Inhallents

[dab_20]

What are the effects and health issues of Inhallents? A friend of mine has become really tired and irritable and has a bad cough. She told me she inhales nail polish remover (the regular acetone stuff). :( I really want her to stop, but I want to try myself before I tell an adult, I really don't want her to hate me. Can you please give me advice or tell me the health issues? I'm thinking I might be able to tell her what could happen to her, so then she'll stop. Thanks for any info/advice.

[caseysmom]

I am sure she is killing brain cells.

[catnapper]

Tell her mom ASAP. Something tells me she told you knowing you'd do something like telling an adult to help her.

[RedHedd]

Why do you want to try it? People die from doing that stuff. She's definitely frying her brain cells and the chemicals are doing damage to the rest of her central nervous system. Please say something to an adult; Please do not try "huffing" yourself. It's not worth the risk of killing yourself just to see what it feels like.

[Queen of Poop]

Your friend could die from what she is doing. Can you live with her being mad at you or with her being dead? Sorry to be so blunt but this is a very serious situation and you need to talk to someone very quickly.

[caseysmom]

Why do you want to try it? People die from doing that stuff. She's definitely frying her brain cells and the chemicals are doing damage to the rest of her central nervous system. Please say something to an adult; Please do not try "huffing" yourself. It's not worth the risk of killing yourself just to see what it feels like.


I think she means she wants to try to get her to stop...at least I hope thats what she meant.

[dab_20]

Why do you want to try it? People die from doing that stuff. She's definitely frying her brain cells and the chemicals are doing damage to the rest of her central nervous system. Please say something to an adult; Please do not try "huffing" yourself. It's not worth the risk of killing yourself just to see what it feels like.
I don't want to try it, I want to try to get her to quit.

Thanks for the advice... I might tell a school guidence counsler since I do not know her mom. I didn't know it was that dangerous. :(

[Karen]

I think she meant she wants to try warning her friend herself - not that she wants to try inhalants herself! Simple misunderstanding.

She is doing permanent damage to both her respiratory system and central nervous system - see http://www.inhalants.org/damage.htm - which doesn't mention acetone specifically, but its links may. Just by inhaling that stuff she is damaging the delicate tissue in her nasal passages, which is probably why she's coughing - her nose can no longer act as a "filter" for things the way it normally would.

[dab_20]

Thank you for the link, Karen. I had no clue how bad inhalants were. I'm really worried for her. :(

[Muddy4paws]

threaten her, If she doesn't stop you will tell someone else about it. Its a stupid thing to do in the first place and she can kill herself instantly!

[IRescue452]

She told you, that means she's reaching out for help. You need to get her help from somebody who will understand like a counseler rather than somebody who will do more harm. Most parents make the situation worse because they think yelling and groundings will stop the activity, rather than trying to solve the reason she is harming herself in the first place.

[Logan]

I'm a mom. I would want to know. I wonder if you could share this information with your own mom or a trusted adult friend and let them handle it for you. The guidance counselor is probably a good person to speak with if there is no one else.

Recently, my 15 year old daughter shared some pretty serious information with me about her best friend and some other friends. It was weighing very heavy on her mind. And then it weighed heavily on my mind. I did not know what to do with the information, but finally had the opportunity, in a discussion with the best friend's mom to alert her, without specific allegations about her daughter, just raise her awareness and give her reason to check some things out. I don't think I could have lived with myself had I kept the information to myself and something horrible happened to the girl.

My daughter has lost her friends due to my action, but she does not blame me. She is glad I said something. She continues to worry about them, as I do, but I think at this point, we have done all we can. She says it was worth that risk to get the information out in the open.

I will keep you in my prayers. I know this is a heavy burden for you to be bearing.

Logan

[dab_20]

Yesterday I told her to stop or I will tell someone. She told me I was lying and wouldn't tell. Today she came to school and seemed sick, so I decided to tell someone, I am so worried about her. I told the school Guidence Counselor and she told me that she won't tell my friend it was me. I felt relieved, but I'm worried she'll be really mad at me for it. She wasn't in last hour today, so I'm guessing her mom found out. I hope she goes to the doctor or something.

Thanks again for all your advice. Logan, that's good of you to do that for the girl but also not come right out and say it. I hope she got the help she needs, as I hope my friend does, too.

[RedHedd]

Good for you. You did the right thing and probably saved her life!

[Edwina's Secretary]

What a good friend you are! You did the right thing....

[king2005]

You did the right thing.. it takes a true friend to do something like that. Just be prepared for her to be mad & hate you for a long time. I did the same to my friend & its now 8yrs later & I finally got her to talk to me.

Also did the same to my sister. I called the cops on her, told mom & dad, told the school.. I tried to tell everyone... It kind of worked, but the fact that my mother didn't care, made things harder. I ended up getting in trouble, but I kept at it. My sister is now a much better person & understands why I caused so much shat.

[KitCat]

You saved her life!

[moosmom]

I echo what everyone else has said. You probably saved this girl's life. Huffing is nothing to laugh at. It's serious. You are a true friend.

[dab_20]

Thanks everyone. She's back in school, but I can tell that she hasn't stopped. Her eyes are blood shot and she's doing poorly. I really hope she's getting the help she needs. She doesn't seem mad at me at all, she acts as if nothing happened. I haven't talked to her about it yet, I don't want to set her off or anything.