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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffTime is the only sure cure for a hangover. Here are a few things you can do to help yourself feel better in the meantime:
- Fill your water bottle. Sip water or fruit juice to prevent dehydration. Resist any temptation to treat your hangover with more alcohol. It'll only make you feel worse.
- Have a snack. Bland foods, such as toast and crackers, may boost your blood sugar and settle your stomach. Bouillon soup can help replace lost salt and potassium. Foods and drinks that contain fructose, such as honey or fruit juice, may help your body burn the alcohol faster.
- Take a pain reliever. A small dose of an over-the-counter pain reliever may ease your headache. But there are a few caveats. Aspirin can irritate your stomach. And if you sometimes drink alcohol to excess, acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) can cause severe liver damage even in doses previously thought to be safe.
- Go back to bed. If you sleep long enough, your hangover may be gone when you awaken.
References
- Beyond hangovers: Understanding alcohol's impact on your health. National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism. http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/Hangovers/beyondHangovers.htm. Accessed Oct. 5, 2011.
- Prat G, et al. Alcohol hangover: A critical review of explanatory factors. Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental. 2009;24:259.
- The incidence and severity of hangover the morning after moderate alcohol intoxication. Howland J, et al. Addiction. 2008;103:758.
- Maranan J. Too much fun? Natural Health. 2010;41:1.
- Verster JC. The alcohol hangover - A puzzling phenomenon. Alcohol & Alcoholism. 2008;43:124.
- Alcohol use and health. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm. Accessed Oct. 5, 2011.
- Hall-Flavin DK (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Oct. 14, 2011.
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