Dr. Suchdev, Dr. Mirazita and Dr. Yadati have once again been recognized by their peers as Top Doctors in New Hampshire Magazine’s annual Top Docs issue for 2025. This honor is recognition of their unwavering commitment to high-quality care, their expertise and skill in their respective fields, and the compassionate approach they offer patients at Oasis Therapeutics.
Nitrous oxide (commonly known as “laughing gas”) has been used safely in medicine for over 180 years. It remains on the World Health Organization’s list of essential medicines.
At carefully controlled sub-anesthetic doses, researchers have discovered that nitrous oxide produces rapid, measurable improvement in depressive symptoms by targeting the brain’s glutamate system, the same pathway targeted by ketamine.
This is a fundamentally different mechanism than traditional antidepressants like SSRIs and SNRIs, which target serotonin. For patients who have not responded to conventional medications, that difference may be exactly what their brain needs.
Nitrous oxide therapy offers a meaningful alternative for patients who need rapid relief, cannot tolerate conventional medications, or haven’t responded to standard treatments.
Nitrous oxide therapy requires no needles, no IV, and no injections. You simply breathe a carefully controlled mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen through a comfortable face mask for approximately one hour. Sessions are performed on an outpatient basis with minimal recovery time, and most patients can return to normal activities — including driving — shortly after treatment.
Clinical trials have consistently shown that nitrous oxide therapy is well tolerated. The most commonly reported side effects — mild nausea, dizziness, or lightheadedness — are brief and typically resolve within minutes of stopping the gas. No serious adverse events have been reported in any published clinical trial.
Unlike traditional antidepressants that can take four to six weeks to show results, nitrous oxide therapy has demonstrated rapid improvement in depressive symptoms — sometimes within hours of a single session. A 2025 clinical trial showed a 38% remission rate at just one week, compared to 13% in the control group.
Oasis Therapeutics offers nitrous oxide inhalation therapy as part of our advanced interventional psychiatry program for depression. This treatment works through the brain’s glutamate system — targeting NMDA receptors to rapidly enhance neuroplasticity and promote the formation of new neural connections.
It may benefit individuals who have not responded adequately to antidepressant medications, psychotherapy, or other traditional treatments. Nitrous oxide therapy complements our existing services, giving patients and providers more evidence-based options.
Your first step is a consultation with Dr. Yadati or one of our providers. We will review your medical history, current medications, and previous treatment experiences to determine whether nitrous oxide therapy is appropriate for you. We will screen for any contraindications and walk you through the clinical evidence so you can make an informed decision. There is no commitment at this stage. Just an honest conversation about your options.
On treatment day, you will settle into a comfortable reclining chair in one of our treatment rooms. Your provider will take baseline vital signs, then fit a soft face mask over your nose and mouth. The session begins with a few minutes of pure oxygen, followed by the introduction of nitrous oxide at 25% concentration, mixed with oxygen. You will breathe normally for approximately 60 minutes while you are monitored throughout your treatment. Most patients feel deeply relaxed — many simply fall asleep. When the session ends, the gas is cleared from your system within minutes.
Current research supports a protocol of repeated sessions for the most durable results. At Oasis Therapeutics, a typical treatment plan consists of two treatments per week for three weeks. Your provider will develop a personalized maintenance treatment plan, as needed, based on your individual response to the initial six treatment sessions. Your plan may also integrate nitrous oxide alongside other treatments available at Oasis or through community partners — including TMS, IV ketamine, medication management, intranasal esketamine, or psychotherapy — for a comprehensive, multimodal approach tailored to your specific needs.
Your care extends well beyond treatment sessions. Your provider will schedule follow-up mood assessments after the third treatment, sixth treatment, and after every third maintenance treatment to track your response and adjust your plan as needed. Our clinical team is available between appointments to address any questions or concerns. If you were referred by another provider, we coordinate closely with them to ensure everyone involved in your care is aligned on your progress.
Your first step is a consultation with Dr. Yadati or one of our providers. We’ll review your medical history, current medications, and previous treatment experiences to determine whether nitrous oxide therapy is appropriate for you. We’ll screen for any contraindications and walk you through the clinical evidence so you can make an informed decision. There’s no commitment at this stage. Just an honest conversation about your options.
On treatment day, you’ll settle into a comfortable reclining chair in one of our treatment rooms. Your provider will take baseline vital signs, then fit a soft face mask over your nose and mouth. The session begins with a few minutes of pure oxygen, followed by the introduction of nitrous oxide at 25% concentration, mixed with oxygen. You’ll breathe normally for approximately 60 minutes while you are monitored throughout your treatment. Most patients feel deeply relaxed — many simply fall asleep. When the session ends, the gas is cleared from your system within minutes.
Current research supports a protocol of repeated sessions for the most durable results. At Oasis Therapeutics, a typical treatment plan consists of two treatments per week for three weeks. Your provider will develop a personalized maintenance treatment plan, as needed, based on your individual response to the initial six treatment sessions. Your plan may also integrate nitrous oxide alongside other treatments available at Oasis or through community partners — including TMS, IV ketamine, medication management, intranasal esketamine, or psychotherapy — for a comprehensive, multimodal approach tailored to your specific needs.
Your care extends well beyond treatment sessions. Your provider will schedule follow-up mood assessments after the third treatment, sixth treatment, and after every third maintenance treatment to track your response and adjust your plan as needed. Our clinical team is available between appointments to address any questions or concerns. If you were referred by another provider, we coordinate closely with them to ensure everyone involved in your care is aligned on your progress.
Nitrous oxide therapy is a treatment in which patients inhale a carefully controlled mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen through a face mask for approximately one hour. Nitrous oxide is an NMDA receptor antagonist — the same class of medication as ketamine — that targets the brain’s glutamate system rather than serotonin. When NMDA receptors are temporarily blocked, this triggers a cascade of neuroplasticity, including AMPA receptor activation, BDNF release, and mTOR signaling. This helps the brain rebuild the neural connections that chronic depression has weakened. Clinical trials from the University of Chicago, Washington University, and Monash University have demonstrated rapid improvement in depressive symptoms, sometimes within hours of a single session.
Nitrous oxide therapy at Oasis is primarily offered for depression. Emerging clinical research also suggests potential benefits for PTSD and suicidal ideation. A 2020 case series published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry specifically studied veterans with PTSD and found encouraging results, and an exploratory analysis found meaningful reductions in suicidal ideation within 24 hours of treatment. Your provider will assess your specific situation during your consultation.
Not at all. There are no needles, injections, or IVs involved. You breathe through a soft face mask that rests comfortably over your nose and mouth. Most patients describe the experience as deeply relaxing. Common sensations include warmth, mild tingling in the hands and feet, and a pleasant floating feeling. At lower concentrations, many patients simply drift off to sleep. You remain conscious throughout and can communicate with your provider at any time.
The most recent clinical research suggests that while a single session can produce rapid improvement within 24 hours, repeated sessions over several weeks produce longer-lasting results. A 2025 meta-analysis confirmed that multiple treatments were associated with more durable improvement compared to single-dose protocols. Your provider will recommend a treatment plan based on your individual response, typically starting with two sessions per week for three weeks (six total treatments) followed by maintenance as needed.
The most commonly reported side effects across all clinical trials are mild nausea, dizziness, and lightheadedness. These are brief and typically resolve within minutes of stopping the gas, without any medical treatment needed. Research has shown that the lower 25% concentration produces significantly fewer side effects than 50%, while maintaining comparable antidepressant effectiveness. Across every published clinical trial of nitrous oxide for depression, no serious adverse events have been reported. Your provider will also discuss vitamin B complex supplementation with you, as nitrous oxide can affect B12 with repeated use.
A single session can produce measurable improvement within 2 to 24 hours. In some patients, these effects have been documented to persist for two to four weeks. The 2025 meta-analysis found that repeated weekly sessions produce more durable improvement than a single treatment, which is why a course of multiple sessions is typically recommended rather than a one-time visit.
In most cases, yes. This is one of the key practical advantages of nitrous oxide therapy. Unlike ketamine infusion therapy and intranasal esketamine, which both require longer post-treatment observation periods and a designated driver, nitrous oxide clears your system within one to three minutes of stopping the gas. After a brief recovery observation, most patients can safely drive themselves home and return to normal activities the same day.
Nitrous oxide is FDA-approved for anesthesia and analgesia. Its use for depression is considered off-label — meaning a physician is prescribing it for a condition outside its original FDA indication. Off-label prescribing is legal, well-established, and common across medicine. Ketamine is used for depression under the exact same framework. We are transparent about where the science stands and will discuss the current evidence base with you during your consultation.
All three treatments target the glutamate system via NMDA receptor activity, but the experience and logistics differ. Ketamine infusion therapy is delivered intravenously and requires an IV and post-treatment monitoring. Intranasal esketamine is a nasal spray administered under the FDA REMS program with a required two-hour observation period. Both treatments can produce significant dissociative effects and require a designated driver. Both are effective for many patients and remain available at Oasis. Nitrous oxide is inhaled through a face mask — no needles, no nasal spray. The experience is typically gentler, with milder perceptual effects. Recovery is faster as nitrous oxide clears the system within minutes, allowing most patients to drive themselves home. It is also not a DEA-scheduled substance, whereas ketamine and esketamine are Schedule III. Your provider can help you determine which approach makes the most sense for your situation.
Because this is an off-label use, insurance does not currently cover nitrous oxide therapy for depression. It is offered as a self-pay service. Oasis accepts CareCredit, HSA/FSA, and all major credit cards. Please contact us for current pricing or visit our pricing page for details.
A single consultation is all it takes to find out if nitrous oxide therapy is right for you. Our providers in Nashua and Concord are ready to help.