Papers

Research literature with structured metadata.

Trials

Registered studies by status, phase, and compound.

Topics

Indications and themes psychedelics are researched for.

Compounds

Evidence across molecules with rich data.

Countries

Regulation, access, and research activity by region.

Stakeholders

Organizations shaping the space across research, policy, and funding.

People

Investigators, clinicians, and authors with mapped output.

Courses

Training programs and certifications across modalities.

Events

Conferences, workshops, and convenings by date and focus.

Results

Compare outcome data across trials and publications.

Research Snapshot

One-page overview of trials, participants, papers, and research networks.

Clinical Guidelines

Trial-anchored manuals and protocol guidance with competency mapping.

Research recaps

Monthly evidence summaries with key takeaways.

Map of research

Landscape view of trials, compounds, and outcomes.

Newsletter

Weekly or daily updates on trials, publications, analysis, and more.

Research Groups

Worldwide map of psychedelic research centres by region.

Road to Access

Science, regulation, and economics on the path to patient access.

Research Network

Interactive co-authorship map of psychedelic researchers.

Top papers

Find needles in the haystack of psychedelic research per topic.

AskBeta
Pricing

The intelligence layer for psychedelic research.

Company

  • About
  • Contact
  • Newsletter

Product

  • Feedback
  • Roadmap
  • Changelog
  • API
  • Partners
  • Clinical Guidelines

Legal

  • Privacy
  • Terms

© 2026 Blossom. All rights reserved.

Home/Research/Nitrous Oxide/Chronic Pain

Nitrous Oxide for Chronic Pain

2 papers and 0 clinical trials exploring nitrous oxide as a treatment for chronic pain.

CompoundInorganic Gas

Nitrous Oxide

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) is a rapid-acting NMDA receptor antagonist with emerging evidence for antidepressant efficacy in treatment-resistant depression. Delivered as a 50% N₂O/50% O₂ inhalation mixture over one-hour sessions, it produces rapid mood improvements that can persist for days to weeks. Its established safety record in anesthesia, short session duration, minimal recovery time, and low cost position it as a potentially scalable alternative to IV ketamine and esketamine, though the psychiatric evidence base remains early-stage and no formal psychiatric indication exists. Key open questions include optimal dosing frequency, long-term durability, and the mechanism by which NMDA antagonism without intense psychedelic phenomenology produces antidepressant effects.

Full Nitrous Oxide profile
IndicationOver 1.5 billion worldwide.

Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is increasingly recognised as a multifaceted condition that may respond to psychedelic therapies, which are gaining attention in clinical settings for their potential efficacy in pain management. Recent research indicates that compounds such as psilocybin and MDMA are entering clinical trials aimed at exploring their therapeutic effects on chronic pain syndromes.

Full Chronic Pain profile

Academic Research

2 papers
Open Accessmeta

Nitrous Oxide: an emerging novel treatment for treatment-resistant depression

This review (2021) explores the possibilities of using Nitrous Oxide (NO2) for treating treatment-resistant depression (TRD). The use of NO2 as a psychiatric intervention is discussed along with its possible mechanism of action. Its antidepressant effects are believed to be mediated through the NMDA receptor.

Published
March 25, 2022
Journal
Journal of the Neurological Sciences
Authors
Quach, D. F., de Leon, V. C., Conway, C. R.
Open Accessindividual

Nitrous oxide as an adjunctive therapy in major depressive disorder: a randomized controlled double-blind pilot trial

This double-blind placebo-controlled between-subjects study (n=23) tested the antidepressant efficacy of inhaled nitrous oxide (50% N2O|50% O2 versus 100% O2) in patients diagnosed with major depression (MDD). Across multiple treatment sessions administered across a period of 4 weeks, there were significant reductions in depressive symptoms in the acute response to treatment and accumulatively across sessions.

Published
September 1, 2021
Journal
brazilian Journal of Psychiatry
Authors
Guimarães, M. C., Guimarães, T. M., Hallak, J. E., Abrão, J., Machado-de-Sousa, J. P.

Clinical Trials

0 trials

No clinical trials have been tagged with both Nitrous Oxide and Chronic Pain yet.

Trials are continuously being added as new studies are registered.

Explore further

Search all Nitrous Oxide papers Search all Chronic Pain trials Full Nitrous Oxide profile Full Chronic Pain profile