Shadows in the Light: Moonshine’s White Lightning and Vision Loss

Source: PubMed Central Open Access, NCBI / U.S. National Library of Medicine

Methanol poisoning remains an important cause of severe metabolic and neurologic toxicity, most commonly resulting from ingestion of illicit or improperly distilled alcoholic beverages such as Moonshine. We report a case of acute methanol toxicity following Moonshine ingestion, presenting with central nervous system manifestations and visual symptoms. The patient experienced rapid clinical and visual improvement after timely treatment with fomepizole and emergent hemodialysis. In addition to standard therapy, corticosteroids were administered as an adjunctive treatment for visual involvement. This case highlights the importance of early recognition and prompt extracorporeal clearance in methanol poisoning and explores the potential role of corticosteroids as an adjunct in patients presenting with visual symptoms.