Lack of sex differences to the subjective effects of nitrous oxide in healthy volunteers.

Background: Although numerous studies have assessed subjective effects of nitrous oxide, few studies have analyzed for sex differences. Since sex differences have been reported in subjective effects of several drugs such as opioids, nicotine and alcohol, we sought to determine if sex modulates the subjective effects of the inhalant, nitrous oxide, in healthy volunteers.

Methods: Thirty-eight females and seventy-two males from nine studies that were conducted in our laboratory were included in this retrospective analysis.