dantheman733
Greenlighter
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2009
- Messages
- 6
There are plenty of threads floating around on here, drugs-forum and other sites about drinking isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol).
As a pharmaceutical biochemist and former alcoholic, I would like to clear the air...many of the responses make me facepalm.
Most of the threads I'm talking about have uninformed, idiotic answers from people who don't know what they are talking about and are only furthering misinformation.
Many alcoholics resort to drinking iso, even in the form of hand sanitizer.
Let's get some facts straight:
1. Drinking isopropyl alcohol will not, cannot cause blindness. That is methanol (wood alcohol). Methanol causes neural gap formation (brain damage) that can lead to blindness. However, if you drank enough for that to happen you will either be dead or heavily mentally disabled if you survive. Ethanol (what you drink) and isopropyl alcohol do not cause neural gap formation. So no brain damage.
2. Yes, isopropyl alcohol metabolizes into acetone in your blood stream. However, there is always some acetone in your blood. Low levels of acetone are normally present in the body from the breakdown of fat. You would die of alcohol poising long before the extra acetone in your blood would be an issue (though it will give you a nice headache).
3. The reason people die from drinking isopropyl is the same as how people die drinking regular ethyl-alcohol. Alcohol poisoning: both ethanol and isopropyl alcohol cause central nervous system (CNS) depression. Too much and you basically stop breathing. Again, it is not methanol.
The difference is that it takes less isopropyl alcohol to cause this than with ethanol. And no, it is not only because isopropyl/rubbing alcohol is usually sold at a higher concentration (70-99%) than ethanol (40%). Isopropyl causes greater CNS depression on a part to part comparison with ethanol. So if you had one shot of 40% isopropyl alcohol and one shot of 40% ethanol, the isopropyl will actually cause greater CNS depression.
4. Drinking isopropyl alcohol will get you drunk. But yes, you will have the worst hangover ever. Your breath will smell fruity for 24 hours after no matter what you eat or drink. You will notice when you exhale that it still tastes like rubbing alcohol. This is sourced from experience.
5. The high concentration of alcohol (70-99%) in rubbing alcohol formulations can cause irritation to the throat, esophagus and stomach. Same as if you drank 95% ethanol.
6. Regular ethanol taxes your liver and kidneys just as much as isopropyl alcohol does. Many say "don't drink isopropyl alcohol - it will devastate your liver and kidneys with its toxicity!" when in reality regular ethanol is just as bad.
If you cannot get ethanol and find it necessary to drink rubbing alcohol remember to take it slow. Also, mix it with water or another beverage to prevent burning your throat stomach. I obviously do not recommend it but it can be done without killing yourself.
Do not use it rectally. It will dry the fuck out of your a-hole and irritate it. It will tear and bleed the next time you take a shit.
If you have access to vodka or other drinking ethanol there is 0 reason to drink isopropyl alcohol. But if you can't and are having DTs/withdrawals and need it it can be done but monitor yourself and take it slow.
Just wanted to clear up the common myths. Thanks for reading and be safe.
As a pharmaceutical biochemist and former alcoholic, I would like to clear the air...many of the responses make me facepalm.
Most of the threads I'm talking about have uninformed, idiotic answers from people who don't know what they are talking about and are only furthering misinformation.
Many alcoholics resort to drinking iso, even in the form of hand sanitizer.
Let's get some facts straight:
1. Drinking isopropyl alcohol will not, cannot cause blindness. That is methanol (wood alcohol). Methanol causes neural gap formation (brain damage) that can lead to blindness. However, if you drank enough for that to happen you will either be dead or heavily mentally disabled if you survive. Ethanol (what you drink) and isopropyl alcohol do not cause neural gap formation. So no brain damage.
2. Yes, isopropyl alcohol metabolizes into acetone in your blood stream. However, there is always some acetone in your blood. Low levels of acetone are normally present in the body from the breakdown of fat. You would die of alcohol poising long before the extra acetone in your blood would be an issue (though it will give you a nice headache).
3. The reason people die from drinking isopropyl is the same as how people die drinking regular ethyl-alcohol. Alcohol poisoning: both ethanol and isopropyl alcohol cause central nervous system (CNS) depression. Too much and you basically stop breathing. Again, it is not methanol.
The difference is that it takes less isopropyl alcohol to cause this than with ethanol. And no, it is not only because isopropyl/rubbing alcohol is usually sold at a higher concentration (70-99%) than ethanol (40%). Isopropyl causes greater CNS depression on a part to part comparison with ethanol. So if you had one shot of 40% isopropyl alcohol and one shot of 40% ethanol, the isopropyl will actually cause greater CNS depression.
4. Drinking isopropyl alcohol will get you drunk. But yes, you will have the worst hangover ever. Your breath will smell fruity for 24 hours after no matter what you eat or drink. You will notice when you exhale that it still tastes like rubbing alcohol. This is sourced from experience.
5. The high concentration of alcohol (70-99%) in rubbing alcohol formulations can cause irritation to the throat, esophagus and stomach. Same as if you drank 95% ethanol.
6. Regular ethanol taxes your liver and kidneys just as much as isopropyl alcohol does. Many say "don't drink isopropyl alcohol - it will devastate your liver and kidneys with its toxicity!" when in reality regular ethanol is just as bad.
If you cannot get ethanol and find it necessary to drink rubbing alcohol remember to take it slow. Also, mix it with water or another beverage to prevent burning your throat stomach. I obviously do not recommend it but it can be done without killing yourself.
Do not use it rectally. It will dry the fuck out of your a-hole and irritate it. It will tear and bleed the next time you take a shit.
If you have access to vodka or other drinking ethanol there is 0 reason to drink isopropyl alcohol. But if you can't and are having DTs/withdrawals and need it it can be done but monitor yourself and take it slow.
Just wanted to clear up the common myths. Thanks for reading and be safe.