#depression-treatment

#depression-treatment

Laughing gas could offer rapid-acting treatment for depression, a study has found. Nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, is a colourless gas that is inhaled and commonly used as a painkiller. The gas, which was banned for recreational use in 2023, can make people feel light-headed, dizzy and relaxed - but heavy use can lead to a vitamin B12 deficiency, which can damage nerves in the spinal cord.

Electroconvulsive therapy could be causing a wider range of adverse effects when used to treat depression than previously understood, according to a paper that calls for the practice to be suspended pending more robust research. Although short- and long-term memory loss is widely known to result from ECT, the research identified 25 further concerning side effects, which included cardiovascular problems, fatigue and emotional blunting.