What are the dangers of nitric? Understanding the risks of nitric oxide and nitric acid

October 8, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the FDA, intentional misuse or inhalation of products containing nitrous oxide can lead to serious health events, including death. But what are the dangers of nitric across its various forms, including nitric oxide supplements, inhaled medical treatments, and the industrial chemical nitric acid?

Quick Summary

Both nitric oxide and nitric acid pose specific health risks. Dangers range from supplement side effects and drug interactions to the severe, corrosive hazards of industrial acid and the neurological damage linked to nitrous oxide misuse.

Key Points

Nitric Oxide Supplements: Can cause dangerous drops in blood pressure, especially when mixed with ED or blood pressure medications.
Inhaled Nitric Oxide: Abruptly stopping prescribed inhaled NO can cause rebound pulmonary hypertension.
Methemoglobinemia: Both inhaled nitric oxide and severe supplement overdose can cause this life-threatening blood disorder.
Nitric Acid Corrosiveness: A highly dangerous industrial chemical that causes severe respiratory damage from fumes and burns upon contact.
Nitrous Oxide Misuse: Recreational inhalation can cause severe neurological damage due to vitamin B12 deficiency.
Heart Condition Risks: Individuals with heart problems, especially post-heart attack, should avoid nitric oxide supplements as they can increase risk of adverse cardiac events.

What Are the Dangers of Nitric Oxide Supplements?

Nitric oxide (NO) supplements, which typically contain amino acids like L-arginine and L-citrulline to boost the body's natural NO production, are popular for athletic performance and heart health. However, their unregulated nature and ability to impact the body's cardiovascular system mean that they are not without risk.

Common Side Effects of Nitric Oxide Supplements While generally safe when taken in recommended doses, some individuals may experience unpleasant side effects.

Gastrointestinal distress, including bloating, stomach pain, and diarrhea.
Headaches.
Nausea and vomiting.
Temporarily low blood pressure, which can cause dizziness or fainting.

Serious Risks Associated with Nitric Oxide Supplements Certain populations face more significant risks, and supplements can interact dangerously with other medications.

Cardiovascular Issues: People with pre-existing heart conditions should exercise extreme caution. A study found that taking L-arginine after a heart attack was linked to a higher risk of death, repeat heart attack, and hospitalization.
Dangerously Low Blood Pressure: When combined with other blood pressure medications (e.g., lisinopril) or erectile dysfunction (ED) drugs (e.g., sildenafil), NO supplements can cause a severe and dangerous drop in blood pressure.
Interactions with Medications: Supplements can also interfere with antibiotics, diabetes medications, NSAIDs (like ibuprofen), and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), potentially reducing their effectiveness or causing other adverse effects.
Excessive Vasodilation: Overdosing on nitric oxide precursors can cause excessive widening of blood vessels, leading to a massive drop in blood pressure.
Methemoglobinemia: In extreme overdose scenarios, an excess of nitric oxide could cause this rare but serious blood disorder, which impairs the red blood cells' ability to carry oxygen.

The Dangers of Inhaled Nitric Oxide in Medicine

Inhaled nitric oxide is a prescription medication used in a controlled hospital setting, often to treat pulmonary hypertension in newborns. Despite its therapeutic use, it also carries notable risks.

Rebound Pulmonary Hypertension: Abruptly discontinuing inhaled NO therapy can lead to rebound pulmonary hypertension syndrome, with symptoms including bluish lips or skin, a slow heart rate, dizziness, and decreased cardiac output.
Methemoglobinemia: High levels of inhaled NO can cause methemoglobinemia, a serious condition where hemoglobin in the blood is converted to methemoglobin, which cannot transport oxygen. Blood tests are required to monitor this risk.
Other Side Effects: Patients can experience confusion, blurred vision, or lightheadedness upon standing.

The Corrosive Dangers of Nitric Acid (HNO₃)

Nitric acid is a highly corrosive mineral acid used in many industrial applications, including fertilizer and explosive manufacturing. Its dangers stem from its corrosive nature and the toxic fumes it releases upon contact with water, organic materials, or other substances.

Hazards of Nitric Acid Exposure

Inhalation: Inhaling nitric acid fumes can cause severe respiratory irritation, coughing, chest pain, and shortness of breath. Delayed effects, including fatal pulmonary edema, can occur several hours after exposure. Chronic exposure can lead to dental erosion and kidney damage.
Skin and Eye Contact: Direct contact causes severe, painful burns and ulceration. Eye contact can lead to permanent damage and blindness.
Chemical Spills: Spills are particularly hazardous due to toxic fume release. Water can exacerbate the situation, as it reacts with the acid. Violent reactions can occur with many incompatible materials, increasing the risk of fire and explosion.

The Dangers of Nitrous Oxide (N₂O) Misuse

It is important not to confuse nitric oxide with nitrous oxide (N₂O), commonly known as laughing gas. The FDA has issued a warning against inhaling nitrous oxide products, such as those sold in canisters for culinary use, due to the severe health risks.

Health Risks of Nitrous Oxide Inhalation

Neurological Damage: Prolonged misuse can lead to severe and potentially permanent neurological effects, including spinal cord or brain damage, numbness, and paralysis, primarily due to vitamin B12 deficiency.
Vitamin B12 Deficiency: Recreational inhalation significantly reduces vitamin B12 levels, leading to further complications.
Other Side Effects: Misuse can cause asphyxiation, blood clots, frostbite, headache, limb weakness, psychiatric disturbances (hallucinations, paranoia), and death.

Comparison of Dangers: Nitric Oxide vs. Nitric Acid


Feature	Nitric Oxide (NO)	Nitric Acid (HNO₃)
Form	Gas (medical use), supplements (precursors)	Highly corrosive liquid, toxic fumes
Exposure Route	Inhalation (medical), ingestion (supplements)	Inhalation (fumes), direct contact (liquid)
Key Dangers	Blood pressure drops, methemoglobinemia, drug interactions	Severe respiratory damage, corrosive burns, explosion risk
Affected Organ System	Cardiovascular, respiratory, and blood	Respiratory, skin, eyes, and kidneys
Context of Risk	Overdose, misuse of supplements, medical settings	Industrial accidents, chemical spills, improper handling
Severity	Can be mild (supplements) to life-threatening (medical misuse, overdose)	Extremely dangerous and corrosive; severe burns, lung damage, or death possible

Conclusion

In summary, the dangers of nitric vary drastically depending on the compound in question. While naturally-produced nitric oxide is essential for health, unregulated supplements that boost its levels carry risks, especially for individuals with heart conditions or those on specific medications. In a hospital setting, inhaled nitric oxide is a controlled medical treatment but can lead to dangerous blood and respiratory issues if not monitored carefully. Industrial nitric acid is a highly corrosive chemical that poses severe hazards upon inhalation or skin contact, requiring strict safety protocols. Finally, the recreational misuse of nitrous oxide, another compound sometimes confused with nitric, carries its own set of serious neurological and other health risks. Always consult a healthcare provider before taking any supplement and exercise extreme caution when handling industrial chemicals to mitigate these dangers.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, you should not combine nitric oxide supplements with blood pressure medication. The supplements can lower blood pressure, and combining them with blood pressure drugs can cause a dangerously low blood pressure drop, leading to dizziness or fainting.

Stopping inhaled nitric oxide therapy abruptly can cause rebound pulmonary hypertension syndrome, with symptoms including a slow heart rate, dizziness, and bluish skin.

Methemoglobinemia is a serious blood disorder where red blood cells lose their ability to carry oxygen. It is a known, though rare, side effect of medical nitric oxide inhalation and can also occur with supplement overdose.

Inhaling nitric acid fumes is highly dangerous. It can cause severe respiratory tract irritation, pain, and dyspnea. Delayed effects, such as pulmonary edema and eventual death from respiratory failure, are also possible.

People with certain health conditions should avoid nitric oxide supplements, including those with low blood pressure, heart disease (especially post-heart attack), liver cirrhosis, kidney disease, and those on specific medications for blood pressure or ED.

Recreational misuse of nitrous oxide leads to severe vitamin B12 deficiency. This can cause neurological effects, including brain and spinal cord damage, numbness, and paralysis, even after use has stopped.

No, supplements are not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) like prescription medications. This means their purity, quality, and potential side effects may not be consistently monitored.