PET PEEVES No.2

(Stuff I had saved from another site that NO LONGER exists)

I HAVE HATED POPPERS FOR YEARS.
It is illegal in USA (boring yes) but under-regulated in Europe:
OK, here's what we know. "Poppers" is the common name for a variety of chemical compounds in the alkyl nitrite family (including isobutyl nitrite, butyl nitrite, and amyl nitrite). We (doctors) prescribed amyl nitrite for patients with certain kinds of heart conditions. The prescription medication came in containers that were snapped open or "popped" to release the vapors, which were then inhaled. We NO LONGER USE THIS MEDICATION but non-prescription amyl nitrite is now made and sold illegally. Today most poppers are either isobutyl or butyl nitrite sold in small brown bottles often labeled as "video head cleaner," "room deodorizer," or "leather cleaner." The exact contents of these "little brown bottles" is not known, and that they have not been safety tested. So what are the effects? . Poppers cause muscles around blood vessels to relax, making your heart speed up to pump more blood. The oxygen-rich blood reaching the brain produces a "rush" sensation. Poppers also cause muscles in the anus and vagina to relax, and that's why they are often used during sex. So what's the risk? contact with the skin can cause irritation and rashes. Extensive use can damage the lining of the nose and lungs. Some people experience headaches, vertigo (sensation of spinning or falling), and loss of their HardOn. Poppers are highly flammable. Keep them away from cigarettes, candles, and lighters. Medically, there have been some studies suggesting that poppers may reduce immune system functioning for several days after use; and may be associated with more rapid progression of Kaposi's sarcoma. Because poppers cause blood vessels to open, it is easier to get infections, including some STD's and HIV. Poppers pose extra risks for HIV Poz people, because they already may have suppressed immune systems. Risks are also greater for folks with heart problems, blood pressure problems, and pregnancy. Combining poppers with party drugs, like speed or cocaine, increases their risks. Combining poppers with Viagra can be lethal, as both cause blood pressure to drop. (Yes, deaths have been reported with this combination.) Other risks include impaired judgment. The incidence of unsafe sex appears to be associated with popper use. USA Federal law bans the manufacture and distribution of butyl nitrite and related substances, although as a quick look on the Internet or at your friendly local neighborhood sex shop will confirm, this law is not being enforced.
I feel caution is warranted.
Dr. Bob

A new study found that mice injected with cancer cells were more than three times as likely to develop tumors if they inhaled isobutyl nitrite -- "poppers" -- and that when tumors did develop, they grew four times as rapidly in the inhalant-treated animals.(1) 75% of the mice receiving nitrite developed the tumors in this test, vs. 21% of the control mice (which received the same cancer cells but breathed only air instead). The amount of inhalant used -- 900 parts per million for 45 minutes a day -- was selected to approximate social use of the drug.

Other laboratory tests found that isobutyl nitrite did not increase growth of the tumor cells; instead it suppressed certain immune functions, including cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity, and the killing of tumor cells by macrophages -- which was reduced 86% by 5 days exposure to the inhalation. Previously published work by the same team(2) found that immunity in the mice recovered within 14 days of stopping the inhalant. (The current paper suggested that permanent damage might still be done if immune suppression allowed cancer, KS, or HIV itself, to become established.)

This is the first study showing directly that nitrite inhalant can promote tumor growth. Previously, epidemiological studies had found that use of poppers is associated with KS, and also is an independent risk factor for infection with HIV (suggesting that poppers may increase the risk that exposure to HIV will lead to infection). KS is believed to be caused by a different virus, HHV-8, that presents little risk unless the immune system is suppressed by other factors. (The tumor cells used in this research were not KS, but they were a well-known cell line used in animal tests to measure immune suppression.)