287325 Fri Jun 29 11:38:34 -0700 2001 54 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1544859 All this talk about beer is leading to extensive experimentation. I'm curious as to what concoctions chowhounders rely on the night or morning after they should have said "no" to that last drink. Personally, three advil and a liter of Orangina does the trick. Fri Jun 29 11:38:34 -0700 2001 0 Shoeman 1 1544860 I think Tripe, in all its various forms is supposed to be a hangover cure... For me it's always been salty french fries, preferably McDonald's, although usually when I need a hangover cure it's due to Scotch, which always seems to make me hungry in the morning (as opposed to beer, which has an opposite effect). Ben Fri Jun 29 11:43:24 -0700 2001 1544859 0 ben fish 2 1544863 Tacos with chorizo and egg or bean and bacon, with cheese and jalapenos. Admittedly, it can be like chemotherapy: Tough to survive but curative in the end. Also, regular coke, gatorade and the old standby alka-seltzer. Used to wash down the tacos, of course. Fri Jun 29 12:07:56 -0700 2001 1544860 0 Greg Spence 3 1544870 I'm with you on the spicy stuff; tabasco is good to keep on hand for dumping all over your scrambled eggs the morning after. Don't know what it is about its vasodilating powers that loosens the grip of a hangover, but it works for me. And it must be one reason the Bloody Mary is a time-honored cure; another is the salt, which your body needs to help with rehydration; and then there's the hair of the dog. OK, it's dangerous, because once your body learns that a little drink will makes things better you're on the road to dependency. But it does help. As does Guinness. Who knows what's in that stuff, but it's like medicine. A Ramos Fizz is marvelous too--packed with protein, from egg whites! But operating a cocktail shaker when you're damaged is damn hard, not to mention the intolerable racket it produces. The only solution is to do your drinking in New Orleans and go to the Sazerac Bar in the morning to let the old bartenders do the athletic shaking for you. Kingsley Amis's On Drink has a masterful chapter on hangovers, dealing with not just the physical hangover but the metaphysical hangover: the guilt and self-disgust that kicks in just as your mind begins to clear. Fri Jun 29 15:15:31 -0700 2001 1544863 0 pete wells 1 1544864 A bowl of hearty, non-dairy soup. People suggest tripe or menudo, but many other soups do the trick also. Drink lots of liquids to re-hydrate. I like to drink lots of water while I'm drinking as a preventive measure. There's always the good ol' hair o' the dog. Or, as a last resort: Just Stay Drunk. Fri Jun 29 12:17:01 -0700 2001 1544859 0 2chez mike 2 3248112 Absolutely, drink lots of liquids - mostly water. Most of the effects of a hangover are due to dehydration. My friends and I discovered that drinking a liter of water before passing out (and then, when the inevitable 3:00 AM call to the throne occurred, drinking another liter), truly mitigated the ill feelings. However, we also drank a lot of tomato juice the next morning, and found that helped as well. Sun Dec 30 18:14:53 -0800 2007 1544864 48210 KevinB 3 3250790 I always make sure to drink Gatorade before giving in to sleep after a night of drinking. Never had a hangover. Tue Jan 01 01:43:05 -0800 2008 3248112 112034 spellweaver16 1 1544865 Since part of what makes you miserable with a hangover is dehydration and loss of potassium, my morning-after remedy is a tall glass of orange juice with a banana and a raw egg blended into it, followed by a couple of aspirin and lots of water. And I usually take a couple of aspirin before going to sleep, the night before the morning after. Seems to work for me. Fri Jun 29 12:31:39 -0700 2001 1544859 0 Dena 1 1544867 two large glasses of iced tea, two aspirin and bacon and eggs fix me right up. if that doesnt work then a v8 Fri Jun 29 14:32:20 -0700 2001 1544859 0 mrranchcuisine 1 1544868 1. Since dehydration is the reason your brain literally shrinks away from the subarachnoid space, fluids are obviously the key. Unfortunately, plain water is often unpalatable to drink the morning after. ALWAYS keep plain bottled selzer water on hand - this (cold or roon temperature) will go down easily and start the hydration process, and also soothe the tummy. 2. Medication: I used to swear by Extra Stregnth Tylenol until I discovered the new line of over-the-counter migraine products. Hangover headaches and migraine symptoms can be very similar, including the headache/nausea combination. Also, if you are lucky enough to have a prescription for Fiornal (generic name Butalbital), one is good for the mild hangover, two is for when you can barely lift your head to reach for your medication (thank goodness this doesn't happen to me anymore - I discovered too late in life that my body simply cannot tolerate gin or vodka, period). Congratulations, you're out of bed! Let's move on. 4. This is a good time to send the least miserable person down to the bodega. Now, I'm not going to say you should drink one or the other - it depends on what you think would continue to placate your stomach at the moment. All of the following at one time or another have helped me in my time of need: Gatorade, tomato, grapefruit, orange, or cranberry juice, coffee, extra-cold skim milk (sipped), Coca Cola (not Pepsi). And keep the selzer handy! 5. Before you eat, see if you might have Immodium AD (Extra Strength chewables are my friend) on hand (especially if you suspect you were drinking beer out of dirty taps!!). Your digestive system may be very fragile at this time, so keep the toilet in close proximity. Remember: if you are foolhardy enough to go to brunch, you may risk invoking the wrath of the victim behind you in line for the restroom. Also, ladies: I wouldn't recommend going out all day if you are simultaneously hungover and menstruating. You know what I'm talking about. 6. You're finally ready to eat. Some people begin to dream of hash browns while still struggling to rise, and others can't fathom such a thing until the evening. Eat whatever you are craving. Forget trying to apply basic nutrition to hangover cures, because the abuse has already taken place. All you can do is comfort yourself at this point. I would say that it is very nice to open the cupboard and find a can of Campbell's Tomato and Rice soup, and a box of saltines. 7. I'm sorry, but any "hair-of-the-dog" advice is plain disgusting. Again, it all depends on the person and type of hangover. As I said, I am thankful to have discovered what kind of alcohol I cannot drink under any circumstances, what I must limit, and what absolutely cannot be combined. These days, my hangovers are very few, and not too traumatizing. Fri Jun 29 14:40:26 -0700 2001 1544859 0 Minty 2 1544869 I've heard people who drink WAY too much say that they eliminated hangovers by drinking half a gallon of water before going to bed. Flush the toxins out of your system and rehydrate yourself at the same time. Try that first, maybe you won't have a hangover to beat. Fri Jun 29 14:50:23 -0700 2001 1544868 0 ironmom 3 1544871 Very true! This definitely helps. Unfortunately in my case, I would go to bed not even suspecting that the 2 or 3 gin and tonics OR 2 martinis over the course of an evening would absolutely wreck me the next morning. Turns out I had no business putting either into my system! Also, as much as I try to force water before bed, I always stay up an extra hour or so because I am mortified at the thought of wetting my bed. My ex-boyfriend did this once or twice after some hard drinking, and, suffice to say, it was mighty unpleasant. Fri Jun 29 15:31:35 -0700 2001 1544869 0 Minty 4 1544873 I didn't understand how that would work out either. But I have found in the past that if you start loading up on the water before you stop drinking, it tends to stop your thirst, so the drinking stops earlier, too. Fri Jun 29 15:57:50 -0700 2001 1544871 0 ironmom 3 1544903 Rehydration is probably the key to any hangover cure, but drinking too much water too fast, especially when very dehydrated, can actually be dangerous. At the least, drinking straight water without eating something salty flushes too much sodium from your system, which can in itself leave you feeling woozy and unwell. And although it's rare, it's possible to physically "drown" by diluting your blood sufficiently that you brain is "flooded" with water. So space that half-gallon over a least half an hour, and if you can, eat some pretzels or other salty but stomach-neutral snack (and a banana if you can tolerate it) to replace your sodium (and potassium) loss. Unfortunately, I don't think most people think about how to deal with a hangover until it's alreay hit them... Sun Jul 01 09:13:50 -0700 2001 1544869 0 Caitlin McGrath 2 1544877 Minty, awesome post. But, you left me a bit curious on how you know so much about hangovers? Are you a doctor or enthusiast? Anyway, you reinforced why I've had so much success with Orangina. It combines both the orange juice and seltzer you suggest. Hydration is the key. I'm ashamed to admit but I even start introducing water into the equation early in the night if I suspect I'm heading for trouble. A 22 oz water for each pint type of thing. Fri Jun 29 16:52:50 -0700 2001 1544868 0 Shoeman 2 1544888 Stick with simple aspirin as a pill cure for a hangover. Tylenol, and the rest of the "non-aspirin" designer drugs usually end up doing twice the liver damage than the the alcohol itself. Fri Jun 29 23:50:18 -0700 2001 1544868 0 2chez mike 2 1544890 As an EMT who's seen plenty of narcotic-alcohol induced comas, I'd say stay away from mixing fiornal and booze. Way away. Also, watch the acetominphen (tylenol). Your liver's in enough trouble without adding this irritant. Stick with the alka seltzers, coca-colas and water. If you yearn for a narcotic to take away the headache pain, just let that be your body's admonishment for the abuse you've inflicted. Sat Jun 30 00:38:44 -0700 2001 1544868 0 Greg Spence 3 1544891 What's an EMT? Sat Jun 30 00:53:09 -0700 2001 1544890 0 2chez mike 4 1544892 Emergency Medical Technician. Sat Jun 30 01:35:29 -0700 2001 1544891 0 bryan 3 1544919 No no!!! I do not mix narcotics and booze, let me state that for the record. Also let me state that when I have taken these the morning after, there were other factors involved. First and foremost, debauchery in itself was not the cause - like I said before, I would sometimes have a moderate amount of gin or vodka, which my body cannot tolerate period, and literally could not move the next morning (self-flagellation isn't the issue here). In addition to this, I am a walking barometer, so if there had also been any major weather change, then I was in real trouble. Since eliminating the culprits from my list, I haven't had one of these morning after incidents, thank goodness! Mon Jul 02 11:34:45 -0700 2001 1544890 0 Minty 2 1545306 one word GATORADE Mon Oct 13 02:54:42 -0700 2003 1544868 0 Foundthemagiccure 3 1545307 Yup, definitely Gatorade. Mon Oct 13 23:13:51 -0700 2003 1545306 0 AshleyC 3 3248156 Gatorade is the gold standard of hangover cures. Though on the food side, I like eggs + toast with honey. Sun Dec 30 18:28:18 -0800 2007 1545306 10681 piccola 2 3247815 Minty, What is the "new line of otc migrane priducts" you referenced above?? Sun Dec 30 16:07:37 -0800 2007 1544868 151908 anchovy 3 3248185 That would be the reference from 6 years ago... Sun Dec 30 18:38:31 -0800 2007 3247815 80141 ccbweb 4 3250658 Correct. You count really well.... Mon Dec 31 20:31:06 -0800 2007 3248185 151908 anchovy 3 3249143 >>What is the "new line of otc migrane priducts" anchovy, I was wondering that myself. This line is almost enough to make a person stop drinking! >>Since dehydration is the reason your brain literally shrinks away from the subarachnoid space, fluids are obviously the key. Sadly, I have to agree that moderation is the key. Mon Dec 31 08:22:45 -0800 2007 3247815 11104 dolores 1 1544883 All the the foregoing are quite true, but there's an added metabolic issue yet to be considered. Alcohol is broken down by a series of enzymatic reactions, essentially plucking hydrogen atoms successively from the original ethanol molecule. The first metabolic by-product of alcohol is acetaldehyde, a nasty substance which accounts for at least some of the hangover symptoms. The problem here is that acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, the enzyme responsible for breaking down acetaldehyde, is in relatively short supply in our systems, and therefore counts as a rate limiting factor. That's the reason that hydration and nutrition are only partial answers. The final step I'm afraid is simple time - get rid of that nasty acetaldehyde! Additionally, the compounds which account for taste, flavor and color in alcoholic beverages are called congeners and some can work their own evil magic as well. They're especially abundant in such highly flavored drinks as gin. Sometimes these additives are purposefully added to give the drink certain qualities. For example, do you know what was added to Boone's Farm Apple Wine to give it that "crisp" taste? Formaldehyde - I kid you not! Anyway, the best cure for a hangover is preventive = moderation & hydration. Short of that you can remember what a good time you might have had the night before (if you remember it.) Andrew Fri Jun 29 20:43:28 -0700 2001 1544859 0 weinhen 1 1544902 Aspirin (before, during and after) is good. A milk shake can be OK. Water by all means. OJ might do it. If it's really bad I suggest "hair 'o the dog" in the form of a couple ounces of cognac, sipped very slowly. If you don't want to drink alcohol, 5 mg. of Valium (the morning AFTER) will sooth the nerves. A little more if you want to sleep it off. By no means should one mix alcohol and tranquilizers, however. Sun Jul 01 03:18:20 -0700 2001 1544859 0 JP 1 1544917 i've read in three or four places recently that honey is a great hangover cure. i have not tried it- has anyone? Mon Jul 02 11:06:41 -0700 2001 1544859 0 tonya casmo 1 1545012 I agree that Orangina works well - nutritious vitamins & cool fizzy soda at the same time. That's much better than Coke or plain water. Sometimes for severe hangovers I will take a glass filled with ice, add Angostura Bitters with a heavy hand, then fill the glass with ginger-ale. Very settling to the stomach, and I believe the bitters gives a bit of the "hair of the dog" effect, without actually having to start pounding beers again! Vanilla milkshakes or ice-cream sodas can also work well. Usually I can only have a milkshake while dealing with a less severe hangover, when I can actually drag myself out of bed & down to the local ice-cream shop! Thu Jul 05 19:34:21 -0700 2001 1544859 0 Jim D. 1 1545240 Be extremely cautious with Advil (Ibuprofen) following a night's binge on alcohol. The kidneys but mostly the liver and advil do not get along, especially after extensive alcohol consumption. Aspirin or sadly no OTC drugs are better for you. I've heard Vitamin B3 is supposed to help... Thu Jul 19 12:05:28 -0700 2001 1544859 0 Cristi 2 3247443 I thought this was a timely refresher for this thread with the biggest hangover producing holiday upon us. My hangover trick (besides getting older and learning how to prevent one) is the vitamin packet called Emergen-C mixed with water. Happy New Year everyone and be careful out there! ;-) Sun Dec 30 13:31:53 -0800 2007 1545240 150226 Amelie 3 3247547 I don't know what they contain, or if it's really a placebo effect, but I've found those "chaser" pills to be pretty helpful. Sun Dec 30 14:11:47 -0800 2007 3247443 17737 Hunicsz 1 3247506 I'm afraid I've perfected the following hangover cure: 1.Four Advil or two Aleeve. 2. One cup water, One Red Bull. 3.Two slices whole wheat toast, with butter if tolerable. 4.Two poached or scrambled eggs. 5.Tomato juice, 1-2 cups 6. Stand in a hot shower for 30 minutes. Combine all of the above, in order, and you should be on your way to being human again. If not, go back to bed. Sun Dec 30 13:55:00 -0800 2007 1544859 113872 diablo 1 3247541 3 Advil 2 Tums 1 very large bottle of water, gatorade, or sprite 1 multivitamin Sun Dec 30 14:09:16 -0800 2007 1544859 72401 jnstarla 1 3248187 Well, it's revived....so....Pho. Lots of liquid, a bit of protein, a bit of carbs, some spice, some citrus...it'll fix most anything that's wrong with you. The Ca Phe Sua Da won't hurt the process any either. Sun Dec 30 18:39:41 -0800 2007 1544859 80141 ccbweb 1 3248922 I read recently that hangovers are caused in part by potassium deficiency, and that bananas help, but that the best relief comes from coconut water (the writer recommended a brand from Whole Foods). I can vouch for the bananas--coupled with lots of water, a banana or two seems to do the trick. I haven't tried coconut water, but I plan to stock up when I find it. Mon Dec 31 06:33:56 -0800 2007 1544859 48876 mamaciita 1 3248943 Two words: GUT PLUG. This is what my friends and I referred to the cure we used all throughout our twenties. Our old faithful gut plug was typically a greasy burger and fries the next day. But often times it was a gut plug breakfast down at the greasy diner at 2 a.m. after we finished drinking. Up eggs, sausage patties w/ syrup, lovely shredded hashbrowns w/ ketchup and toast. Don't forget the diet coke! In the middle of our dunken stupors we would chant, "Beer is good! We like Beer! La la la la la la la!!!!" The mornning after a much more somber chant for the "gut plug". Mon Dec 31 06:48:57 -0800 2007 1544859 71241 lynnlato 1 3249747 I'm fortunate to have a constitution that mostly keeps hangovers away - comes in handy since the BFF owns a bar. My number one tip - vitamin B12. Take 1000 milligrams before going out (or during the evening if some thoughtful friend has some) and take another in the morning. And here's other things I'd always keep in mind. Prevention first - eat something before or during, drink a glass of water for every drink you have. If you're prone to headaches, take two aspirin when you get home or when you wake up in the morning (or both). If its been a long night, try to have a little something before bed - along with more water. I don't do my hot tub or really hot shower as it seems that rise in body heat makes the hangover. For rehydration, ginger ale and/or ice tea/water with lemon. Definately find the food you can stand in the morning and eat fairly soon. If you really can't do a meal, try some shortbread cookies. I've also been known to take alka seltzer later in the day if the headache and indigestion persist - worked for mom and dad and seems to work for me. Mon Dec 31 11:51:05 -0800 2007 1544859 59853 AlaskaChick 1 3251004 i like all the various flavours of vitamin water. regular water. or sweet tea. orangina is very pleasant too, of course. lime pellegrino is acceptable as well. i like aleve, even though thats supposedly for body aches, i am a big fan of this for hangovers. as far as food goes it has to be a huge omelette stuffed with cheez and veggies, with rye toast or homemade biscuits and crispy hashbrowns, all doused in some sort of hot sauce. yum. big old mission style burritos are good, as well. and more beer. Tue Jan 01 08:19:06 -0800 2008 1544859 52834 tinymango 1 3251116 yeah, well, ours was simple...MickyD's double cheese and fries BEFORE drinking and hitting taco hell on the way home. Wow that was a long time ago. Tue Jan 01 09:15:12 -0800 2008 1544859 70200 chelleyd01 1 3251791 For a reeeaaal bad hangover? It doesnt really help, but Miso or Wonton soups are the only things that I can actually eat and kind of enjoy. I try and take a B vitamin before I go out drinking -- it seems to help the hangover. Tue Jan 01 14:57:03 -0800 2008 1544859 140849 burritobelle 1 3256971 Another vote for Orangina, although I usually do a grapefruit juice and soda water concoction. As well, a small bowl of kimchee puts me right. Thu Jan 03 09:54:38 -0800 2008 1544859 91415 hungry_pangolin 1 3257139 I usually pig out late night when I drink so I'm not often hungry in the morning. When I am go to the local greasy spoon for a nice hash and cheese omelet. The waitresses always look at me funny when I order a water, a cranberry juice, and a coffee at once. If I am not eating, the cure that works everytime for me is 3 aspirin and an energy drink(I find the juiced based ones like rockstar are easier to get down in the morning) Thu Jan 03 10:38:43 -0800 2008 1544859 20795 joth68 2 3258270 All the caffeine in the energy drink accelerates the aspirin :) Thu Jan 03 14:38:13 -0800 2008 3257139 112034 spellweaver16 1 3257306 I have several remedies for several types of hangover... 1. Eat something heavy and greasy before you pass out. Greasy = (W)awful House, hot dog cart, Taco Bell, etc. 2. If you wake up nauseated - you need some fizz and a soaker. Saltines, Triscuits, or toast and a Sprite or 7-Up, or my other fav - diet cherry limeade from Sonic. 3. Something salty always takes the tummy rumbles away. I like chips, fries, tots, or something like that. I have to wait until the nausea goes away and then I'm ready for something salty to take the hurt off. 4. Several ibuprofen before you go to bed and when you wake up. That headache is not going away unless you take something. 5. Have a bloody mary or a red beer - the first drink sucks but it gets better and it really works. 6. Hot and sour soup. Yes, the kind from the cheap Chinese takeout joint - it has magical healing powers. I swear by it. 7. Sleep. Lots and lots of sleep. Thu Jan 03 11:14:13 -0800 2008 1544859 56308 drgnflychic 1 3258426 Menudo. Hands down best cure for el crudo I've ever found. Thu Jan 03 15:25:04 -0800 2008 1544859 98577 rfneid 1 3258435 i agree with the eats before bedtime, something carby to soak up the bad stuff. Not a great habit but it has saved me a couple of times. Alcohol has a major diuretic effect on me as it is, and i am not a good sleeper, so drinking a gallon of water before bedtime would result in me waking back up within an hour and never getting back to sleep. I try to have a few glasses throughout the night tho. Orangina is one of the best soft drinks out there, gatorade tastes like soap to me (but i do like Propel). I've found a couple of times even when the thought of food makes me want to hurl, i make myself force down a couple of crackers...because i'll only get worse, the longer my stomach is empty. Alcohol gives me major sinus stuffies as well, and so i take advil cold and sinus. I was under the impression that ibuprofin was the safer of the painkillers to take in those situations??? Thu Jan 03 15:27:58 -0800 2008 1544859 153184 im_nomad 2 3261213 Ibuprofen IS the safer otc pain reliever to take when you've been drinking. Tylenol is rough on your liver normally, taking it after drinking is just a low blow to your poor organs. Fri Jan 04 11:47:19 -0800 2008 3258435 112034 spellweaver16 1 3266000 this thread is so old, but timely still... tomato juice is the best thing in the morning... V8 if you must. my keys: aspirin before bed along with a few glasses of water morning after meal - scrapple with toast to soap up the tummy juices if food is intolerable, a shot of whatever put you in that state... nothing like a shot of tequila to cure a tequila hangover! Sun Jan 06 00:02:38 -0800 2008 1544859 15572 Emme 2 3266018 OK OK, I'm new here. Time honored cure (BUT must be done night of damage) - 2 asprin, 1000 mgs C. and the BIGGEST muilt "B" you can swallow - all washed down with a big glass of OJ. The one time I remembered to do it - it worked!! I Sun Jan 06 00:19:27 -0800 2008 3266000 155109 Mizcarbo 2 3266339 Just thinking about a shot of tequila during a tequila induced hangover makes me want to vomit.....blech. Sun Jan 06 07:44:59 -0800 2008 3266000 82143 amanda3571 1 3267765 Usually Im at work during the hangover. Damn sunday morning shifts. Anyways, if I come in drunk, ibuprophen and water. at the point it feels too gross to think of food. eventually when I start to sobre up I want either breakfast bangers or an egg mcmuffin. or just a yummy mushy muffin, but thats only when the hangovers not too bad. ice tea maybe, or OJ. If I was at home it's a different story. In most cases I dont plan to get this drunk, or else I would hydrate and take a vitamin that night...however sometimes one just gets drunk and sleepy and passes out fully clothed and wasted. :) Good memories. It's a good thing this doesn't happen very often though. Sun Jan 06 16:41:32 -0800 2008 1544859 21070 cupcakez 1 3271662 Pedialyte! I buy the walgreen's brand. Get the popsicles or the regular stuff. Cold is better for the liquid stuff. You have to drink the whole thing, not just one glass. Get those electrolytes flowing! Gatorade is also okay if it is 2AM at the 7-11. If I eat before crashing sometimes I am worse off, esp. if there are a bunch of carbs involved (and there always are!). My husband thinks something's wrong with me, but I will often force myself to - toss the cookies before bed if things are really bad. Mon Jan 07 17:56:36 -0800 2008 1544859 88683 stellamystar 1 3272277 The best way to help avoid/prevent a hangover after a night of consuming alcholic beverages is to start with drinking a a full glass of water before your first drink. And to drink a glass of water before each alcholic drink/beverage thereafter. This will help to prevent the morning after dehydration that is the main cause of hangover symptoms. Mon Jan 07 21:04:05 -0800 2008 1544859 141261 crt