Sci/Tech New drug may keep you sober no matter how much you've had to drink

[The Helper]

Imagine a pill that could instantly sober you up no matter how much you've had to drink, or a hangover cure that worked minutes after swallowing it. Hardened drinkers rejoice: researchers are about to begin human trials on an "alcohol antidote" that may soon offer a cure to alcoholism, reports New Scientist.

The drug is a chemical called dihydromyricetin, or DHM, and is derived from a Chinese variety of the oriental raisin tree, which has been used for at least 500 years in China as an effective hangover cure. So far the extract has only been tested on boozing rats, but with promising results.

"DHM will reduce the degree of drunkenness for the amount of alcohol drunk and will definitely reduce the hangover symptoms," said Jing Liang, lead researcher in the study. "In time, it will reduce [an alcoholic's] desire for alcohol."

Liang first tested how well DHM alleviated drunken rats' clumsiness and loss of coordination by measuring how long it took them to right themselves after being laid on their backs. Rats were injected with an alcohol equivalent of a human drinking 15 to 20 beers in two hours to ensure that they were sufficiently wasted. As one would expect, it took the rats about 70 minutes just to get back up on their feet. After a milligram of DHM (per kilogram of rat body weight) was added to the mixture, however, the rats were able to right themselves in just five minutes.

Chinese tree extract stops rats getting drunk

Ancient hangover cure could help problem drinkers stay sober, avoid hangovers and eventually kick the habit

www.newscientist.com

 

[FireCat]

What a crap idea :thdown:
Hmm scientists want to give people a life threatening diseases or what?

 

[YourFace]

What a crap idea :thdown:
Hmm scientists want to give people a life threatening diseases or what?

Uh...What? I honestly have no idea what you're talking about

 

[D.V.D]

Then whats the point of drinking alcohol if you don't get tipsy or drunk?

 

[DDRtists]

What a crap idea :thdown:
Hmm scientists want to give people a life threatening diseases or what?

What are you talking about? Because like YourFace, I have absolutely no idea on this one...

Then whats the point of drinking alcohol if you don't get tipsy or drunk?

You don't take it while you're drinking. For example, you go out to party, you get drunk. Party ends, and you have to drive home. With this, you could take it, and then drive home instead of getting a DUI. :thup:

 

[Sim]

If it works as intended, I am in favor of this. Opposition says it will favor drinking even more, while I think it will instead favor safety and reasonable drinking.

What a crap idea :thdown:
Hmm scientists want to give people a life threatening diseases or what?

Life threatening disease...??

 

[YourFace]

I personally don't think people will abuse this drug - getting sober then drinking again - simply because they'll prefer not to be sober and, really, how much alcohol are they going to drink before they stop?

 

[Slapshot136]

I foresee problems related to taking this + tons alcohol as a ego booster, and ending up with way more alcohol in your system then what it feels like -> tons of health problems

not quite sure why it makes people quit drinking

 

[D.V.D]

What are you talking about? Because like YourFace, I have absolutely no idea on this one...



You don't take it while you're drinking. For example, you go out to party, you get drunk. Party ends, and you have to drive home. With this, you could take it, and then drive home instead of getting a DUI. :thup:

Didn't think of it that way, that way its a great idea XD

 

[tom_mai78101]

Ooh, now we'll get a DHM drug test if this goes legal.

 

[DDRtists]

Ooh, now we'll get a DHM drug test if this goes legal.

Errr, why? Theres no reason to test for DHM. Lol
Unless...

Is it anything related to DXM, the active chemical in Robitussin and most cough syrups? Because if so, I do not agree with selling this. Recreational use of DXM at high does has PCP-like effects. Speaking from personal experience with DXM here, if DHM is like DXM, you don't need to be giving drunk people a drug of that status. It is a very powerful drug.

 

[Accname]

I would like to hear about the chemical background of this drug. I know a little bit how alcohol intoxication works from a chemical perspective, does this drug do the job of the liver inside your stomach or does it just hide the symptoms from your brain? Will the intoxication still be dangerous to your health or will the drug really cure the poison from the alcohol?

 

[phyrex1an]

I would like to hear about the chemical background of this drug. I know a little bit how alcohol intoxication works from a chemical perspective, does this drug do the job of the liver inside your stomach or does it just hide the symptoms from your brain? Will the intoxication still be dangerous to your health or will the drug really cure the poison from the alcohol?

Via wikipedia:
http://www.jneurosci.org/content/32/1/390
http://www.uclahealth.org/body.cfm?id=561&action=detail&ref=1821

 

[DDRtists]

All the medical things I'm reading on it seem to mention semi-addictive properties in DHM... :thdown:
In rats, at least.

 

[Siretu]

Uh...What? I honestly have no idea what you're talking about

Isn't it obvious? The pill makes you sober, the scientists want to give this pill to people. Firecat finds this to be equivalent to giving a life threatening disease to people so the conclusion is that Firecat thinks being sober is a life threatening disease!

 

[Fatmankev]

By what I read on it, it somehow negates the effect of alcohol on the GABA receptors in the brain, which normally can be attributed to clumsiness, slurred speech and blurred vision, as well as a hindered reaction speed. In addition, it makes alcohol seem less appealing when under the effects of DHM, similar to anti-smoking drugs like Chantix. Although these could be very helpful in a whole slew of situations, the fact that it does nothing to remove the poison from your system could pose a set of problems on the college party front, due to the great risks taken and unfounded sense of invincibility that comes at such an age.

Still, all in all, seems like it would cause more harm than good, no? And if this drug also helps to alleviate alcohol withdrawal symptoms, then it would really be a godsend; after all, alcohol is the only drug known to man that can kill you through the withdrawal alone. Also, I wonder if any other drugs affect the GABA receptors in the brain, and if this drug would work at abating those effects as well.

And no, DXM and DHM are two completely different chemicals. DXM has a lot of known adverse health effects, and I would recommend to anyone using that chemical to cease and desist immediately. You can overdose and die from this drug, especially if you ingest it in pill form, and the risk is not worth the reward. If you wanna get high, cannabis is your best and safest bet, over alcohol especially. The addiction to cannabis is mild compared to the vast majority of other drugs, and is no more so than someone addicted to exercise or gluttony, and the negative health benefits are still so misunderstood due to lack of proactive government involvement, to the point that not even the National Institute on Drug Abuse can say what's bad about it for sure.

But anyways, DHM. Yeah. Hope it works for the best.

 

[FireCat]

I don't really see how a freaking pill would lead to an cure
Oh curing alcoholism one liver [del]disease[/del] at a time. eh? Hmm drink till you die since you have no idea how much you drank.?!
This whole thing is bullshit and a insane idea!

 

[DDRtists]

Isn't it obvious? The pill makes you sober, the scientists want to give this pill to people. Firecat finds this to be equivalent to giving a life threatening disease to people so the conclusion is that Firecat thinks being sober is a life threatening disease!

You sir, are a genius!

By what I read on it, it somehow negates the effect of alcohol on the GABA receptors in the brain, which normally can be attributed to clumsiness, slurred speech and blurred vision, as well as a hindered reaction speed. In addition, it makes alcohol seem less appealing when under the effects of DHM, similar to anti-smoking drugs like Chantix. Although these could be very helpful in a whole slew of situations, the fact that it does nothing to remove the poison from your system could pose a set of problems on the college party front, due to the great risks taken and unfounded sense of invincibility that comes at such an age.

Still, all in all, seems like it would cause more harm than good, no? And if this drug also helps to alleviate alcohol withdrawal symptoms, then it would really be a godsend; after all, alcohol is the only drug known to man that can kill you through the withdrawal alone. Also, I wonder if any other drugs affect the GABA receptors in the brain, and if this drug would work at abating those effects as well.

And no, DXM and DHM are two completely different chemicals. DXM has a lot of known adverse health effects, and I would recommend to anyone using that chemical to cease and desist immediately. You can overdose and die from this drug, especially if you ingest it in pill form, and the risk is not worth the reward. If you wanna get high, cannabis is your best and safest bet, over alcohol especially. The addiction to cannabis is mild compared to the vast majority of other drugs, and is no more so than someone addicted to exercise or gluttony, and the negative health benefits are still so misunderstood due to lack of proactive government involvement, to the point that not even the National Institute on Drug Abuse can say what's bad about it for sure.

But anyways, DHM. Yeah. Hope it works for the best.

If that is indeed that case, yeah I see it being more bad that good. If it just makes you -think- you're sober, and as you stated, the alcohol/poison is still in your body, people are going to think they can start drinking again and it's going to start making people drink themselves to death.
As for DXM, I agree with you there. I've dabbled, and it is a very, very unpleasant dissociative high. Never again :thdown:

I don't really see how a freaking pill would lead to an cure
Oh curing alcoholism one liver [del]disease[/del] at a time. eh? Hmm drink till you die since you have no idea how much you drank.?!
This whole thing is bullshit and a insane idea!

Oh, really? I'd love to see your possible cure for alcoholism, then. Or perhaps research that is a further step than this? Because until you can either provide us with research or facts regarding a better form of cure, I'd consider not putting in your little 2-cents and making yourself look silly to the rest of us that are trying to discuss the topic at hand here.

Perhaps this form of the drug doesn't work out like it needs to, but it's a step forward in the right direction. Once they get this figured out, then they can start working to isolate and remove the things they need to, or scrap it all together. But either way, it's better than just sitting back and not moving technology and science a step forward.

People without addictions are completely non-understanding of people with addictions. I have addictions to nearly ever illicit drug on this planet, as I have done or been dosed with them. I could not explain the effects of any drug I've done or addiction that I have to anyone thats never done them, they are unexplainable to people who've not done them. So you have no idea what someone else is going through, and if this pill is one way that perhaps they could kick their alcoholism, all the more power to them. I hope it works out for them, but to say stuff like you are here, which is nothing more than a "You should have never drank to begin with", is flat out heartless. People make mistakes, no ones perfect, and if this medicine gives someone that chance to fix their mistake and make their life better, why can't they do that?

 

[FireCat]

Oh, really? I'd love to see your possible cure for alcoholism

Just don't drink any more alcohol, not ever and no matter what! The best cure for alcoholism.

Anyway the whole thing is silly.

 

[DDRtists]

Just don't drink any more alcohol, not ever and no matter what! The best cure for alcoholism.

That is your opinion, and to force the rest of society to live based on your opinions is insane. If you don't want to drink, and therefore don't have to deal with DHM, then all the more power to you. Go have a good sober night, have fun, do your thing. But to tell others they need to do the same? Thats crossing the line. When I go to parties or raves, I'm dropping MDMA and/or doing lines of cocaine, yet you don't see me going "You should do drugs every event you go to, it makes them more fun!" Thats my opinion, and to force it on to people is insane. Me living my personal life doesn't effect or endanger your life in any way, so don't try and force your personal opinions on others. Now if it effected you directly and changed your life, then by all means, you can/should say something.

I'm sure you wouldn't be saying the same thing if your mom was an alcoholic and beat you every day because she was drunk. DHM might be the last hope you have at getting your mother back from alcoholism. You don't know everyones case, and to think everyone is in the same boat as you is thoughtless, because they're not.