One antidote therapy for methanol ingestion is using ethanol by delaying methanol metabolism until the methanol is eliminated from the patient’s system either naturally or via dialysis

One antidote therapy for methanol ingestion is using ethanol by delaying methanol metabolism until the methanol is eliminated from the patient’s system either naturally or via dialysis.

Like methanol, ethanol is metabolized by antidiuretic hormone (ADH) , but the enzyme’s affinity for ethanol is 10-20 times higher than it is for methanol and there will be a delay so the body will have time.

Ethanol will also reduce the action of alcohol dehydrogenase on methanol by means of competitive inhibition, so methanol is excreted by the kidneys rather than being transformed into toxic byproducts that will affect the nervous system.

In both of these methods, ethanol out competes the methanol for more time for the body to rid itself of the toxic byproducts.