Neurologist shares real reason government officer woke up completely blind after drinking ‘branded whiskey’ in Bihar

Spurious alcohol cannot be detected by smell and taste, cautions Dr Chawla. What may appear as a branded bottle of drink may easily be adulterated.

While there are numerous health risks associated with drinking alcohol, it remains a socially popular way to celebrate various occasions. However, for a young government employee, getting drunk at his friend’s wedding in Bihar came at a very steep price.

Delhi-based neurologist Dr Rahul Chawla took to Instagram on 22 December to share the story of how the man lost his vision after a night of merrymaking, and explain why we should be careful about sourcing our drinks.

How did the man lose his vision?

Dr Chawla went down memory lane to share a case of a young man who went to his friend’s wedding in Bihar after securing a government job.

There, he consumed what was presented as ‘premium branded whiskey’ that was obtained by illegal means. This was because Bihar has been a dry state since 2016, where the sale, purchase, and consumption of alcoholic liquor are strictly prohibited.

Under the influence of the people at the party, who assured him that it was how they all got their poison in the state, the man partook in the celebration.

The following day, he woke up and discovered that he had gone completely blind. The brain MRI and fundus photography were performed, which showed signs of methanol toxicity.

Breaking down methanol toxicity

Methanol is chemically the simplest organic alcohol, which is toxic in nature. It finds its utility in industrial works and is not fit for consumption. However, adulterated or illegally sourced liquors sometimes have methanol mixed in them as a method of cutting costs.

“Once it enters the body, the liver breaks it down into even more dangerous substances, mainly formic acid,” stated Dr Chawla. “These toxins reduce oxygen delivery at a cellular level and directly damage nerve tissue.”

“Methanol-induced toxic optic neuropathy, in simple terms, means the optic nerve gets damaged due to consumption of methanol,” he continued. “Even a short exposure to methanol metabolites can cause inflammation, swelling, and damage (to) nerve fibres.”

As a result, loss of vision is often sudden and painless. It is commonplace for people to wake up with blurred vision, tunnel vision, or complete blindness, as happened in this case.

“This is what makes methanol poisoning so dangerous,” noted the neurologist. “There is no ‘safe’ amount, and once the optic nerve is damaged, modern medicine has very limited ability to reverse it.”

What's the takeaway

The danger of methanol poisoning through spurious alcohol is not limited to the poor and marginalised sections of society, and is present even at cocktail parties, especially in a dry state.

A bottle that appears to be branded can still be adulterated, and there is no way for an average man to tell the difference, as both look and taste the same, warned Dr Chawla. Thus, it is always safer to err on the side of caution when it comes to drinks.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.

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