A friend came to me with a “miracle hangover cure”, N-acetyl cysteine. Being skeptical, I read into it going down that rabbit hole as we often do here. I think it may have some merit.
It has potential for substance use disorders (SUD’s) like cannabis use disorder. It may have benefits with autism, bipolar and attention deficit disorder. It may prevent liver damage from alcoholism. NAC has been hypothesized to exert beneficial effects through its modulation of glutamate and dopamine neurotransmission as well as its antioxidant properties
Do you have any experience with or have you used N-acetyl cysteine?
I do, I started using it about 6 months ago. Immediately noticed I did not fien for my afternoon caffeine dose and generally have much better quality stamina from noon till sunset. Ive been using cannabis daily for a long long time, only dab in the evenings for past 4 yrs but have noticed recently that im averaging 3 dabs an evening where i used to not even be able to count LOL! not sure if its the NAC , or my ECS changing with age but im satisfied with less cannabinoids these days.
Well I have both, addhd and bp. At 46, I know when my bp is flaring up. But my addhd keeps my metabolism super fast, and able to work 16hr days (in the past more easily done vs now)
I left my statement ambiguous because there’s multiple responses. Acetyl Aldehyde is the metabolite which causes much of the nasty effects. In general being safe, responsible and aware of alcohol consumption can’t be replaced by a supplement however like Zen D said hangovers can still happen even when you’re not abusing it. There are products on the market which target ADH and ALDH hint hint.
Taking glycine & B1+B6+B12 before and after drinking has worked very well for me - have only drank 3 times in the past 2 years though, so would be curious if it works for others.
A word of caution: Do not underestimate the dangers of overconsumption of antioxidants. There was research already conducted in around the 70s that showed the efficacy of NAC for Arthritis, but simultaneously showed a significant rise in a certain type of lung tumours in subjects treated with usual doses of NAC for extended periods of time.
Overloading yourself with antioxidants will interfere with the oxidative defense mechanisms of your immune system (think killing cancer cells) and also interrupt the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, causing persistently high cortisol levels.
Work around this by taking antioxidants by a strict on-off schedule, like doing them every other day for 2 weeks, then giving yourself 1-2 weeks off before you repeat.
Yes.
NAC is a great all round ammino acid supplement, my understanding is that it being a precourser to the antioxidant Glutathione is the fuel that launches the rocket, so to say.
My work as herbalist and naturopath often leads me to use it in clinic for alcoholism and its related harms such as renal/liver issues. Ive never used it for cannabis use disorder, tho I am yet to come across said condition in the wild. It also shines in bronchial issues both chronic and acute.
Hope this helped, if you have further queries I’m happy to assist.
Thankfully alcohol metabolization is a three step process with the C2H4O being the second phase, with the right compounds you can increase second phase metabolization without too much unwanted pharmacokinetic action.
I was having a casual conversation with an acquaintance in the alcohol industry who is also into chemistry. He boozed every day for 15 years and became very concerned about Korsakoff Syndrome. It’s pretty nasty stuff.
He quit cold turkey with 1200 mg of NAC 2x/day and B vitamins. He took mega doses of CBD (he didn’t say how much) to prevent seizures the first week. After 2 weeks of breaking his habituation, he knew that he could stick with it. He ended up with a slightly fatty liver, but is healthy otherwise and has stayed off the bottle.
The following is not an endorsement or medical advice, just what worked for one random person.
