How to Cure a Hangover
Everyone has their own little hangover cure don’t they. There must be thousands of them out there, but how many actually work? The truth is different people probably need different things to help them, depending on their individual constitution.
However there are a few reliable cures that seem to work for everyone. One of the main causes of a hangover is dehydration (largely responsible for your headache), so clearly the best thing to prevent or cure them is rehydration – plenty of water or fruit juice (as that often contains anti-oxidants too).
Sugar filled soft drinks like cola are NOT a good idea, because although they’ll make you feel good temporarily by boosting your blood sugar, you’ll very quickly feel even worse again as you suffer from the insulin crash afterwards.
Having said that, caffeine can often help with a headache and get you feeling sharper again, it depends on your preference. Unfortunately most caffeinated drinks are also diuretic, meaning they will dehydrate you even more. Part of your rehydration might perhaps include essential electrolytes too (Calcium, Potassium, Sodium, Magnesium etc).
Another cause of hangover is acetaldehyde, the toxic chemical produced when alcohol dehydrogenase breaks down alcohol in the liver. This is what causes the ‘poisoned’ feeling. There are a couple of things which work quite well to mop this up – the first is an enzyme called cysteine, which is found in large quantities in eggs. So that’s breakfast sorted out. You can also buy N-acetyl cysteine as a supplement in health food shops. The second thing which mops up acetaldehyde quite well is probiotics – the healthy bacteria found in yoghurt. However perhaps the best way to take this is in capsule form where it’s far more concentrated. A few of these before bedtime can really help you.
Most alcoholic drinks will leave you with low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) by morning, so its important to get that back up again in a slow, stable way. Which means complex carbohydrates as opposed to simple ones. What I mean is whole grains, like wholemeal bread or muesli, vegetables and fruit (particularly bananas to boost your potassium levels again). Carbs like simple sugars, white pasta or potatoes will not help.
The nausea can be eased very effectively with ginger or peppermint tea, and again with those rehydration salts (or electrolytes).
Painkillers are obviously quite tempting, but paracetamol causes further toxic strain on the liver and kidneys, and ibuprofen can irritate the stomach. So aspirin is probably the safest analgesic for a hangover.
Finally you might well benefit from some B vitamin supplements – to calm your central nervous system (responsible for the tremors, sweats and anxiety), but these will tend to have a more long term effect rather than being a short term cure.
No doubt you’ve got plenty of suggestions for your own hangover cures too, so lets hear what works for you in the comments…
To be warned. Drinking to cure a hangover works but it can start serious dependacy issues.( its how you become an alcoholic
Marijuana all the. As soon as i feel the rapid heart beat and sleepnessless a couple hoots ( not much) will relax stomache muscels and aid in any withdrawl symtoms and then your hungry and then you sleep. I also live in BC canada were marijuna is alot more accepted. Great hangover soltion for me anyways
What’s works for me is red Gatorade and piece of wheat toast and lots of rest
I’ve tested different pills on hangover, and I should say that Noglo helped for the most terrible hangover attack I’ve ever had
I drank cider and beer last nite I feel like my heads going to implode. I always have ice cold ribinia and a good size cooked breakfast then I feel tired a few hours later then get my head down . Then wake up then do it all over again haha party on !!!
bollocks ! It always depend on what u drink thee nite before ..u rinks lots of beer drink beer in the morning than have a wank and sleep.. if u drink vodka and other staff more than 40% try chicken stock,sometimes strong espresso,or something greasy as well depends on your stomach if it ask for it..don’t forget plenty water if u can and some pills don’t recommend as not helps to everyone..if that doesn’t work then try to trow out and then one pill for headache and one for sleep..than u wake up fresh but fckn hungry.. good luck !!
the one thing that does the trick for me is pepermint tea.
(Hopefuly I will not get so high I get a MAJOR hangover the next day.)
I came to this page because I am working on a brochure about alcoholism.This was actually pretty helpful, one day I will remember this page and use these cures. Thank you, Kelly, Carl!
I personally think this site is really good. I put ‘how to cure a hangover’ on google, a I’m currently lying I bed after a LOT of alcohol and no sleep, and was led to this page, it’s helpful an its good that people can say what they think a good cure is! But ye.. Orange juice, toast, tea, sleep. The one thing I’ve had that works straight away and is amazing is alka-seltzer
Its funny to me so many people stating the obvious to not drink in the first place, problem is if you are searching google and come up to this page its because you where drinking probably last night.
I am a dj and have had my share of wild parties and crazy long nights, and yes i have felt like s***t the next morning aka “the hangover” so I have tried many of these cures some work other dont. something that I have realized is that for some people you might just drink a few beers and voila no more hang over or atleats it lightens the pain of the headache. others cant go near a beer after the hang over I guess it depends on what you had to drink the prior night.
As Elly point out above I have heard sweating it out works i.e. running or dancing or whatever makes you sweat and drink water. Some hispanics tend to eat spicy soups and in the end do the same thing makes them sweat and also rehydrate with the soups because it contains water and salt.
There is a very famous drink in Mexico which I have tryed and recommend its called clamato. It is very much like a bloody mary. To prepare your own the main ingredients are tomatoes juice with clam juice (not v8!) salt pepper Worcestershire sauce, a drop or two of tabasco hot sauce a little drop of soy sauce and freshly squeezed limes add one beer to this mix and drink as many as needed usually one does the trick.
and you are welcome