Inhalants

Inhalant Treatment is Important

If you use inhalants, there are inhalant treatment centers ready to help you NOW. Your inhalants addiction is slowly destroying your body and mind. You need help for your addiction to Inhalants, which is taking over your life, hurting those closest to you and stealing your dreams. You have tried to stop using inhalants, but can't stop. You have always returned, worse than before. We know, we've been there and couldn't do it by ourselves either. Call Recovery Connection® NOW for help. Call 1-800-99-DETOX.

Inhalants are the Drug of Choice for the Young

The term "inhalants" refers to all household and commercial products that can be abused by inhaling them. These products are composed of solvents and substances commonly found in commercial adhesives, lighter fluids, cleaning solvents, and paint products. Since inhalants are easily accessible and affordable, they have become the drug of choice for many young people. Inhalants can be inhaled directly from a container or placed in a bag or another container of choice and "huffed", inhaled, to achieve a "high".

The Effects of Inhalants

The effects of inhalant use resemble alcoholism. Upon inhalation, the body becomes starved of oxygen. This may cause:

Rapid heart beat
Brain stimulation
Distorted sense of perception; reality and spatial relations
Depression of the senses
Lethargy
Headaches
Nausea
Vomiting
Slurred speech
Loss of coordination
Wheezing

Users of inhalants can become intoxicated several times over a few hours because of the chemical's short-acting, rapid-onset effect.

Inhalants Abuse Withdrawal Symptoms

Heavy or sustained use of inhalants can cause tolerance and physical withdrawal symptoms within several hours to a few days after use. Withdrawal symptoms may include:

Sweating
Rapid pulse
Hand tremors
Insomnia
Nausea
Vomiting
Physical agitation
Anxiety
Hallucinations
Grand mal seizures

Indicators of Inhalants Use

Paint or stains on the body or clothing
Spots or sores around the mouth
Red or runny eyes and nose
Chemical odor on the breath
A drunken or dazed appearance
Loss of appetite
Excitability, and/or irritability

Commonly Abused Commercial Inhalants

Adhesives: Model airplane glue, rubber cement, household glue
Aerosols: Spray paint, hair spray, air freshener, deodorant, fabric protector
Anesthetics: Nitrous oxide, ether, chloroform
Cleaning: Dry cleaning fluid, spot remover, and degreaser
Food: Vegetable cooking spray, "whippets" (nitrous oxide)
Gases: Nitrous oxide, butane, propane, helium
Solvents: Nail polish remover, paint thinner, typing correction fluid and thinner, toxic markers, pure toluene, cigar lighter fluid, gasoline

Consequences of Inhalants Abuse

There is a common link between inhalant abuse and problems in school such as failing grades, memory loss, learning problems, chronic absences, and general apathy. Inhalant users tend to be disruptive and delinquent because of the early onset of use and the user's lack of physical and emotional maturation.

Damage to Body Caused by Inhalants

Acoustic nerve and muscle: Destruction of cells that relay sound to the brain may cause deafness
Blood: The oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood can be inhibited
Bone marrow: Components containing benzene have been shown to cause leukemia
Brain: Damage is also caused to the cerebral cortex and the cerebellum, resulting in personality changes, memory impairment, hallucinations, loss of coordination, and slurred speech
Heart: Sudden sniffing death (SSD) syndrome,* an unexpected disturbance in the heart's rhythm, may cause fatal cardiac arrhythmias (heart failure)
Kidneys: The kidney's ability to control the amount of acid in the blood may be impaired. Kidney stones may develop after use is terminated
Liver: Gathering of fatty tissue may cause liver damage
Lungs: Damaged lungs and impaired breathing occurs with repeated use
Muscle: Chronic use can lead to muscle wasting and reduced muscle tone and strength
Peripheral nervous system: Damage to the nerves may result in numbness, tingling, and paralysis
Skin: A severe rash around the nose and mouth, referred to as "glue sniffer's rash", may result
SSD syndrome may result when a user deeply inhales a chemical for the effect of intoxication. This causes a decrease in available oxygen in the body. If the user becomes startled or engages in sudden physical activity, an increased flow of adrenalin from the brain to the heart induces cardiac arrest and death occurs within minutes

Inhalant Treatment

Inhalant treatment commonly involves admission to addiction treatment centers that specializes in inhalant addiction. Since many of these inhalant abusers are between the ages of 12 and 17 it is important to make sure the inhalant treatment center of choice has programs designed to treat adolescents.

The symptoms associated with withdrawal from these addictive substances are usually managed through inhalant treatment with the use of medications to avoid seizures or convulsions and to manage mood swings and feelings such as anxiety, agitation, irritability or depression. In many cases, a psychiatric evaluation may be ordered to rule out or allow a psychiatrist to treat a presenting disorder.

Back to Drug Information

If you believe you or someone you know is in need of help with inhalants abuse, or for immediate assistance finding drug rehab centers that specialize in inhalant treatment, please call Recovery Connection® now at 1-800-99-DETOX. Help is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Don't wait - GET HELP NOW!

Inhalants Addiction Treatment Centers:

If your state doesn't appear on this list, please call Recovery Connection® at 1-800-99-DETOX and we will be happy to assist you.

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