Long-term inhalant abusers risk causing serious, permanent to their bodies, including liver and kidney dysfunction or shut down, memory loss, and seizures. Inhalant users frequently suffer from problems with their eyesight and hearing. People who have a more severe inhalant use disorder may receive the best treatment at a residential treatment program. The best way to help prevent inhalant use is to talk to your child about it early on.
What is inhalant use disorder?
Huffing, bagging or snorting can lead to short-term and long-term effects that can be dangerous. If you think you have a problem with inhalants, speak with your healthcare provider. There are no specific medications approved specifically for inhalant addiction. Some people with inhalant use disorder may experience undiagnosed mental disorders, such as anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder, and medications may be prescribed by a licensed healthcare professional to treat these conditions. A healthcare provider may be able to help with any withdrawal symptoms, which inhalant users can report to their provider, whether they think they’re clinically significant or not. Inhalant use disorder is a type of substance use disorder in which people use common household and workplace items to get high.
Inhalant Use Disorder
Withdrawal symptoms vary because each product has more than one ingredient. Withdrawal symptoms to inhalants have been known to include hand tremors, chills, excessing sweating or anxiety. Some people experience headaches and abdominal cramps or muscle cramps. Some inhalant users have been known to hallucinate while using (or coming off does alcohol bother gallbladder the high of) inhalants.
Withdrawal from Inhalants
- After treatment, you may receive a relapse prevention program to help you transition back to daily life with proper support.
- Inhalant use disorder does not refer to the unintentional inhalation of these compounds or even to one experimental intentional use by an individual.
- Major symptoms, such as heart arrhythmias, require proper medical action.
- They directly and intensely stimulate the reward and reinforcement systems of the brain, spurring compulsive use that can lead to the neglect of normal activities and negative consequences.
It will also aim to address any underlying causes of drug use, such as mental health conditions and interpersonal challenges. Brain damage is the primary effect because inhalants quickly penetrate the blood-brain barrier (a protective ‘shield’ around the brain). A person could also lose sensation and have severe nosebleeds. It may be hard mixing suboxone and alcohol to determine if an addiction to inhalants exists. However, there are criteria established that are used to diagnose this addiction.
Using inhalants for recreational purposes is most commonly seen in young adolescents, peaking around age 15, with numbers dropping each subsequent year. Comparatively few adults experience inhalant use disorder (formerly called inhalant abuse), but those who do may also experience depression, other mental health conditions, and suicidal ideation. Inhalant use disorder (inhalant abuse) is a type of substance use disorder in which people use common household and workplace items to get high.
Some users lose weight, have difficulty concentrating and suffer from depression. Chronic exposure to chemicals can lead to widespread and long-lasting damage to the brain. The symptoms are painful and the damage is described as similar to neurological diseases like multiple sclerosis. Support groups can be a helpful factor in recovery from inhalant use disorder. This can come in the form of a traditional 12-step program or through community outreach programs. The latter allows for a person experiencing addiction to interact and build social connections with other teens who are not users, as well as participate in fun social activities like hikes, movie nights, and dances.
Extended therapeutic treatment, once the disorder is identified, includes cognitive behavioral therapy and family therapy involving both the individual and their loved ones. Death from inhalants can occur as early as one’s first use, and does not appear to be related to the dosage. The use of inhaled substances in a closed container, such as a plastic bag over the head, may lead to unconsciousness, anoxia, and death. Separately, “sudden sniffing death,” likely from cardiac arrhythmia or fetal alcohol syndrome celebrities arrest, may occur after the use of some volatile inhalants.
If your use of inhalants is affecting your health, relationships, work, school or other aspects of your life, it may be time to seek help. If you’re noticing signs that a loved one may have inhalant use disorder, try to gently suggest that they get some help. Like other substance use disorders, inhalant use disorder is treatable. Talk to your healthcare provider to take the first step toward recovery. Inhalants can be used by inhaling the substance directly, or inhaling vapors via a soaked rag to get high.
NIDA is a biomedical research organization and does not provide personalized medical advice, treatment, counseling, or legal consultation. Information provided by NIDA is not a substitute for professional medical care or legal consultation. Inhalant abuse may not receive clinical attention until an individual needs to be treated in an emergency room, where doctors must first treat the seizures and heart stoppage caused by inhalant overdose. Inhalant users will often smell the chemical vapors without “inhaling” the actual liquid (or spray). Users who inhale correction fluid may paint their nails with it and sniff it often.