Fact Check: Elotrans® – A Hangover Antidote?

Social media determine our lives in many ways. Posting, liking and sharing are daily habits, especially of the young generation. So-called “trends” are very popular posts that go viral and dominate social media platforms in the shortest amount of time. This phenomenon can have an impact outside the online universe, as was the case last summer in Germany:

A TikTok trend caused shortage of the diarrhoea medication Elotrans^®. Several TikTok creators endorsed taking Elotrans^® because they experienced less severe hangover symptoms^1,2,3.  Elotrans^®, a glucose-electrolyte mixture, allegedly prevents hangovers by balancing the electrolyte level, which can be disturbed through alcohol consumption. Since Elotrans^® is available without prescription, the medication was quickly sold out and manufacturer STADA couldn’t keep up with the production ^1,2.

In the media, alleged hangover curing effects of Elotrans^® were discussed immensely. Is there any truth behind the hype? Do the electrolytes help the body to recover from heavy alcohol consumption, is it the extra liquid supply from taking the medication or is the positive effect a myth after all?

Alcohol has direct toxic effects on our body that contribute to a hangover. The medical term for this temporary state is veisalgia. Type and intensity of hangover symptoms vary based on body constitution and environmental factors, but commonly include fatigue, headache, muscle aches, dizziness, vomiting and mood swings⁴. A hangover usually occurs with falling alcohol concentration in the bloodstream, meaning that symptoms are most noticeable once the person is sober again⁴.
It is known that electrolyte loss plays a significant role in chronic, acute alcoholics⁵  but how is the situation for people who are not addicted to alcohol? To find out if supplemented electrolytes, rather than mere extra liquid, help to alleviate veisalgia symptoms, we need to ask the question: Why does a hangover occur? 

Alcohol acts as a diuretic, which means it reduces the reabsorption of water in the kidneys and therefore leads to higher urine production⁴. When we urinate, we naturally not only excrete water, but also electrolytes⁵. The results of two studies imply, that the electrolyte balance was not significantly impacted during and after moderate alcohol intake in average non-addictive consumers^6,7. It means, that hangovers of non-addicts should have other causes than electrolyte imbalance.

Therefore, the intake of Elotrans, as recommended in TikTok videos, will not aid in alleviating hangover symptoms, as there is no electrolyte imbalance that needs to be restored. Indeed, providing one group of people with electrolytes (plus sugar and water) with a similar composition to Elotrans^® before alcohol consumption did not significantly reduce hangover symptoms compared to people who only received water and sugar⁷.

If non-addictive alcohol consumers are unlikely affected by loss of electrolytes, what other reasons are there for hangover symptoms? The answer may include increased oxidative stress⁸. Oxidative stress can occur in the body when certain physiological processes are thrown off balance, leading to cell and tissue damage and possibly diseases⁹.  Some studies also cite dehydration⁵ as a possible cause for a hangover.

In short, the only reason Elotrans^® seems to lessen the aftereffect of heavy drinking is increased water intake as a side effect from taking the medication and presumably a non-negligible placebo effect. In conclusion, no evidence was found for the online claim that Elotrans^® had anti-hangover properties, a rumour which ultimately caused a supply shortage.

A shortage in Elotrans^® can prove to be an acute, but not fatal issue for people in need of a diarrhoea medication. But shortages because of improper use could happen with medication or other supplies that have more serious consequences if not accessible.  
This incidence shows that we need to learn to not take everything posted on the internet at face value. Critically evaluating the facts presented and checking the sources are skills that everyone should learn to make sure that only cross-checked facts are further distributed. 

Issue 10 (PDF)
Cosima Sagurna, Hedda Wern, Jana Skrobanek, Leonie Hobohm