A single inhalation session with 25% nitrous oxide gas can rapidly relieve symptoms of treatment-resistant depression, according to new research.
The new study, published in Science Translational Medicine, also shows that the effects last much longer than previously suspected, with some participants experiencing improvements for upwards of two weeks.
The findings bolster the evidence that non-traditional treatments may be a viable option for patients whose depression is not responsive to typical antidepressant medications. It may also provide a rapidly effective treatment option for patients in crisis.
Often called “laughing gas,” nitrous oxide is frequently used as an anesthetic that provides short-term pain relief in dentistry and surgery….