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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
- Prat G, et al. Neurocognitive effects of alcohol hangover. Addictive Behaviors. 2008;33:15.
- Verster JC. The alcohol hangover: A puzzling phenomenon. Alcohol & Alcoholism. 2008;43:124.
- Howland J, et al. The incidence and severity of hangover the morning after moderate alcohol intoxication. Addiction. 2008;103:758.
- Frequently asked questions: Alcohol. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/faqs.htm. Accessed Oct. 1, 2009.
- Wiese J. Effect of opuntia ficus indica on symptoms of the alcohol hangover. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2004;164:1334.
- Pittler MH, et al. Interventions for preventing or treating alcohol hangover: Systematic review of randomised controlled trials. British Medical Journal. 2005;331:1515.
- Wiese JG. The alcohol hangover. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2000;132:897.
- Parents: Help your teens party right at graduation. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/GraduationFacts/Graduation_Fact_Sheet.html. Accessed Oct. 1, 2009.
