Alcohol Antidote?

[Jangler]

For hardened drinkers, it sounds too good to be true: a natural substance that keeps them sober no matter how much they drink, neutralises hangovers and eventually breaks the cycle of alcohol addiction.

Alcoholism is a huge problem globally, killing 2.5 million people a year according to the World Health Organization. There has been serious research recently looking for drugs that stop people drinking, or at least encourage them to drink less.

Extracts of a Chinese variety of the oriental raisin tree (Hovenia dulcis) could be the answer. The extracts have been used for 500 years to treat hangovers in China. Now dihydromyricetin (DHM), a component of the extract, has proved its worth as an intoxication blocker in a series of experiments on boozing rats. It works by preventing alcohol from having its usual intoxicating effects on the brain, however much is in blood.

Soon, a preparation containing DHM will be tested for the first time in people. "I would give it to problem drinkers who can't resist going to the pub and drinking," says pharmacologist Jing Liang of the University of California, Los Angeles, who led the research team.

"DHM will reduce the degree of drunkenness for the amount of alcohol drunk and will definitely reduce the hangover symptoms," says Liang. "In time, it will reduce their desire for alcohol."

more...

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21337-chinese-tree-extract-stops-rats-getting-drunk.html

not sure of the point of drinking then taking a pill so you can drink more without getting drunk or at least a buzz.

[LifeisaGarden]

lol These are people who obviously know nothing about alcoholism.

[Sapper]

I know someone that once used the logic that when he got really drunk he would eat loafs of bread to soak up the alcohol so he could drink more.

There was a lot of face palming that week.

[Mother Grabber]

So you can go straight to alcohol poisoning, without the need to passout first. Great!

[Ja Rhule]

Best way to quit alcohol? Get rid of it... Get either xanax (day time) or ambien (night time) prescriptions and in 3-4 weeks u will be golden. Xanax and ambien will take more than 3-4 weeks to develop an addiction to either drug. That is ur way to freedom. Continue to take xanax or ambien for longer than 6 weeks, and u will be addicted to drugs.

[ladypanther]

Arsen....if you are addicted....changing the drug does not fix the addiction. Just leads to more trouble...

[Razzy]

According to Revenge of the Nerds, so does trichloromethylene. This is cool though, alcoholism is a hard fight.

[Ja Rhule]

Arsen....if you are addicted....changing the drug does not fix the addiction. Just leads to more trouble...

It does help. Addiction is a neurological issue. Certain neurological drugs relax ones brain and help ease the pain of not having a drink. You think they go cold turkey on u in rehab facilities? No, they give people antianxiety and antidepressants to fight through it.

[ladypanther]

Arsen....benzodiazepines are given because they are in the same class of drugs as alcohol....people with a serious problem with alcohol can die from withdrawal....so they use the benzos at the beginning of detox, but usually only for 3-5 days. Benzos themselves are highly addictive....Xanax being the worst, and hardest to get off of because of it's short halflife.

Antidepressants are different because they are not addictive. The nervous system is damaged by addictive drugs...replacing one for another does not help the nervous system to heal. Healing will take some degree of discomfort...benzos are used short term to keep it from being deadly.

I do know of doctors who prescribe antianxiety drugs to alcoholics, but have never known it to be effective as a treatment for addiction. At best it just creates another one.

[Johnny Rockets]

Best way to quit alcohol? Get rid of it... Get either xanax (day time) or ambien (night time) prescriptions and in 3-4 weeks u will be golden. Xanax and ambien will take more than 3-4 weeks to develop an addiction to either drug. That is ur way to freedom. Continue to take xanax or ambien for longer than 6 weeks, and u will be addicted to drugs.

Are you sure you are describing the best way to quit alcohol and not the best best thing to take while drinking alcohol?

[Guest Irv]

if they legalize marijuana we all can get high and enjoy the fact that we wont die or get a hangover

[Ja Rhule]

Are you sure you are describing the best way to quit alcohol and not the best best thing to take while drinking alcohol?

This man knows how to party!

[Claws]

if they legalize marijuana we all can get high and enjoy the fact that we wont die or get a hangover

this.