Hey, guys. I've created a forum for discussion, so we don't have to use this space anymore. Here's the URL:



http://echeng.com/asianblush/

im pretty sure i suffer from the asian flush too, but i dont really mind the redness. my real problem is the upset stomach i get. does pepcid ac get rid of that too?

I tried using Maximum Strength Pepcid AC (20mg). I took one pill 2 hours before drinking. It worked remarkably well. I had 1 beer, 2 gin and tonics, 1 Seagrams 7 with Coke, and 1 Bloody Mary. Toward the last drink I did start to see some redness, but that's much more than I would ordinarily have consumbed before becoming beet red.



The next day I tried using Tagamet (2 pills) and they didn't seem to work nearly as well as the Pepcid AC. I only had 2 drinks and experienced the old familiar symptoms: flushed face, rapid heartbeat, some dizziness. Although I've only tried each once, my early tests seem to indicate that Pepcid AC works better than Tagamet. Your results may vary. ;-)

SETTLE DOWN FUNHATER!

it is very important to remind you guys that approximately 75% of all people that had esophagus cancer last year in Japan are ASIAN FLUSH positive!



Several studies conducted even in american universities showed that the ACETYLDEHYDE metabolised by the body and that is not broken by our asian enzymes, is the main cause for that.



All I want to warn you all is that, taking Pepcid Ac, Tagamet, or Aspirin, might leave you without the redness and the rapid heart, but actually let those carcinogen bastards floating on our blood.



And for those of you who are encouraged to drink more when taking these drugs, and even those who insist in drinking the same your fellow white/black friends do, Remember:



WE ARE JUST NOT SUPPOSED TO DRINK.

DRINK IT AND DIE OR FACE THE REALITY AS A MAN AND GO PARTY AS AN ASIAN HAS TO: WILD, BUT ALCOHOL FREE!

The strangest thing: whenever I drink vodka gimlets: 1 part vodka, 1 1/2 parts lime juice, dash of sugar - I don't get the asian glow. Normally, 1/2 a beer will get me beet red, and I don't know what it is thats making me normal. Fructose? Citric acid?

To: Westside23 - Yes, I think that would be a good idea. I think others would be interested in this as well. Go for it!

I'm interested in anyone's experience using Tagamet (Cimetidine) vs. Pepcid AC (Famotidine). I read a couple of articles e.g. http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic455.htm which suggest that Cimetidine is perhaps *more* effective than Famotidine, but *may* increase the intoxication levels mentioned in previous posts. Just search Google for Cimetidine and Asian Flush and you'll see references.



After reading all the posts here, I decided to purchase both Tagamet and Pepcid AC and plan on doing my own tests. I've been struggling with this for many years and have always been hoping for a "cure". I wonder if anyone else has or is willing to try the comparison of Tagamet to Pepcid AC. I'll let you know how it goes!



I think this forum is great and the more candid people are with their experiences, the better everyone will be.

this is great :)

someone should make a forum just for this i might do it ? .. Could post like the lastest updates and stuff and best ways to beat the glows and discuss ways around in rather than just post here anyone interested in something like that ?

Unfortunately I don't get the flush. But I do get thrush...does anyone have any tips on curing that?

hahaha. Welcome to the Asian Glow support group. now I'm all wishing I had Asian Glow too!

I've seen some chemical companines sell Aldehyde dehydrogenase....I wonder if you can purchase that and is it safe for consumption?? Anyone have any thoughts?

Tried Pepsid AC this weekend. I was shocked to find it actually worked! First time not turning beet red since I started drinking.

Yeah, the side effects kind of worry me...

I used Pepcid AC Maximum Strength yesterday for the first time. I still got a little flushed, but not nearly as bad as before, and I didn't get the dizzy feeling or the rapid heart beat. I also didn't experience the increased effect of alcohol either. Try it and maybe it will work for you. I just hope there are no health risks!!

Red eyes are easy to fix. I use eye drops (Visine, Allergy with antihistamine). If your eyes are really red you may have to re-apply more often than usual.

I have bought Pepcid (simply called Pepcid, not Pepcid AC as in the US) from a Soul Pattinson pharmacy in Sydney. It contains 20mg famotidine. It is an over the counter drug, so you need to ask for it, but you do not need a prescripion. Cost was $9.95 and is made by Amrad, a subsidiary of Merck Sharp & Dohme, in Australia.

I have used it twice so far, both times I have drunken substatially more than I usually would, without getting flushed. While many said it increased the effects of the alocohl, I actually found I am now able to drink more than I have been able to without taking Pepcid. I do, however, get very red eyes, but the face is fine.

I would like to know more about the potential dangers of taking Pepcid though.

I tried Pepcid and it worked ok. I was less red than usual, but it was still pretty noticeable. Anyway, I ABSOLUTELY felt the effects of the alcohol more. After one and a half beers, it was a REALLY scary drive home. I actually pulled over to sleep a bit. Obviously, drinking and driving is the worst possible thing you can do, but usually I am totally fine (I am about 230 pounds). Anyway, in case anyone else tries Pepcid, PLEASE DO NOT DRIVE! The alcohol hits you a lot harder…

I live in Aus too, Tasmania to be more precise. I think I will try Pepcid, just got to get my hands on some.

Does anyone have any info on the real dangers of using Pepcid?

unlucky i live in aus and just got some pepcid ac yesterday bought it off a guy from the us via ebay try that. the pepcid ac reduces my flush but does not eliminate it how mang mgs do you guys usually take of pepcid ac?

I found in my younger days that when I drank slowly at first i went a little bit red but it went away eventually. Once the redness faded i could drink all night, like everyone else. Unfortunately on occasions this technique failed and led to feeling very awkward and embarrassed (probably because went to quickly). Now I don't go out drinking because I don't want to be put back into that situation. Unfortunately Pepcid Ac is not sold in Australia so I can't try that. I think that RU-21 and Rebound are just rip-off schemes, although I haven't tried them. I have read some information about an extremely expensive drug called 4-METHYLPYRAZOLE which has been scientifically shown to reduce flushing (documented in pub med journals).

guest how many did you take and how many mgs maby you took too many? how red do you go after how many drinks and so on ? Just curious ...

I tried Pepcid AC and it didn't work...oh well. Also, I got totally drowsy and my stomach hurt the next day. I only had 2 beers. Anyway, I am glad that it works for some people, but it just kind of ruined my night...

There appears to be a lot of dis-information on this log- perhaps a FAQ is in order?



The flushing syndrome seen in asians after alcohol consumption has nothing to do with allergic reactions. The aldehyde being a carcinogen issue, is mostly theoretical- a study trying to link the two actual found an inverse correlation.



The bottom line summary- Many asians have *fast* enzymatic activity for the first breakdown step of alcohol- up to 100x faster than most caucasians. This produces aldehyde. Some asians have *fast* breakdown of aldehyde as well (up to 40% of asians). You know these asians as people that not only don't flush, but they can drink like fish. Most Asians still have active breakdown of aldehyde, but because they breakdown alcohol so fast, they can't keep up. This is called shunting of alcohol to aldehyde. Aldehyde causes flushing and that "thick headed" feeling.



As far as I can tell, it is unclear yet, why H2 blockers can prevent this. There are many possibilities, but I think the most likely is that

they just slow the absorption of alcohol in the stomach. As long as you are one of the ~40% of asians that flush, but still have adequete breakdown of aldehyde, that slowing of absorption will slow the shunting and allow breakdown of the aldehyde as it is made.



(ps- I do not study these pathways in the lab, but I am a Stanford MD and a molecular biologist)



Further thoughts are welcome.



Dan

amen to that brother!

can someone just find a cure!

...:::URGENT :::...

They dont sell these in Australia.. and I would really like to try some is anyone willing to buy me some and I'll find a way to get some money to them via paypal or something like that ? please anyone ?

i tried to drink after having a little bit of honey. it worked for one shot, but failed as i drinked more. i think the honey only coats the stomach, then the alcohol goes in effect after the honey is digested

I think my asian glow is getting worse here in college. I drink about 2-3 times a week now instead of probably once every 2 weeks. It used to be a patchy red only on my face. Now it's spread down my neck and onto my shoulder blades. My cure for the asian glow was just drink like 1 or 2 to get red before you go out. Wait about an hour to two hours till it goes away, and then start up again. This worked flawless for me until the past 2 times. I don't know if it's cause I didn't wait long enough, or my stomach is suffering?

I do know that there must be a natural cure for this b/c I do remember times when I went out and did not get red at all and did get a good buzz. I just didn't realize what I ate...and that is frustrating now.

Does anyoen know if there is actually anyone out there working a cure for this problem ? the market for a solution to this problem is huge ...

(forgot this part) So you either need an enzyme or something to help break down acetaldehyde to acetate (or to flush out acetaldehyde from blood) or a H1, H2 antagonists. ... yeah it totally sucks that I become red after like half a glass! Oh well ...

I'm taking Medical Genetics at my school and wrote a paper on the "asian flush." I'll try and be concise.

Ok so here is how alcohol is metabolized by your body: after you drink alcohol, 80% is absorbed into the stomach and rest in your small intestine. Ethanol is metabolized in the liver: ethanol --via alcohol dehydrogenase--> acetaldehyde --aldehyde dehydrogenase(ALDH for short)--> acetate --> acetyl COA  CO2 + H2O. The rest, about 2-5%, is excreted unchanged in breath, urine, and perspiration.

We have 2 types of aldehyde dehydrogenase enzymes: cystolic ALDH called ALDH1 and mitochondrial ALDH called ALDH2. There are 2 alleles for ALDH2 enzyme: ALDH2*1 which is normal and ALDH2*2 which is a mutant. They differ by a single amino acid (so it’s a single point genetic mutation). The mutant ALDH2*2 codes for an inactive or less active ALDH2 and therefore cannot metabolize acetaldehyde as well as someone who has ALDH2*1. About 30-50% Asians have ALDH2*2 whereas 0% of Europeans and Africans do not.

Since persons who are genetically deficient in ALDH2 cannot breakdown acetaldehyde to acetate, the pathway stops because it cannot continue and there is an accumulation of acetaldehyde. This build up of acetaldehyde causes a flush reaction (disulfram-ethanol reaction). Accumulation of acetaldehyde levels may also inhibit conversion of dopamine to norepinephrine via dopamine beta hydroxylase. This leads to hypotension and the body responds by increasing heart rate, thus the rapid heart rate experienced by persons with ALDH2*2. The symptoms of the ‘Asian flush’ are flushed-face, rapid heart rate, and nausea. If you are homozygous (rare) ALDH2*2/2*2, then your symptoms are very servere; ALDH2*2/2*1 moderate; ALDH2*1/2*1 no symptoms.

Acetaldehyde is carcinogenic and neurotoxic. Those who have ALDH2*2, there is a higher concentration of acetaldehyde in salvia and that increase the risk for oral and esophageal cancer.

Hope that helps! =)

I am also curious on the honey method. I'd rather try something natural. I have been using Pepsid and so far so good. I only feel warm, but my face is slightly pink, although I think it's caused by my anxiousnous. Let me know.

has anyone tried taurine? it is supposed to help in breaking down acetaldehyde.

for fellow "glow" sufferers; Do you have difficulties eating complex sugars? ie; apples, peaches, plums? Do you know if is this related to the glow?

can anyone follow up on the "honey" method?

Hi I live in australia does anyone know any way I could get pepcid ac delivered here?

this asian blush sucks. i glow with just half a beer and it's embarassing. it's also accompanied with light-headedness (is this usual). i've tried over the counter stuff, only intensified the situation. does anyone know of any other way. i have some luck with a full meal high in fat in
conjunction with extremely slow drinking. this means a full glass of ice with very little beer to start out
with. once my body gets a hang of it, i can drink as much as anyone including hard liquor. the red is still there but not as severe (either that or i am too buzz to tell the diff). this usually takes about an hour. unfortunately, it doesn't work
all the time. the key is a full tummy and extreme low alcohol consumption to start out for the body to get over the initial shock. personally, this translates to anxiety or nervousness.
is it possilbe to do this w/o pills.

Some info http://www.lef.org/protocols/prtcl-004.shtml

So heres the bottom line- NAC has been shown to neutralize acetaldehyde, but it is catabolized in the body too quickly to be of much use vis a vis the allergic reaction. There are several compounds being patented and researched right now(search on google for N-terminal Dipeptides of D- Penicillamine), but it may be a few years before it hits the market. Unless of course, you want to go to a lab and make your own, lets see, D-penicillamyl-beta-alanine, in which case youre all set. So until then, pepcid and NAC, and a lot of caution.

about an hour

^ Did you take all 6 pills at one time or did you spread out the dosage? How much time was between dropping and drinking?

yeah, i tried six with the vitamin C but it didn't really seem to work. i'm still convinced that NAC would be the way to go, but its converted too quickly. any non-freshman biochemists out there- how do you maximize blood NAC levels?

guest1....are you sure your body just won't reject the excess NAC and Vitamin C? I think you'll just poop or pee the NAC or Vitamin C that your body can't use. 6 pills of NAC and about 18 vitamin C pills is ALOT to take at one time.

sorry, 6000mg and 18000 of Vitamin C may be a little exciting. i will try 3600 and 10000. there are people who take in excess of 10000mg of vitamin C a day as a health supplement, but i wouldnt recommend it.

i would skip the pepcid. chasers are basically vitamin supplements so no big deal. famotidine (pepcid AC) is an antihistamine, and is probably dangerous to mix with alcohol. i would take some nac earlier in the day, without vitamin C, then about ten NAC pills (6000mg), with three times as much vitamin C (uh...18000mg). that would be to start. i haven't tried it yet, but will soon. as of now this is megavitamin therapy. although the big numbers are somewhat scary, Vitamin C and NAC are not harmful in large amounts. Massive amounts of anything is bad. I would avoid having NAC pills for dinner. one more thing- NAC contains sulfur, which makes the pills themselves smell like shit, and makes your farts galaxy-class. if you plan on getting wasted, dont fart in front of girls. tell me if any of you try this, and i will too.

guest1...so according to what you say...you should take one or two 600mg NAC tablets in the beginning of the day, take a Pepcid AC pill an hour before you drink, take a Chaser pill right afterwards, and then take one or two about half an hour before you drink?

guest1 - whoever figures this thing out will make a lot of money. :)

oh yeah, also the vitamin C

one other thing- the website above says that only 10% of the NAC you ingest remains in the bloodstream for an extended period of time. the rest is metabolized into glutathione, another antioxidant, but not overly effective against ACH. the good thing is, NAC combats ACH directly, as opposed to assisting the main metabolizing enzyme, which in our case is crippled from one displaced DNA pair. so cheng, im thinking 600mg is too small. first, one might want to take a pre-dose, to push glutatione levels to normal(NAC does not cause cells to over-produce), then a main dosage, to skyrocket the blood-NAC level. Its a pain in the ass, but it might work. being a biochem major in college, ill be working on something better alright guys-

http://home.goulburn.net.au/~shack/antiox.htm<br />


has some info. tried it the other day, seemed to have a minimal effect, but will continue to try different doses. when NAC is used to treat acetaminophen(tylenol) poisoning, they use massive doses. there is no real danger of overdosing on nac.

Also...are you supposed to take NAC regularly? Or only before drinking? thx

Can someone elaborate further on NAC and those who suffer from "Asian blush" while drinking alcohol? How is NAC taken and how does it assist with the alcohol break-down in the body?



I am looking to get this at GNC:

[horrible long url here -ed]

Interesting. I looked here:

http://www.health-marketplace.com/N-Acetyl-Cyst... />


... which gives the warning, " When taking L-cysteine, N-acetyl-cysteine, or glutathione, it is recommended that three times as much vitamin C should be taken at the same time to prevent these amino acids from being oxidized in the body."



Now, who is the guinea pig who wants to try taking 600mg n-acetyl-cysteine and a bunch of vitamin C before having alcohol? Come back and report results! :)

followup to the last comment- they have pills of just n-acetyl-cysteine. i would suggest not taking pepcid, not only because it gets you extra wasted, but also because it does nothing about the acetaldehyde, which is an industrial solvent, and should never be in your bloodstream.

n-acetyl-cysteine neutralizes acetaldehyde, instead of just combating the allergic effects.

Is "RU-21" the same as "Chaser" pills?

Yeah, the other day I took 20 mg of pepcid ac before I had a couple of beers and it killed me. Totally ruined my week.

Thanks for all with the pepcid experiences, but does anyone know of any adverse side-affects of taking pepcid and then combining it with alcohol?

anyone know where I can find some Pepcid AC in china, or the chinese name for it? Thanks!

Pepcid in the UK? A search of famotidine and uk yields some good starting points:



http://a9.com/?q=famotidine+uk<br />


Search engines good.

So Mr Cheng, r u gonna tell me where i can get my hands on Pepcid (I live in england), cuz i refuse to believe that i'll need to go to the congo to find that magic flowering plant as mentioned by the DUH dude ;)

you guys are awesome.



by the way, i had a pepcid last night and had a beer and two hard drinks, the latter of which was called a "zombie" in a bar in Berlin, and i was really drunk and didn't turn red at all. but man, i was intoxicated. that drunkness -- without the crazy beet-redness factor -- is still strange to me. :)

Hey Duh,

Ur kidding me right? I've jus done a google search and thought Pepcid AC is jus a pill used to reduce stomach acid? Am i being blonde?

Pepcid AC is a rare flowering plant found on the banks of the Congo river in southern Africa. It blocks the "asian flush" reaction when ingested in conjunction with crystal pepsi. The combination of the concentrated pepcid ac angiosperm and the particular levels of carbon dioxide and corn syrup in the crystal pepsi form a delicate symbiotic relationship with the liver, and results in the turbocharged production of the uramoron enzyme (the uramoron enzyme breaks down the alcohol and is what is lacking in 50 percent of the asian population), a phenomemon known as "nowconsumealcoholatwillwithoutfearoftomoatofacestigmatamitosis."



But be warned...an international crime syndicate has recently succeeded in backing a coup d'etat in Congo, with the result that all naturally occuring groves of Pepcid AC in the wild are now unavailable for import due to U.S. trade sanctions on this renegade African nation. Therefore, at the time of this writing, all refined pepcid ac supplies in the United States are selling at hugely inflated prices, limiting flush-free alcohol intake to only the most affluent asians.

Hey, like u guys i have the crappy 'asian flush' thing and it really suxz. You think with all the medicial advancements they'd find a cure for it. I was just wondering if any of u guys know of any remedies or things to help me from going beetroot red! U dont know how much its ruining my social life! Ive heard the mention of pepcid, what is it how does it work and where can i get it.

Thanks

Pepcid AC really seems to work.. so I wonder if the Max Strength version works even better. The problem is, that I'min the UK, and it costs a fortune to buy (£5 for a pack of 12 :o !)

Pepcid AC Max Strength is excellent. Last year, ONE(!) hard lemonade (5%) was enough to get me all flushed and feeling like I was radiating heat from my face. I thought P-AC was not going to work, but I took two max strength (20 mgs each) an hour before I started drinking, and I was fine for the whole night. I still reddened a slight bit, but I drank a lot, and it was no more than anyone else. Also, I didn't feel really hot, and my heart wasn't racing like that one time with the one hard lemonade. It's great.

Tried Rebound pills. Didn't seem to work for the flush. Has anyone tried anything else that may work?

I'm not asian (I'm white) but I think I get the asian blush...my face turns red after some drinks (this is somewhat new, about 8 months ago it started) and it's not ALL over - it's usually on my cheeks and forehead but mostly the cheeks. It's kind of a patchy cherry red...very embarassing and I dislike drinking because of it. I'm going to Vegas tomorrow, hopefully Pepcid works...is this the same thing you all get?

oh yea ive tried ru-21 and didnt work for sh*t. i dont think rebound could fair any better.

i keep putting up posts but it keeps disappearing..

Has anyone tried rebound hangover pills? Sounds extremely similar to ru-21 but rebound claims its product does a better job of reducing the aceteldehyde.

Fructose: How much honey did you take, and how long before drinking?

curious: takes me 2 drinks to get flushed. 3 to get beet red. try taking famotidine 2-3 hours before you drink, and take 40mg, then see what happens. 100mg is the maximum recommended daily dose, so 40mg is still safe. if you have more questions feel free to email. or you can post here. good luck.

will: how many drinks does it take for you to show traits of asian blush? and how red do you get when drinking without any famotidine?



perhaps you're the type who show only slight flushing with alcohol and that's why it works so well for you? i tried pepcid ac once and didnt really work. maybe i need to have more than one tablet?

fructose: you had no success with famotidine?

try having some fructose before you drink. i read online somewhere that fructose accelerates the breakdown of ethanol and might help in the fight against asian flush. im the type of person who turns red, i mean RED after one lousy beer. because of it, i feel that it has taken a toll on my social life. it is truly an embarrassing situation and has shaped me into a very self conscious drinker when and if i do drink at all. i've experimented with alot of different suggestions to combat AF and none have really been successful. well, this past weekend i had some honey (it's high in fructose; also found in many sweet fruits such as figs) before i had a beer.. and surprisingly i didnt endure the usual bout of crimson transformation. not one shade of pink! happy with the discovery, i didnt want to ruin the ominous progress by having another beer. next time i;ll try having two maybe three to see how well it holds up... let me know if any of you have tried this method and if any other solutions are out there.

If you have acne, redness from alcohol inflammates the redness.

after numerous trials, i've found that pepcid ac (or generic famotidine) is excellent for the asian blush. the only down side is you have to take it in advance for it to be most effective. so, before you drink, take 20 or 30 mg of famotidine 1-3 hours before you drink. then, drink all you want...it takes 12 hours or so for famotidine to wear off. happy drinking.

I'm not sure if you guys are this way inclined, but I find that taking dexamphetamines (used for treating adhd patients) and amphetamines (speed) increases my tolerance for alcohol and reduces my 'asian blush' from tomato red to slight pink. This remedy should obviously not be practiced on a regular basis, but useful nonetheless and interesting from a scientific point of view

tried using tums last night. didn't work..may have worked just slightly at reducing redness. pepcid works the best, but i still get solid pink and it still bothers me..i've tried eating no carb meals before drinking, doesn't work. i've tried claritin, benedryl, aspirin...yes i find asian red face very embarassing :) gonna try higher dose pepcid ac but i feel like it potentiates the alcohol or something.. take the pepcid (or generic famotidine) about 30-60 minutes before you drink cuz it takes time to get into your system. 20mg is effective, haven't tried 10mg.

Are you supposed to take the pepcid before you drink or with the alcohol?

So after reading this after a google search, I decided to try pepcid, and it ABSOLUTELY worked for me!! I'm shockingly glow free for the first time since I've started drinking. It's freaking amazing...thanks to you all who recommended it!!! Although I have to admit the alk has hit me a bit harder than it usually does....but whatev, cheaper date.

I tried the RU-21 today. Took two tablets before drinking and 2 more while I was drinking. After a couple of glasses of Hpnotiq I was maybe even redder than usual (which hardly seems possible). RU-21 did not work for me.

i've tried antihistimines like claritin and zyrtek to prevent the the asian "tomato face", but they don't seem to help.



what is RU-21? is an over-the-counter medication, or is it prescription? do you take that medication 30 mins before drinking? are there any side effects?



i'd really like to find a solution to the "tomato face" problem. i enjoy drinking alcohol in moderation when i'm in social situations, and with my problem, it makes it awkward.



thanks for the advice!

ive tried famitodine (generic pepcid ac) and it is pretty effective. i still get pink but not the cherry-red that i used to. i'm still looking for a solution that will remove my redness. i think i will experiment with other H2 antihistimines but i hear the others interact with alcohol and potentiate it, unlike famitodine. i may also try aspirin. not sure what the multiplier effect will be though. interested in experiences with RU-21.

has anyone tried RU-21? i have the asian glow n it sucks! thought about trying anithistamines but seems sketchy with lots of boos. the box warnings say stay away from alcohol while taking the antihistimines. i heard acetaldehyde is what causes the redness and RU-21 is supossed to reduce it or at least slow it down. if you know anything please contact me! Silverdude25@yahoo.com

Asian glow is a lot more serious than a cosmetic or allergic reaction. Acetaldehyde is a potent carcinogen, and there is plenty of clinical data supporting a strong link in Asian who "drink through" this reaction and cancers of the esophagus and upper respiratory tract.



I have never tried H2 blockers for this. Can anyone explain how they operate on the problem? Do the actually reduce acetaldehyde levels the way RU-21 claims to?

"H2 blockers decrease the production of stomach acids and work for several hours. They are sold under the trade names Axid, Tagamet, Pepcide, and Zantac. Although all are effective, there are subtle differences among the drugs. In addition, they can cause adverse reactions when taken with certain medicines. So, before you buy, get advice from your doctor or pharmacist. By the way, H2 blockers increase alcohol absorption and therefore intoxication"

To No Name: whoah.. did someone just say take TUMS for asian glow? And you say something about acid neutralizing effects combating the effects -- if you're trying to reduce acid in the stomach to combat EtOH, then shouldn't ranitidine do the same since you're reducing and neutralizing acid? And last time I checked, alcohol wasn't metabolized in the stomach. Thank you drive through



Anyhow..

I haven't tried taking the nonsedating H1 blockers (like allegra and claritin) to combat asian glow, but those meds usually don't have an effect on me for my allergies. I'm guessing the H2 blockers (like ranitidine) have enough of a cross reactivity with H1 blockers to block the allergic reaction without causing the sleepiness.

just wanted to add that i don't think there will be a "cure" for ethanol-related effects for a long time. it's such a systemic toxin and i don't think anyone really knows how it works. i would especially be wary of information found on internet sites (especially mine). isn't it interesting that RU-21 sounds like "are you 21?" don't know if they did that on purpose but it sounds fishy to me.

hey, kenny. the last time I took an anti-histamine and had alcohol, I felt like I was going to fall asleep and never wake up. :)

my theory is that the "blush" is an allergic reaction: erythema, pruritis. it is a reaction to either ethanol itself or more likely, one of its metabolites. the allergic reaction is just part of a constellation of symptoms that some cardiologists categorize as "holiday heart," from the tachycardia that drinking induces in certain patient populations. i would recommend taking a systemic anti-histamine (ie high dose claritin, allegra) to combat the flushing and itching.

but the blush is so cute!

just be forewarned: "gastric ulcer medications that reduce acid production (Tagamet, Zantac, etc.), as well as aspirin, also interfere with the stomach’s ability to destroy alcohol, so even moderate drinking becomes more intoxicating than usual." if you want to play it safe, i'd just take tums for your asian glow. something about the acid neutralizer ingredients of tums that slows down the reddening effects. *shrug* works for me. you might want to give it a try.

H2 blockers like Zantac, Pepcid, Tagament will prevent turning red from the lack of the enzyme

lol, the drinking.

A few consecutive weekends with me and you'll either have conquered the dreaded Crimson Taint naturally...or you'll be dead. Either way: money-back guarantee.

is Tagamet better than Pepsid? its website says so. :)

or you could just use Tagamet.

yeah.. you know, the red flush that happens due to low levels of acetaldehyde dehydrogenase-2. err... when you drink, that is. it's common in Asians, especially.

asian blush, eh?