Mike29
03-10-2001, 11:26 PM
Until recently, I thought i was allergic to alcohol, but by doing some research on the internet, I have found out that I suffer from what is called "Asian Flush". Technically it's not an allergy but a low tolerance to the chemicals that get released during the breakdown of alcohol in your body. Does anyone know any other information about this? Is there anything I can take (medications) or anything I can do about this? And will it become less serious as I age because I'm only 17.
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axe
04-30-2001, 10:16 AM
From what I can remember from my pharmacology days at University.
Ethanol (alcohol) is metabolised to ethanal (an aldehyde). The ethanal is then metabolised to ethanoic acid (this is less toxic than ethanal). Basically in 'asian flush' is there is a deficiency of Alcohol dehydrogenase, which converts ethanal to ethanoic acid. As a result the more toxic ethanal builds up. This results in facial flushing, nausea and vomiting. The asian population commonly have ADH deficiency (dont quote me, but it may be around 10%).
This same mechanism of alcohol metabolism has been used in the 'unsuccessful' treatment of alcoholism. By giving the patient 'antabuse' (disulpharam) a medication that blocks ADH, this causes the patient to have the flushing side effects and is supposed to deter alcohol...unfortunately alcoholics learn this, and simple just dont take the 'antabuse'.
Taking metronidazole, an antibiotic commonly causes this disulpharam reaction when alcohol is taken, and is really the only antibiotic you should not take with ethanol (although we tell you not to drink with any)
Kind Regards
R.
Ethanol (alcohol) is metabolised to ethanal (an aldehyde). The ethanal is then metabolised to ethanoic acid (this is less toxic than ethanal). Basically in 'asian flush' is there is a deficiency of Alcohol dehydrogenase, which converts ethanal to ethanoic acid. As a result the more toxic ethanal builds up. This results in facial flushing, nausea and vomiting. The asian population commonly have ADH deficiency (dont quote me, but it may be around 10%).
This same mechanism of alcohol metabolism has been used in the 'unsuccessful' treatment of alcoholism. By giving the patient 'antabuse' (disulpharam) a medication that blocks ADH, this causes the patient to have the flushing side effects and is supposed to deter alcohol...unfortunately alcoholics learn this, and simple just dont take the 'antabuse'.
Taking metronidazole, an antibiotic commonly causes this disulpharam reaction when alcohol is taken, and is really the only antibiotic you should not take with ethanol (although we tell you not to drink with any)
Kind Regards
R.
Christopher74
05-16-2001, 02:29 PM
Why not become an alcohol free person and set a good example?
StevenC264
08-28-2005, 12:50 AM
I'm a college student (and yes, I'm Asian) with some degree of alcohol intolerance, and believe me, with some of the people I've been around, choosing not to drink with them is the same as calling their mother a *****; Its very disrespectful, and you get a lot of crap about it. So I understand very well the pressure to drink, lol