Best Hangover Cure: 20 Ways to Cure a Hangover Tested and Ranked

Hydration can reduce dehydration and the resulting headaches and dizziness, Aizenberg says, but doctors aren’t sure whether chugging water before bed will make any difference in the morning. But a pain reliever may be able to lessen aches when you wake up. What’s more, he said, most research into hangover treatments is of very poor quality; how long does a hangover last studies tend to involve small sample sizes. “There are a lot of snake oil salesmen peddling products that just don’t pass muster,” he said. Despite the prevalence of hangovers, there has been little research into developing effective treatments. Of the studies that are available, most are of low quality and remain inconclusive.

Sugary cocktails, along with mixers like cranberry juice and sodas, can also contribute to a bad morning, Ms. Supan said. They initially elevate your blood sugar levels, and then, as those levels drop, you feel fatigued and weak. A hangover is unpleasant, but symptoms tend to go away within a day or so.

MedTerms Medical Dictionary

Dehydration can cause an imbalance of electrolytes, and vomiting and diarrhea can further deplete them in your body. It is not, nor is it intended to be, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with a physician or other healthcare professional regarding any medical or health related diagnosis or treatment options. For some people, a single alcoholic beverage is enough to cause a hangover in the morning, while others may be able to indulge more without experiencing symptoms. Because individuals are so different, it is difficult to predict how many drinks will cause a hangover.

The main form of alcohol in alcoholic beverages is ethanol, but the darker liquors contain chemically related compounds (congeners), including methanol. According to Dr. Swift’s review paper, the same enzymes process ethanol and methanol, but methanol metabolites are especially toxic, so they may cause a worse hangover. Alcohol promotes urination because it inhibits the release of vasopressin, a hormone that decreases the volume of urine made by the kidneys. If your hangover includes diarrhea, sweating, or vomiting, you may be even more dehydrated. Although nausea can make it difficult to get anything down, even just a few sips of water might help your hangover.

Hangovers

“I’d also recommend avoiding strong smells that may trigger nausea, eating slowly and opting for room temperature or colder foods.” “Rather, it may have been due to the water you drank, the food you ate before drinking or even the type of alcohol you had,” Beaver says. “The first thing to realize is that alcohol and acetaminophen, in combination, can be harmful to your liver,” says Beaver. While the bitters do their work, the soda water will hydrate you. For extra credit, a squeeze of lemon or lime will add Vitamin C, a necessary vitamin for getting your sanity back. Not only does sleep put you out of your misery, but it also fast-tracks your body’s healing processes.

• The idea behind this myth is that more alcohol might be the cure to your current hangover.
• Alcohol boosts the production of gastric acid in your stomach and delays stomach emptying, which can irritate your digestive system.
• Typical symptoms include fatigue, weakness, thirst, headache, muscle aches, nausea, stomach pain, vertigo, sensitivity to light and sound, anxiety, irritability, sweating, and increased blood pressure.
• Like alcohol, it’s metabolized in the liver and, in rare instances, could have toxic effects if you take a high dose and there is enough alcohol lingering in your system.
• Hangovers are very common in people who consume too much alcohol.
• Darker alcoholic drinks, like bourbon, rum, whiskey and red wine, can cause worse hangovers.

That may explain the dizziness and shaking some people get with a hangover. Have a couple of slices of wheat toast or a few whole-grain crackers to bring those blood sugar levels back up to normal. Strategies include staying hydrated, getting plenty of sleep, eating a good breakfast, drinking in moderation, limiting high congener drinks, and taking certain supplements or medications. Additionally, keep in mind that pain relievers containing acetaminophen, such as Tylenol, could increase the risk of liver damage when combined with alcohol. Some supplements, including red ginseng, prickly pear, ginger, borage oil, and eleuthero, have been studied for their ability to decrease hangover symptoms.

Statins vs. supplements: A reckoning

“A sprinkle of salt on either can replenish electrolytes if someone has vomited,” Kennedy adds. Your night will be made or broken by your eating habits before you start drinking. The best way to avoid a hangover is to eat a balanced meal before you start. Be intentional about getting the right nutrients into your body, and it’ll be smooth sailing.

Eggs contain amino acids like cysteine, which can help clear acetaldehyde from your system, according to a 2018 article in the Journal of Chemistry. Find other hangover food recommendations from a registered dietitian. Mix all of these physical responses and realities together and the result is a hangover, which can make you uncomfortable for a few hours or — in some worst-case scenarios — upend an entire day. Drinking alcohol can lead to dehydration in a few different ways.

Try Ginger to Ease Nausea

Glutathione helps your body process alcohol, and after a night of drinking, it tends to be depleted. Add some vitamin C to your body to give yourself the boost you need to make it through your day. Feeding a hangover helps restore normal blood sugar levels and ease nausea, weakness, and fatigue. Most importantly, food makes you poop, and once you poop out those toxins, you’re on your way to feeling better. One study tested out a red ginseng hangover remedy against plain water in 25 men who’d had a glass of whiskey.

If you’ve got Pedialyte in the fridge, it’s perfect for those nights when you overdo it. This rehydration solution isn’t just for kids anymore. One bottle has twice the sodium and five times as much potassium as the same size bottle of Gatorade. There isn’t any research that this will kick your hangover to the curb, but in theory, it should help. Though you might have knocked off the second your head hit the pillow after a night of drinking, any sleep you did get wasn’t sound.

What is a hangover?

The notion is that hangovers are a form of alcohol withdrawal, so a drink or two will ease the withdrawal. The first order of business when you wake up feeling like something your dog hacked up is to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Not only are you dehydrated, but you probably need a shot of electrolytes, which help get — and keep — you hydrated and balance your pH levels. At Mobile IV Medics, we save you the trouble of going to the ER and spending hours in the waiting room by coming directly to your hotel room, home, or office to give you IV treatment.

“People are saying, ‘Even if I’m going to have a glass or two of wine, I don’t want to feel the effect at all,’” she said. Drinking too much alcohol also dilutes the electrolytes in your blood. These electrolytes, including sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium, are essential in regulating fluids in the body and for many basic bodily functions. Therefore, low electrolyte levels are a major contributor to hangover symptoms such as nausea, the shakes, and fatigue. Bananas are a good source of potassium, an important electrolyte that can get depleted after drinking. Low electrolyte levels can contribute to hangover symptoms like fatigue, headache, nausea, muscle cramps, and low energy.

Coffee and other caffeinated drinks act as stimulants, which may improve the feelings of fatigue that come with a hangover. There is no current research to say that particular foods, such as greasy or fried breakfasts, are more effective than others. Many people believe that carbohydrates are particularly effective for “soaking https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/5-reasons-sobriety-tattoos-are-a-terrible-idea/ up” alcohol, though research has not looked into this. While there is little direct research into how effective over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are for people with a hangover, certain medicines may help tackle the symptoms, as discussed below. And while we’re talking about misconceptions, skip the ‘hair of the dog’ too.

• But waking up the following morning isn’t quite as fun as the night before.
• Also, the ability to perform important tasks, such as driving, operating machinery, or caring for others can be negatively affected.
• The caffeine-packed boost offered by coffee is pretty legendary — but it’s not going to undo a night of knocking back beer or booze.
• Dr. Roberts looked at compounds, such as tolfenamic acid, Korean pear juice and a vitamin B6 analog called pyritinol, available in products and rumored to alleviate hangover symptoms.