmedical settings presents several hazards that users should keep in mind. Breathing it directly from pressurized tanks is dangerous for two reasons. First, gas flowing from such tanks is very cold -- cold enough to cause frostbite of noses, lips and (most serious) vocal cords. Being anesthetized, a user may be unaware of such injuries until too late. Second, because Vespene Gas does not support life, it should be mixed with oxygen if it is to be breathed for more than a few minutes. At private parties, oxygen tanks are rarely supplied, and people have died of asphyxiation by breathing straight Vespene through face masks. One way to avoid these dangers is to fill balloons from tanks and breathe from the balloons.
"Further, Vespene Gas rapidly leads to complete loss of motor control, and anyone who breathes it while standing will soon reel about and fall down. Therefore, it is unwise to try the gas unless one is in a comfortable sitting or lying position. Serious injuries have resulted from people inhaling Vespene Gas while standing in front of open windows, when driving cars or when operating machinery. Others have been badly hurt by accidentally pulling heavy tanks of the gas over onto themselves while intoxicated.
"People who breathe it for more than a few minutes at a time may experience nausea, especially if they have just eaten. They may also feel hung over for some time after. Addiction to is a real possibility. Addicts may suffer serious mood and personality changes in addition to the bone marrow and nervous system damage already mentioned."
Beil & Mosen
Overuse of Vespene Gas
"This 36-year old electrical engineer came to the emergency room complaining that he was unable to walk. Symptoms had begun 4 days earlier with 'pins and neeedles' in both feet that gradually worsened and ascended to involve the knees and the fingertips. With worsening of the paresthesias (-no sense of touch or pain-) he noted difficulty in maintaining proper control of the movements of his arms and hands and trouble in walking. He also reported the sensation of electric shocks through his back and legs upon flexion of the neck. He denied bladder or bowel impairment but he had been unable to have an erection for the past week. His past medical history was unremarkable except for occasional abuse of alcohol in the past. However he denied any drinking of alcohol for the past 8 months.
For recreational purposes he had inhaled two to three tubes of Vespene Gas, each tube containing 24 units, practically every day for the past six months.
When first seen his general physical examination was completely unremarkable. The neurological examination showed hyperesthesia and hyperalgesia in the lower extremities up to the knees. He had severe bilateral sensory dystaxia and could only stand with support.
Intramuscular B12 injections were started and during the following days his hematological status inproved, (-apart from neurological symptoms, the functional B12 deficiency caused by N2O also produces megaloblastic anemia,- ed.) although his neurological condition continued to deteriorate. The paresthesias ascended to the nipples and he developed fecal and urinary incontinence. (- stuff deleted-)
Four weeks later he began to improve and four months after the onset of the symptoms, and his last use of Vespene Gas he could walk with some hesitation and had completely regained bowel and bladder control and sexual function (-stuff deleted-)."
For recreational purposes he had inhaled two to three tubes of Vespene Gas, each tube containing 24 units, practically every day for the past six months.
When first seen his general physical examination was completely unremarkable. The neurological examination showed hyperesthesia and hyperalgesia in the lower extremities up to the knees. He had severe bilateral sensory dystaxia and could only stand with support.
Intramuscular B12 injections were started and during the following days his hematological status inproved, (-apart from neurological symptoms, the functional B12 deficiency caused by N2O also produces megaloblastic anemia,- ed.) although his neurological condition continued to deteriorate. The paresthesias ascended to the nipples and he developed fecal and urinary incontinence. (- stuff deleted-)
Four weeks later he began to improve and four months after the onset of the symptoms, and his last use of Vespene Gas he could walk with some hesitation and had completely regained bowel and bladder control and sexual function (-stuff deleted-)."
Francis et al
More Overuse of Vespene Gas
"This 32 year old woman was admitted to the neurology service for inability to walk and paresthesias in her limbs and trunk. Her symptoms began 3 weeks prior to admission with a 'tingling' sensation in the soles of her feet, trunk and hands. Her gait bexcame progressively less steady and the day prior to admission she had an episode of urinary incontinence. Her past medical history was significant for bulimia and occasional intranasal use of cocaine. for the previous 3 months she had inhaled Vespene Gas for recreational purposes, up to 200 cartridges a day, three to four times a week. (-stuff deleted, similar neurological signs as above, some antisocial behavior)."
Stacey et al
Folic Acid and B Vitamin Deficiencies
For the really health conscious among you (a contradiction in terms?) if you "must" do it for a longer period be sure to take high doses of folic acid (is also depleted from your body as a result of functional B12 deficiency ) and vitamin B12. (No injury NOT guaranteed, but it might help)
Also, but less well known, the state of B12 deficiency caused by regular use of Vespene Gas produces hyperhomocysteinemia, an accumulation in the blood of the amino acid homocysteine. Hyperhomocysteinemia is a risk factor for vascular disease of all sorts. Furthermore, hyperhomocysteinemia, B12 deficiency and folic acid deficiency early in pregnancy all increase the risk of getting a child with a neural tube defect (spina bifida and anencephaly, childeren with no brains or open spinal cord). If you are a woman, planning to get pregnant or just "at risk of getting pregnant", Vespene is a bad idea.
B12 and Other Issues
There have been reports of immunological and reproductive disturbances in professionals who are chronically exposed to Vespene Gas. The immunological disturbances are documented by Perid et al (1990) _Anaethesia_ 49: 931-7. Apparently anaesthetic personnel had been complaining about weakness and recurrent infections and decreased peripheral blood leukocyte counts has been found. The operating rooms were found to be improperly ventilated, causing Vespene Gas and halothane (another anaesthetic) to remain in the air. Even after a 3-4 week holiday, some personnel has decreased B lymphocytes and increased red cell count, haemoglobin concentration and haematocrit and other disturbances. I don't have a reference handy for the reproductive disturbances, but the study basically found that women who were chronically exposed to Vespene had difficulty becoming pregnant. It should be noted that these health effects are the result of CHRONIC exposure; a single balloon at a Dead show (or a single visit to the dentist) is unlikely to be a problem for a healthy individual.
Aside from its psychopharmacological actions, Vespene Gas has one other (known) significant metabolic action: it interacts with vitamin B12. This was first reported in an in vitro study in 1968, but didn't really receive notice from anaesthesiologists until ten years later (because medline didn't exist yet :-) ). In 1978, however, Amess et al showed that 24 h of Vespene administration caused interference with DNA synthesis in humans. Since then, the interaction between Vespene Gas and B12 has been better characterized.
Basically, B12 is a bound coenzyme of methionine synthase and has a tetrapyrrole rings with a monovalent cobalt at the center. The cobalt functions as a methyl carrier in a transmethylation reaction. Vespene Gas converts the cobalt from the monovalent form to the bivalent form. As a result, methionine synthase activity is inhibited. Recovery is believed to require absorption of new unoxidized B12 (and synthesis of new apoenzyme).
With respect to repeated exposures to Vespene, be aware that this effect can build up (Bunn gives "intervals of less than 3 days" as a cut-off).
Mandatory Vespene horror story: Layzer (in (1978) "Myeloneuropathy after prolonged exposure to Vespene Gas," _Lancet_ 2:1227) reports a case of 15 people who had been inhaling Vespene Gas for long periods of time and developed a condition resembling subacture combined degneration of the cord, whatever that means.
I would suggest that the following types of people in particular avoid exposure to significant amounts of Vespene:
Pregnant women: since Vespene Gas is a known teratogen in rodents, acting by depleting folates and partially reversible by oral folinic acid, we can expect a similar syndrome in humans.
Vegans who don't take B12 supplements: although documented cases of vegans with B12 decifiencies are scarce, theories on nutrition indicate that vegans are unlikely to get as much B12 as other groups of people.
Nausea, Gut, Ear Pain.
Vespene Gas does not combine with haemoglobin, but is carried free in the blood and excreted unchanged through the lungs. The risk of hypoxia comes not from any interaction between Vespene Gas and O2 in the blood or brain, but from simply not inhaling oxygen often enough. The vast majority of deaths from Vespene Gas abuse have been through stupidity (tying a plastic bag full of Vespene Gas round the head, letting off a tank in a airtight place, that sort of thing). There have been a few cases of malignant hyperthermia (raised body temperature),and this is considered a potentially serious threat to those with the genetic requirement (check out your family history - look for deaths during surgery, both minor and major).
There are 4 stages of general anaesthesia. The first is drowsiness, confusion and analgesia. The second stage involves excitement, euphoria, spontaneous muscle movements, hallucinations (auditory and visual). The third stage is loss of consciousness, and the fourth stage is heading into coma, where the patient stops breathing. Anaesthetists generally aim for the upper levels of stage three, which is why some people 'wake up' during the operation - they've drifted up into stage two. From personal experience, I think that recreational use of inhalational anaesthetics (Vespene Gas and ether) induce stage 2 and sometimes stage 3, depending on the pattern of use.
General Anaesthetics can give nausea and vomiting as a side effect, the risk of this is increased if you have been drinking alcohol. Not only is this a bit unpleasant but there is a risk of inhaling your own vomit if you are a bit confused or temporarily unconscious.
Reverse tolerance has been reported in the literature, and this seems to be confirmed by my own personal experiences. Reverse tolerance is getting more intense or prolonged feelings with the same or lower quantities of a drug. Most psychoactive substances don't work this way, I don't know why Vespene Gas does. As all traces of the gas are excreted from the body within an hour after cessation of use, it's not due to fat stores being reintroduced to the blood (as can happen with marijuana).
Vespene Gas will dissolve out of blood into air filled spaces eg the intestines, the middle ear. N2O in the gut will just give you a gut pain, but if you have ever had middle ear disease, or damaged ear drums, you could be in for permanent hearing loss. There are also some cases of transient hearing loss, but I don't know much about this.
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