Refrigerant Poisoning: Symptoms, Treatments, And Prevention

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Medically reviewed by Cynthia Taylor Chavoustie, MPAS, PA-C — Written by Elea Carey — Updated on June 20, 2023

Definition
Symptoms
Treatment
Misuse
Outlook
Prevention

Refrigerant poisoning is a medical emergency that requires quick treatment. Contact your local emergency number or poison control center for help.

What is refrigerant poisoning?

Refrigerant poisoning happens when someone is exposed to the chemicals used to cool appliances. Refrigerant contains chemicals called fluorinated hydrocarbons (often referred to by a common brand name, “Freon”).

Freon is a tasteless, mostly odorless gas. When it is deeply inhaled, it can cut off vital oxygen to your cells and lungs.

Limited exposure — for example, a spill on your skin or breathing near an open container — is only mildly harmful. However, you should try to avoid all contact with these types of chemicals. Even small amounts can cause symptoms.

Inhaling refrigerant fumes on purpose to “get high” can be very dangerous. It can be fatal even the very first time you do it. Regularly inhaling high concentrations of Freon can cause conditions such as:

breathing difficulty
fluid buildup in your lungs
organ damage
sudden death

If you suspect refrigerant poisoning, call 911 or the National Poison Control Hotline at 1-800-222-1222.

What are the symptoms of refrigerant poisoning?

Mild exposure to refrigerant chemicals is generally harmless. Poisoning is rare except in cases of misuse or exposure in a confined space. Symptoms of mild to moderate poisoning include:

irritation of your eyes, ears, and throat
headache
nausea
vomiting
frostbite (liquid Freon)
cough
chemical burn to your skin
dizziness

Symptoms of severe poisoning include:

fluid buildup or bleeding in your lungs
burning sensation in your esophagus
vomiting up blood
decreased mental status
difficult, labored breathing
irregular heart rate
loss of consciousness
seizures

How is refrigerant poisoning treated?

If you are with someone you think has refrigerant poisoning, quickly move the person to fresh air to avoid further complications from prolonged exposure.

Once the person has been moved, call 911 or the National Poison Control Hotline at 1-800-222-1222.

Refrigerant poisoning is treated in the hospital emergency room. Doctors will monitor the affected person’s:

breathing
heart rate
blood pressure
pulse

A doctor may use many types of methods to treat internal and external injuries. These include:

giving oxygen through a breathing tube
drugs and medication to treat symptoms
gastric lavage — inserting a tube into the stomach to rinse it and empty its contents
surgical removal of burned or damaged skin

There are no medical tests available to diagnose Freon exposure. There are also no FDA-approved drugs to treat the poisoning. In the case of inhalant misuse, the affected individual may need to be hospitalized in a drug treatment center.

Misuse: Getting high on refrigerant

Refrigerant misuse is commonly called “huffing.” The chemical is often inhaled from the following products:

an appliance
a container
a rag
a bag with the neck held tightly closed

The products above are chosen because they can be:

inexpensive
easy to find
easy to hide

When misused, refrigerant chemicals can produce a pleasurable feeling by depressing your central nervous system.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the feeling produced by misusing inhalant chemicals like refrigerant is similar to the feeling caused by drinking alcohol or taking sedatives, along with lightheadedness and hallucinations.

The high only lasts a few minutes, so people who misuse inhalants often inhale repeatedly to make the feeling last longer.

What are the symptoms of misuse?

People who misuse inhalants like refrigerant might have a mild rash around the nose and mouth. Other symptoms include:

watery eyes
slurred speech
an appearance of alcohol misuse
irritability or excitability
sudden weight loss
chemical smells on the clothing or breath
paint stains on the clothing, face, or hands
lack of coordination
hidden empty spray cans or rags soaked in chemicals

What are the health complications of misuse?

Along with a rapid “high,” and a feeling of euphoria, the chemicals found in refrigerant produce many negative effects on your body. These can include:

lightheadedness
hallucinations
delusions
agitation
nausea and vomiting
lethargy
muscle weakness
depressed reflexes
loss of sensation
unconsciousness

Even people who misuse for the first time can experience devastating consequences.

A condition known as “sudden sniffing death” can occur in healthy people the very first time they inhale refrigerant. The highly concentrated chemicals can lead to irregular and rapid heart rates.

The irregular, fast heart rates can then lead to heart failure within minutes. Death can also occur due to:

asphyxiation
suffocation
seizures
choking
a fatal accident from driving while intoxicated

Some chemicals found in refrigerant stick around in your body for a long period of time. They attach easily to fat molecules and can be stored in your fatty tissue.

The buildup of refrigerant poison can negatively impact vital organs, including your liver and brain. The buildup can also become habit-forming. Regular or long-term misuse may also result in:

weight loss
loss of strength or coordination
irritability
depression
episodes of psychosis
rapid, irregular heart rate
lung damage
nerve damage
brain injury
death

Getting help

The misuse of inhalant chemicals among adolescents has been rising steadily over the past few years.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse found that roughly 12.6 percent of eighth graders reported inhalant misuse in 2020. This figure is up from 9.5 percent in 2019.

Call Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator from the National Institute on Drug Abuse at 1-800-662-HELP if you need information or advice about treatment, or if you are living with substance misuse and want help now. You can also visit www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov.

Treatment for substance misuse is available for you or a loved one. Medically trained staff in an inpatient rehab center can help you. They can also address any underlying concerns that may have led to the substance misuse.

What is the outlook for refrigerant poisoning?

Recovery depends on how quickly you get medical help. Huffing refrigerant chemicals can result in significant brain and lung impact. The effects vary from person to person. The impact is not reversible even after the person stops misusing inhalants.

Sudden death can occur with refrigerant misuse, even the very first time.

Preventing accidental refrigerant poisoning

Inhaling chemicals to get high is common in the United States because such chemicals are legal and easy to find.

Inhalant use among adolescents has been declining over the years. However, nearly 40,000 adolescents misuse inhalants on any given day, according to a 2014 report.

Preventing misuse

To help prevent misuse of refrigerant chemicals and other inhalants, limit access to them by keeping containers out of children’s reach. Attach locks to the appliances that require the chemicals.

It’s also important to educate people about the dangers and health risks of inhalant use. Some of these people include:

adolescents
parents
teachers
doctors
other service providers

School and community-based education programs have resulted in a great reduction in misuse.

Communicate with your children about the risks of misusing drugs and alcohol. It can help to have an “open door” policy for these conversations.

Try to acknowledge the risks of substance misuse and know that it can happen to various people. So, be sure to reiterate that huffing can lead to death the very first time it’s done.

Workplace safety

It’s important to understand and observe all safety procedures if you work with refrigerators or other types of cooling appliances.

Attend all trainings on appliances and wear protective clothing or a mask, if necessary, to minimize contact with refrigerant chemicals.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

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Recent declines in adolescent inhalant use. (2014).https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/sr174-inhalants-2014/sr174-inhalants-2014/sr174-inhalants-2014.htm

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Medically reviewed by Cynthia Taylor Chavoustie, MPAS, PA-C — Written by Elea Carey — Updated on June 20, 2023

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