Experts have unveiled a surprising cure for methanol poisoning after alcohol contaminated with the substance killed six people in Laos and hospitalized dozens more.
Methanol, a powerful chemical found in paint thinner, is often mixed with counterfeit liquor in some parts of the world to increase profits because it is cheap to produce.
Just one bite can be enough to kill and two teaspoons can cause you to go blind.
But a surprising cure for methanol poisoning is the very chemical it’s meant to mimic; alcohol.
Administered through an IV, or simply by drinking in a clinical setting, alcohol can slow the breakdown of methanol, which is responsible for its toxic effects.
This gives medics extra time to save the life of a potential victim.
However, patients may need to be kept intoxicated for a week – and under close medical supervision – to ensure proper dosing and clear the methanol from their system.
It comes after a Lao doctor who treated one of the victims said he originally treated her with fluids and vitamins because he suspected she had taken too much cannabis.
A surprising remedy for methanol poisoning is the chemical it is meant to mimic: alcohol. Stock image
The patient, Holly Bowles, 19, later died in hospital.
Alcohol is considered one of the first-line treatments for suspected methanol poisoning in many parts of the world.
It works thanks to an interaction between methanol, the liver and alcohol.
Methanol itself is not toxic to the body. It is only when broken down by the liver that the chemical components begin to wreak havoc.
These components cause the blood to become acidic, damaging cells and organs.
If left untreated, it can lead to permanent damage or death.
Professor Alastair Hay, an expert in environmental toxicology at the University of Leeds, explained that alcohol, chemically known as ethanol, prevents the liver from processing methanol.
‘The principle behind administering ethanol is quite simple; it slows down methanol metabolism,” he said.
He explained that both substances are broken down by the organ in the same way, but that alcohol, because this happens more efficiently, is given priority by the body.
Professor Hay said this preference for alcohol gives the body time to get rid of methanol in other ways that do not lead to organ damage, such as through urination and sweating.
British lawyer Simone White, 28, from Orpington in Kent (pictured) died after drinking free shots allegedly laced with deadly methanol
Melbourne teenagers Holly Bowles (left) and Bianca Jones (right), both aged 19, died this month after drinking tainted alcohol after a night out in the party town of Vang Viang
In milder cases, and if administered quickly enough, alcohol may be the only treatment a patient needs to recover.
“If the poisoning is not too severe, and only blood tests reveal this, then ethanol alone may be sufficient,” said Professor Hay.
In more severe or delayed cases, keeping a patient “slightly drunk” can give other treatments, such as dialysis, to cleanse the blood of methanol toxins time to work, he said.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, recommends alcohol as a possible treatment for methanol poisoning.
Dr. Knut Erik Hovda of Doctors Without Borders described it as the “main antidote” in his commentary on the BBC.
However, a drug called fomepizole, which works on the same chemical principle as alcohol, is preferred under all circumstances if it is available.
Medics consider it more effective because it is easier to control the dose to counteract methanol. It also has fewer side effects than alcohol for patients, including sedation or behavioral changes.
However, it is expensive, costing almost £4,000 per dose in some parts of the world, meaning alcohol is generally more readily available.
Here we show how the substance can wreak havoc on the body within hours of ingestion, leaving drinkers paralyzed, unable to breathe and at risk of losing their sight.
It comes as Dr. Yaher, who treated one of the Australian victims of the Lao poisonings, 19-year-old Holly Bowles, told The Times that when he first examined the young woman she was “confused” and “drowsy”.
“We asked her what she had eaten or drunk, but she didn’t know what had happened,” he said.
He said doctors initially suspected Bowles had consumed too many cannabis edibles popular with tourists.
‘We treated her symptomatically. We put her on an IV and gave her vitamins. But after 30 minutes she had a seizure and fell into a coma.”
She became the sixth victim, with her deaths following those of her friend Bianca Jones, also 19, and British lawyer Simone White, 28, from Orpington, Kent.
There have also been three other fatalities – two Danes and an American – linked to the drinks served in the Laotian town of Vang Vieng, which is popular with backpackers.
Doctors and experts want to emphasize that the time it takes to seek medical attention is by far the most critical factor in the consequences of methanol poisoning and urge travelers to be aware of the possible symptoms.
Symptoms of methanol poisoning typically develop 12 to 24 hours after drinking, which distinguishes it from alcohol poisoning which typically occurs earlier.
However, symptoms can occur even after 24 hours if enough alcohol has been consumed to slow the initial breakdown of methanol, similar to how it is used as a treatment.
Signs of methanol poisoning include confusion, dizziness, drowsiness, vomiting, vision changes, and abdominal and muscle pain.
Patients often complain of a severe or unusual ‘hangover’ in the initial stages, which is then followed by breathing problems, vomiting and abdominal pain, as well as vision problems.
If a patient does not receive treatment, he or she may fall into a coma as their body begins to shut down.