For methanol poisoning

The first treatment for methanol poisoning, as in all critical poisoning situations, is support of respiration. There are three specific modalities of treatment for severe methanol poisoning suppression of metabolism by alcohol dehydrogenase to toxic products, hemodialysis to enhance removal of methanol and its toxic products, and alkalinization to counteract metabolic acidosis. 

MycykMB, Leikin JB. Antidote review Fomepizole for methanol poisoning. Am J Ther 2003 10 68-70. 

One toxicant may be less harmful when taken together with another chemical. If we use blindness as an endpoint for methanol poisoning, then whisky... 

The emergency room treatment for methanol poisoning is to inject ethanol intravenously to tie up the alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme so that methanol will not be converted to formic acid and formate, which causes blindness. The goal of this open-ended problem is to build on the physiological-based model for ethanol metabolism to predict the ethanol injection rate for methanol poisoning. One can find a start on this problem by reading problem P7-25c. 

If a methanol-containing solution has been ingested, then evaluate and treat with ethanol and folic acid as for methanol poisoning (see p 260). 

VI. Dosage and method of administration. The dose required for methanol poisoning is not established, although 50 mg IV (children, 1 mg/kg) every 4 hours for six doses has been recommended. 

The treatment for methanol poisoning involves giving sodium bicarbonate to neutralize the formic acid in the blood. In some cases, ethanol is given intravenously to the patient. The enzymes in the liver pick up ethanol molecules to oxidize instead of methanol molecules. This process gives time for the methanol to be eliminated via the lungs without the formation of its dangerous oxidation products. 

---