Can Pepcid AC Cure Asian Glow?

If you turn red after a few alcoholic drinks, you might have Asian glow. Most likely, the reason why you’re reading this is because you’ve experienced it already and your friends told you what it might be.

So, What is Asian Glow?

Basically, in simple terms, it’s when your body can’t metabolize alcohol at a fast enough rate. In order to break down the alcohol, an enzyme needs to be produced. For Asian glow sufferers, this enzyme is deficient and doesn’t work properly. Because of this enzyme deficiency, the result is your body starts to accumulate toxins, which in turn causes the blushing and other symptoms.

The reference to Asians is because it affects as many as 50% of all people of Asian descent, mostly affecting Japanese, Chinese, Korean or other East Asian people. But don’t think you can’t have it, if you’re not Asian. It is not limited to Asians. Anybody can have it.

OK, So What Can I Do To Get Rid Of It?

Unfortunately, there is no magic pill you can buy over-the-counter at your local drug store that is made specifically for this condition. As I mentioned before, the root cause of this disorder, is a deficiency in a particular enzyme, ADLH2 that helps break down alcohol. If there was a pill that produced this enzyme, you have your cure.

What you do you have is some over-the-counter drugs that will help reduce the symptoms. The most popular drug that is being used for Asian glow is Pepcid AC, Zantac, Tagamet and Axid. These drugs are H2 blockers whose main purpose is to work on reducing gastric acid in your stomach and help with acid reflux condition.

So How Does This Help With My Asian Glow?

Alcohol consumption will generally irritate your stomach lining and create more gastric acid. Taking a H2 blocker like Pepcid AC will help reduce the gastric acid in your stomach and counteract the effect of the alcohol. As a result, it should slow down the effects of Asian glow on your system because it helps with the metabolism of alcohol in your body. This may not make complete sense to you but all you need to know it will help. As to the extent of how much it will help you, depends on your body.

Many Sufferers Say It Helps Them.

Forums and blogs are flooded with comments from sufferers commenting on how much Pepcid AC or like drugs have either helped them, not helped them or somewhere in between. After reading a few of these forums, you end up more confused them ever. John will say “It cures my symptoms. I can drink like a fish now”. And then, there’s Mary, who will say “I take one drink and I still get red and I still get nauseous.” Once again, what I’ve learned from reading these, is that everybody will react differently to taking these drugs. For some it will work; for some it won’t.

The best advice I can give you is to give it a try and see if it helps. If not, try some other methods that don’t involve medication. Methods such as drinking slower, drink an alcoholic beverage with lower alcoholic content, avoid mixed drinks. The main thing is to avoid the symptoms altogether. Continuing to drink and still experiencing the Asian glow symptoms is not smart. It could affect your general health in the long run.