Those who tend to have a few too many drinks at Uptown bars might have cause for more celebration.
Pills claiming to prevent hangovers are gaining popularity and can be bought over-the-counter at drugstores across the country.
In Athens, Kroger, 919 E. State St., carries two varieties of these pills, Hangover Prevention Formula and Chaser. Chaser also can be found locally at GNC and in The Plains at Rite Aid, 93 N. Plains Road.
Hangover Prevention Formula uses extract from the prickly pear cactus, said Gerry Stefanko, CEO of the pill's distributor, Nutrimark. The extract elevates the body's level of natural heat shock proteins, which protect cells and tissues exposed to stress caused by toxins like alcohol.
Stefanko said the effects of two pills taken before drinking last for up to 72 hours. A bottle of 10 pills costs $24.95.
Developed by Living Essentials, Chaser uses calcium carbonate and vegetable carbon to absorb alcohol byproducts that are believed to cause hangovers. Directions say to take two Chaser tablets before drinking, which are effective for up to three hours or six drinks, according to its Web site (http://www.doublechaser.com). A bottle of 40 pills costs $29.95.
Chaser representatives refused to comment on the pill.
Another hangover pill, which is not sold in Athens, is RU-21. RU-21 claims to slow the breakdown of alcohol into a chemical called acetaldehyde.
Adverse hangover symptoms might be caused by acetaldehyde, which is produced when the body breaks down alcohol, said Steven Clay, an associate professor in the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine. The body is slow to break down acetaldehyde into harmless substances, causing a buildup of the toxin that can make a person feel pretty lousy.
If there is too much of that acetaldehyde around
you'll be sick. If they can slow down the breakdown of alcohol into acetaldehyde then the second enzyme can keep up Clay said about the theory behind RU-21.
However, if RU-21 slows down the breakdown of alcohol into acetaldehyde, users might be drunk for longer than they expect because there would be more alcohol in their bodies, said Gary Lage, a toxicologist.
Directions for RU-21 say to take one or two tablets before the first drink and while drinking, depending on body weight and the amount of alcohol consumed. A pack of 20 tablets costs $6.79, according to
RU-21's Web site (http://www.ru21.com).
Despite the various pills on the market, many experts scoff at the pills' hangover prevention claims. Lage has more than 30 years experience in toxicology and is skeptical about the pills.
Many adverse hangover symptoms are caused by dehydration resulting from alcohol consumption, he said.
I don't think there's any scientific evidence for any of these
other than that you take them with a glass of water
Lage said.
Vicki Burks, clinical supervisor of Athens Outpatient at Athens Health Recovery Services, says hangover prevention pills can have a negative effect on people's attitudes about drinking.
I don't think it's a good thing
she said. (People) can easily develop an addiction to drinking because they think there are no consequences.
Burks noted that at least one OU student dies of alcohol poisoning every year.
Hangover Prevention Formula has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, according to its Web site (http://www.perfectequation.net). According to its Web site, Chaser has been classified by the FDA as GRAS
which Lage said is an acronym for generally recognized as safe.
According to their Web sites, none of the hangover prevention pills claim to prevent or alleviate drunkenness.
The real cure for a hangover is not to drink
Clay said.
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