The fool-proof hangover cure

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Jun 4, 2005
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Originally posted by: DeathBUA
Last time I was hungover, and ironically I learned this trick from the person who helped me cure my hangover.

I think I'm missing something funny; how is that ironic?
 

shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
80,287
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Originally posted by: BooGiMaN
i figure if there was a fool proof cure someone would have bottled it up and made millions off of it
They have.
Booze is a billion-dollar industry.

Like most other people have said, the best cure is more hooch.
Kinda silly, but it works.
 

TraumaRN

Diamond Member
Jun 5, 2005
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Originally posted by: LoKe
Originally posted by: DeathBUA
Last time I was hungover, and ironically I learned this trick from the person who helped me cure my hangover.

I think I'm missing something funny; how is that ironic?

Probably cuz i'm half drunk right now and forgot to add a sentence....lemme edit it
 

Ulfhednar

Golden Member
Jun 24, 2006
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Originally posted by: F22 Raptor
Originally posted by: LoKe
Originally posted by: Ulfhednar
I've never woken up hungover if I've taken two ibuprofen before bed, I can't explain it because I know that's not medically logical but it works every time. Of course, when I get drunk, I get so drunk that I forget to take some.
Why doesn't it make sense? Ibuprofen is for headaches. Alcohol deprives the brain of oxygen, which can cause headaches.
And water and glycogen, and actually blocks the body from being able to digest any until the alchohol is flushed from the system, which means time only will do.
Wait, so is it plausable or not? :confused: Am I just tricking myself into some sort of placebo effect, or does taking painkillers 8+ hours before the hangover kicks in actually work?
 

Ulfhednar

Golden Member
Jun 24, 2006
1,031
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Originally posted by: tweakmm
I hear pain pills work great.
If I take them before I go to bed, while wasted, I wake up with no hangover whatsoever. Like I said above though, could be a placebo effect.
 

tweakmm

Lifer
May 28, 2001
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Originally posted by: Ulfhednar
Originally posted by: tweakmm
I hear pain pills work great.
If I take them before I go to bed, while wasted, I wake up with no hangover whatsoever. Like I said above though, could be a placebo effect.
I'm talking about narcotic pain pills, and I'm talking about taking them first thing.

It's possible that there is still some ibuprofein in your system when you wake up with the liver being occupied processing the still present alcohol. Although my money is on placebo.
 

duragezic

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
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Hahaha more uneducated BS from you-know-who. Hey I can be an expert in every thread!

Smoking bud is probably one of the best things you can do for the nausea associated with hangovers. Eating opiates also helps, tho some of them are less kind to you than others. If you are super hungover and eat some methadone or suboxone, it may make it worse and make you extremely sick. So tread lightly with them, though they certainly can be helpful. But don't follow my actions and take such strong opiates before going out drinking. Ugh, think of your worse hangover but 5x as bad. Too sick to move except to puke one of many times throughotu the day. And why do I still do it when I know what happens the next morning (tho the night is certainly fun :))?
 

Gibsons

Lifer
Aug 14, 2001
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Hangovers are caused by 2-3 things. Or maybe more...

1 ethyl alchohol - alcohol acts as a depressant and there are perhaps some effects from a 'withdrawal' symptom. it also acts as a diuretic. This results in dehydration, which contributes to the hangover. But it's important to realize that you can be hungover and not dehydrated or dehydrated but not hungover. That is, the symptoms and causes of hangover and dehydration are distinguishable. Alcohol is also processed to an aldehyde and then an acid, both of these might contribute to the symptoms.

2 Congeners - this is the big one. Fermentation by yeast of organic substances (grain, corn, grapes whatever) produces a very very large list of poorly defined chemicals, generically termed "congeners." These lead to headache, photophobia, and lots of other symptoms commonly called hangover. On the plus side, they can taste and smell good...

3 other alcohols - probably not a large contributor, especially these days. will ignore this.

Glycogen metabolism has nothing to do with it. Food stops glycogen metabolism as well as or better than alcohol, but doesn't cause a hangover.

Drinking a lot of fluids during drinking or before you go to bed has two effects. First, it counteracts the dehydration. Second, it gives the kidneys more/better opportunity to process the congeners - they will spend a lot of the night in your bladder instead of washing around your brain.

Aspirin (or ibuprofen etc) helps because it suppresses the formation of prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are probably induced by congeners. If you feel bad simply becuase you're dehydrated, aspirin isn't going to help at all. But aspirin does help hangovers.

Eating food with some water is a great way to avoid a hangover (best that I know of anyway). A lot of the congeners end up passing right through (they get caught up in the food, particularly if it's greasy) instead of reaching the blood stream (and then the brain).

Different alcoholic beverages will give worse hangovers, even given the same amount of alcohol. This is due to different amounts of congeners. Generally speaking, darker beverages will have more, lighter will have less. Highest amounts are found in whiskeys, red wines and beer, lowest amounts in vodka. Obviously there's a lot of variation even within these categories. Some red wines are said to even contain histamines, which is bad to even think about.

Anyway, bottom line is there's a lot more to hangovers than alcohol or dehydration.