Man, 27, left with ‘dinosaur hands’ and wearing nappies after 500-balloon-a-week laughing gas habit
A MAN claims inhaling almost 500 laughing gas balloons a week left him with “dinosaur hands” and wearing nappies.
Connor Wilton was hospitalised when his dad found him “collapsed” on the floor in November 2022 after using nitrous oxide.
The 27-year-old suffered from severe nerve damage that left him paralysed after the drug, which became illegal in November 2023, starved his body of oxygen and vitamin B12.
Despite spending three months in hospital and four months in a rehabilitation unit, Connor will “never be able to stand up straight again”.
He is now forced to use crutches and a wheelchair, and take 30 tablets a day.
Connor has shared photos of himself in hospital to warn others of the dangers of the illicit substance.
The former mental health worker, who started taking laughing gas aged 18 on “lads’ holidays” then soon “abused” 480 balloons every weekend, said: “Stay off balloons kids.
“I never thought this could or would happen and now it’s ruined my life.”
Connor says he had so little muscle control that his hands began to bend “like a dinosaur”.
He also became incontinent, leaving him needing to wear nappies for the first five months.
Footage shows hospital staff helping Connor to take small steps out of his wheelchair after being horizontal in bed for months.
Another clip shows the leg spasms he experienced due to his extensive nerve damage.
Connor, who lives in Shirebrook, Derbyshire, said: “It’s changed my life so much.
“I never believed it would happen. You see it and think, ‘It’ll never happen to me’.
“I was abusing it for years. Not badly. I did it socially at weekends and when I went to Kavos and stuff like that.
“But during October 2022, I was smashing it every weekend. I started to be sick all the time.
“I didn’t think it was to do with nitrous oxide to be honest. I was quite naive. Then I started to get tingly feet.
“One day my dad found me collapsed on the floor from smashing laughing gas. I couldn’t feel my legs properly.
“I was moaning about not being able to wee. I couldn’t wee for six days because my nerves and muscles had failed on my bottom half.”
My hands were starting to bend like little dinosaur hands and I couldn’t pick up my phone properly
Connor Wilton
After being rushed to hospital, Connor reportedly discovered he had severe nerve damage, a vitamin B12 deficiency and subacute degeneration of the spinal cord as a result of nitrous oxide.
He then required 24/7 bed care and couldn’t stand for almost two months.
“It was absolutely horrible,” Connor said. “I couldn’t control my muscles.
“My hands were starting to bend like little dinosaur hands and I couldn’t pick up my phone properly.
“My bowels failed and I kept sh***ing myself. I was really psychotic for 10 days.
“I had a catheter for five months and I had to wear a nappy. I was in 24/7 bed care.
“I spent two full months being hoisted into a chair out of my bed every day as I couldn’t feel or move my legs.
“My hands slowly started to get better, but I didn’t stand up until the week before Christmas with help from two workers.”
‘STARVED OF OXYGEN’
To find out what was causing Connor’s symptoms and to what extent, he underwent a nerve conduction study.
“It was quite a lengthy process,” he said.
“The doctors knew it was from balloons but not what damage it had done.
“[It turned out that] the nitrous oxide took all the B12 out of my body and starved my body of oxygen, so I was having vitamin B12 injected into my legs every two days for three months.
“Now I have to have it once every three months.”
After being moved to a neuro rehabilitation unit in Nottingham in January 2023, Connor was finally discharged – but he still relies on crutches and a wheelchair.
“The amount of nerves I’ve damaged, some are too far gone and will never repair,” he said.
“I will never be able to stand up straight. I’ve got 35 degree drop feet.
“My legs spasm a lot and I get a lot of pain first thing in the morning.
“The muscles lock in my leg and I scream in pain.
“My bowels still don’t work. I don’t even know if I’m going to s*** myself in public.
“I’m quite independent now but I’m on crutches all the time. I have an adaptive car, which I drive with my hands.”
Nitrous oxide - the facts
NITROUS oxide - also known as laughing gas or hippy crack - was recently made a Class C due to the dangers associated with the drug.
It can cause a range of health issues and in some cases can even be fatal.
Some common side effects from inhaling the gas are dizziness, nausea, disorientation, loss of balance and weakness in legs, according to a study on its risks published to the National Library of Medicine.
Nitrous oxide can impair memory and thinking, the research mentioned. Some users might also feel anxious or paranoid.
According to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation (ADF), the gas from nitrous oxide bulbs is intensely cold, sometimes as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius.
Inhaling directly from the canister or crackers – handheld devices used to ‘crack’ open canister – can cause frostbite on the nose, lips and throat, even the vocal cords.
The icy chill of the gas canisters can also cause cold burns to the hands.
Long term, heavy use of laughing gas can cause a lack of vitamin B12. Severe deficiency can lead to serious nerve damage, causing tingling and numbness in the fingers and toes.
Lack of B12 can also cause damage to the spinal cord.
In some cases, frequent and prolonged use of nitrous oxide has been linked to thromboembolic events – this means a blood clot has gotten stuck and caused an obstruction.
The so-called laughing gas has also resulted in deaths.
Connor vows never to touch the illegal substance again and wants to warn others to stay away too.
“I’d never do it again – absolutely not,” he said. “I hate it. It’s not worth being like this.
“It’s changed my life so much. I love dancing and I can never dance again.
“I love festivals but I went to one just for fun the other week and it’s quite draining.
“I tell people to stop doing it [nitrous oxide]. It’s not worth the risk. I’m probably the worst person I’ve seen with this.
“It’s the go-to thing for young people because they think it’s funny. They think it’s not as serious as other drugs.
“They’re massively accessible. People will sell them to kids because they think they’re not dangerous, it’s just a balloon.”