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Experts reveal the surprising antidote to methanol poisoning that EVERY traveller should know about - as doctor admits to wrongly giving victim vitamin drips

Methanol, a potent chemical , is often mixed into counterfeit booze to boost profits in some parts of the world due to being cheap to produce with just a mouthful enough to potentially kill.

Source: Cubes | 

04.12.2024, 16:25

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Experts have revealed a surprising cure for methanol poisoning after alcohol contaminated with the substance killed six people Laos, and hospitalised a further dozen. 

Methanol, a potent chemical found in paint thinner, is often mixed into counterfeit booze to boost profits in some parts of the world, as it is cheap to produce.

Just a mouthful can be enough to kill and two teaspoons can make you go blind.

But a surprising cure for methanol poisoning is the very chemical it is designed to mimic; alcohol. 

Delivered via an IV drip, or just by drinking in a clinical setting, alcohol can delay the breakdown of methanol, which is responsible for its toxic effects. 

This gives medics extra time for them to save a potential victim's life.

However, patients may need to be kept drunk for up to a week — and under strict medical supervision — to ensure correct dosage in order to clear the methanol from their system.  

It comes after a Laotian medic who treated one of the victims said he originally treated her with fluids and vitamins, suspecting she had consumed too much cannabis.

A surprising cure for methanol poisoning is the very chemical it is designed to mimic, alcohol. Stock image

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