Best Hangover Cure?

[Lola]

I could use some helpful hints on this matter.

[bigskulls]

Advil, a shower, orange juice, and lots of water. Some people think flu pills help, but I've never tried them.

[CoffeeRings]

Isn't there a warning about taking Advil (ditto Tylenol) with lots alcohol? Too much stress on the liver or something?

Anyway, water for sure.

[Barbarito]

Advil's a bad idea if you regularly consume a lot of alcohol (ie: >2 drinks/day), but of the over-the-counter painkillers it's the safest for your liver (saw a study on this a while back). Tylenol's the worst, and you really shouldn't take it if alcohol's still in your system.

Lots of water and whatever non-acidic food you feel up to (eggs, bread, beans and rice) would be my recommendation. Also take a shower, go for a walk, but stay out of the heat.

[CoffeeRings]

Aspirin isn't bad for your liver, is it? I thought its only fault was that it could irritate your stomach...

[Barbarito]

Aspirin and alcohol can interact to cause a liver condition known as Reye's damage. However, the greatest risk, IIRP, is to those prone to the condition or the very young (who perhaps shouldn't be drinking anyway!), and, as with advil and booze, the problem arises with chronic use. You're correct in that the greater danger is stomach irritation.

*Medical advice disclaimer: I'm not a doctor, I just play one occasionally. However, I've done some, ahem, field research in alcohol-related biochemistry :)

[taos]

The connection with aspirin and Reyes syndrome is in young children who are advised not to take aspirin because it can cause Reyes syndrome. That's why parents are advised to give Tylenol (acetaminophen) to children instead. Alcohol has not been implicated as a factor in Reyes Syndrome as far as I know.
Of the three main classes of OTC pain relievers: aspirin, acetaminophen, and all the NSAIDs (Advil, Naprosyn, etc.), acetaminophen, is considered the least damaging but they all have risks.

[Celeste]

I had a TERRIBLE reaction to taking two Tylenol when I was very hung over once... my kidneys were in pain, no joke. It was awful.

[Ellen]

Popeyes spicy fried chicken and a biscuit.

[ibstatguy]

along with a beer... ;-)

[swingline]

Painkillers, Gatorade, sleep if you have the time and a salty breakfast if your stomach can handle it.

[Mawrter]

That's a good one. Emergen-C or Vitamin water work the same way as Gatorade.

[GG Mora]

Sometimes just a tall Coke with lots of ice helps enormously. When it's really bad, a big, greasy cheeseburger with a side of fries and a tall Coke with ice. I'm not kidding. Try it. Oh, and be sure and wear sunglasses.

Truth is, it's all about re-oxygenating your blood. My understanding is that it takes alot of oxygen to metabolize the alcohol...leaves you oxygen deficient. If you know anyone that's hooked up to an oxygen tank, see if they'll sport you a few hits. Does wonders.

Other "healthy" remedies: fizzy water seems to help more than regular (re-oxygenates the blood faster?), megadoses of B-complex, and some form of exercise that gets you lots of fresh air.

[danna]

"takes alot of oxygen to metabolize the alcohol...leaves you oxygen deficient"

Ah hah! That explains why everyone said don't drink on my bike trip to high-altitute Park City. (don't drink on vacation? are you kidding?)

Also, re: the fizzy water - I wonder if that's why I always recover faster from excessive Champagne than excessive still wine?

[GG Mora]

Hmmmm...if I drink still white wine, I get positively cross-eyed on 2 glasses (not so with red wine), but I can drink champagne all night and, as long as I'm not guzzling it, not get particularly drunk and not suffer the after effects.

Ti-i-i-i-iny bubbles....

[Megiac]

One of the many benefits of living in Colorado is that when flatlander friends come to visit, we can drink them under the table (even a wine writer friend who drinks for a living).

When necessary, my hangover cure is Gatorade, saltines, and lots of sleep.

[AnnyM]

I second the cheeseburger and fries recommendation. And if you're a little queasy, a chocolate milkshake helps too! And drink as much water as you can.

[Bobfrmia]

Some people swear by Fernet Branca. After tasting it, I'd rather stay hungover.

[sfumato]

Yup- my European family prescribes Fernet Branca or Becherovka (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Becherovka)! If you can manage, both actually do help settle your stomach.

[nja]

Fried chicken. Cold.

[FatBob]

Take it from a former bartender and Marine. Your body uses natural sugars when metabolizing alcohol. Try apple juice (pectin) or stir some glucose in Tea. Drink lots of water. Next time use your head....

[lex]

Lets not judge, OK?

[cinghiale]

Could be the ex-Marine meant "head" in the military sense. I use my head when I've got a 5* hangover.

[FatBob]

Who's judging ? I just assumed this person would just as soon not have another hangover. If this post is just info gathering for future reference, then I sincerely apologize to YOU for making you feel that I needed to hear your uh, judgement.....

[TomSwift]

I find that 6 aspirin taken with as much water as you can drink before you go to sleep virtually guarantees no headache when you wake up, then drink more water and apple juice.

[StriperGuy]

I would not take that many aspirin, ever!

Could seriously mess up your stomach and cause bruising/bleeding. Aspirin is an anticoagulant (things your blood) and can cause stomach ulcers if taken in excess.

[TomSwift]

What you say is true. However, I *rarely* drink to the point where I'm so fearful of a terrible hangover that I resort to the 6 aspirin remedy (3-4 times a year). Usually the cure is 2 aspirin and all the water I can drink. Do you think that 3-4 times a year is harmful?

[StriperGuy]

Problem with dosing your stomach with that much aspirin is that it can literally burn a hole in your stomach.

I have a buddy who had the flu, and felt terrible. All he did was drink orange juice and take aspirin on an empty stomach all day. Took about 6-8 aspirins this way and ended up in an ambulance with 4 holes in his stomach.

Aspirin is excellent stuff, but I would never take more then 2 or maybe 3 at a time. It really tears your stomach up. Taking 6 after a night of drinking (also bad for your stomach) is not a good idea.

[TomSwift]

Thanks for the education.

[Ellen]

And I thought my father was just making that up when he made me drink lots of water with my St. Josephs when I was little.

[mw]

Although this is a tad off topic, a long time ago, Tylenol used to advertise that it "was safer than aspirin." Unfortunately there were a few (patients that I personally cared for) who took that ad literally, and in a suicidal gesture, consumed toxic amounts of it, rather than aspirin, because they really didn't want to die. One 32 y.o. woman I will never forget did exactly that after an argument with her husband, and since she felt no immediate symptoms she assumed the overdose had no effect, nor did she tell her husband about it. Until the next day when she suddenly felt like total s***. She was admitted to our ICU and there was absolutely nothing we could do for her except watch her die...luckily, now there is an antidote, if taken soon enough after ingestion.

[Caitlin McGrath]

My co-hound's a psychiatrist, and sees a lot of suicide attempts with acetaminophen. While they can clear it out of the system, if the patient was found after a while, they can't do anything about liver damage that may result (especially if the patient downed it with alcohol, which is not unusual). So he sees young patients whose suicide attempts are unsuccessful, but who end up on dialysis.

[DanaB]

This used to be my strategy as well (except I'd do three aspirin instead of six, along with the "as much water as you can drink" before going to sleep). It's the most effective remedy I've ever found. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, my stomach rebelled and I really can't handle that much aspirin any more. But if your stomach can, I highly recommend you try this.

For day after remedies, concur that lots of water and some sort of greasy breakfast (used to eat a slice of pizza when I lived in NYC; in LA I usually go for huevos rancheros). If your stomach is truly upset, a package of ramen and a can of seven-up can help you over the hump.

[Jambalaya]

Guess what folks its the water that's doing the trick not the aspirin. A hangover is nothing more than the effects of dehydration, which is what the alcohol does to you. So anything you can do to counteract that, such as drinking lots of water before you go to bed, will help.

[Cricket]

You're absolutely correct, water is the trick, as much as you can drink before bed.

[joypirate]

Menudo with tortillas. Millions of my cerveza-soaked Latino brothers can't all be wrong.

[kristen]

i saw an infomercial type thing the other day about a pill--dang, i can't remember what it's called--that you can take when you start drinking and it's supposed to prevent hangovers. anyone heard of this or tried it? sounds a bit creepy to me...

[nja]

Several years ago there was a discussion on a wine board about some activated carbon pills that would prevent hangovers. One guy got some samples and tried them. His conclusion: "I found the effects of the capsules worse than the effects of alcohol."

Link: http://forums.about.com/n/mb/message....

[Basilgirl]

Alka Selter Morning Relief. Works great. Has a lot of caffeine, though, so if you have it AND coffee your hands will be shaking all day.

[RedRob]

The best hangover cure hands down is a joint and a bloody mary. Works for me every time.

[bigskulls]

that's the weekend/unemployed version. It can also be used in combination with other remedies for increased effect.

[smartie]

hair of the dog???

[flavrmeistr]

Aspirin, water, sleep and a papaya or mamey milkshake to reintroduce the electrolytes pissed away during the evening's debauch. Papaya also contains the proper enzymes to neutralize that train-wreck of a stomach. Then, a nice heavy meal and some more sleep.

[Abbylovi]

For me, soy milk works wonders.

[Pappy]

While it may be hard for most of us to procure...

I remember in college we would go to the Infirmary complaining of a hangover. Inevitably we would be diagnosed with "alcohol poisoning" by the 60 year old, non-drinking nurse, and given a small injection of B-12 vitamin in the tush.

We'd be back at the keg by noon.

[brooklynmonkey]

Yeah, Vitamin B works for me. I take one b-vitamin complex tab with LOTS of water before going to bed, and it works wonders. I realize the water is key, but the person who told me about this remedy seemed to think that one of the b vitamins (don't know which one, hence the complex tab) helps keep blood vessels open and happy. I haven't bothered to find out if there is any truth to this theory, but water+vitamin b seems to make a difference for me compared to water alone.

[Therese]

No kidding, there is a small but definite risk of complete liver blow-out with this combination (the higher the dose of either compound the worse the risk). Liver transplant or death, basically.

The "cure" is water and more water. Ibuprofen the night before and next AM will help with symptoms. The real cure is to not drink so much, of course.

[Karl S.]

Agreed. Normally, Tylenol is the safest choice, since it does not burden the kidney (I've encountered renal specialists who maintain that ibuprofen and naproxyn should never have been made available over the counter due to all the damage they have seen to kidneys from misuse), but in this instance, it is very prudent to avoid it to be kind to your battered liver (and I don't mean that in the fried chow sense...).

[Pat Hammond]

I'm reasonably certain that I read that Tylenol is a definite no-no. It may even be printed on their label, although I can't swear to that.

[TomSwift]

It is on their label.

"ALCOHOL WARNING: If you consume 3 or more
alcoholic drinks every day, ask your doctor
whether you should take acetaminophen or
other pain relievers/fever reducers.
Acetaminophen may cause liver damage."

[Pat Hammond]

Thanks, Tom. At least my long-term memory seems to be intact! pat

[Kirk]

Aren't the warnings about consuming acetominophen and ibuprofen only related to the night of consumption, rather than the morning after? Hasn't most of the alcohol (not all of it, I know) been metabolized by the time you wake up feeling like hell the next morning?

Granted, an OD of acetominophen (even without the alcohol) can do very significant and irreversible liver damage. But do people really need to be concerned about taking it the next day?

[TomSwift]

I frankly don't know for certain. However, as I read the warning ("3 or more alcoholic drinks *every* day") they're concerned that the liver may already be compromised by heavy drinking and that the drug may further damage it, regardless of when its taken.

[oystersallday]

liver blow out from vitamin b?

[butterfly]

I have a friend who is a an RN, herbalist and naturopath. She's also a former chef and she throws the most amazing and decadent dinner parties.

She always offers kudzu tea to her guests before they head home after a night of excessive wine drinking and binge eating. She also makes sure to keep us well-hydrated.

My body generally makes me pay for any excesses, but I have yet to experience any ill effects from one of these hedonistic feasts.

[Emme]

Tomato juice.

The other trick is to drink a shot of whatever was your poison.

[sgirl]

Hydration is great, but the real trick is milk. I learned this at the CIA...drink a large (16 oz) glass of milk before going to bed. Apparently alcohol causes blood vessels to restrict, causing that tight, restricted feeling in the head during the hangover. The lactose in milk relaxes the vessels - less/no restriction, no headache! Also works to absorb nutritients into the blood stream.

Of course, if one must drink to excess, it's always best to have a full stomach first.

[amoncada]

Yeah, I heard the same about milk. Its supposed to do wonders. I've also heard that Menudo (Mexican Beef Stomach Soup) is as sure cure for a hangover.

[Shmingrid]

Cabbage before bed. About 10 minutes on an oxygen tank and Gatorade when you so rudely awaken. Having an oxygen tank handy may seem extreme, but it truly DOES make the meanest hangover just evaporate.
A tepid shower with a seriously minty soap also seems to help me. Not that I've ever been hungover....

[gigglin]

This is one of the funniest things I have ever read.
Keep writing!

[gigglin]

This is one of the funniest things I have ever read.
Keep writing!

[em]

If you wake up with a really bad hangover, try this.

When you wake up drink a glass of water, a glass of oj or tomato juice, 2-3 aspirin, and a cup of coffee. Then sit in the sun for 15-30 minutes. More water and/or juice. Have an early lunch of really spicy food.

If it only happens with a certain drink, it could be an allergy. Try an antihistimine. I always have a headache after red wine, no mater, how much or little I drink.

[ciaolette]

I have found really really spicy soup, such as thai tomyumkhun is a good cure, something about that chili just clears out the groggy head, and it is, in addition to lots of water, more rehydrating liquid.
I have heard menudo serves this purpose but I wouldn't want to look at tripe with a hangover!

[Barbarito]

Lola -- just look at all of the angels (myself included) who have proffered advice on ridding you of your nasty hangover. Sure hope it's gone by now (perhaps you're out chasing the "hair of the dog"?) and sure hope you didn't take any Tylenol :).

Our best wishes for your feeling better.

[SDS]

Thanks, feeling much better. I drank lots of seltzer water and orange juice, ate an egg and cheese sandwich for breakfast and then bbq for lunch.

[Curt]

Sobriety!!

[Happiness Stan]

There's always a puritan lurking around somewhere...

[flavrmeistr]

Great. Now what's your cure for reality?

[bigskulls]

I'm intrigued. How does it work?

[torta basilica]

A little late, but jump in a cool pool - feels great!

[Chickie]

Amazing how many of us have expertise to impart on this topic!

Mainly, I'd reiterate a lot of what's been said below--water, vitamin B, food. But I've also found something else that I think has helped me. Maybe one of you scientific-types can give specifics, but alcohol really seems to sap my body sugar, and usually by morning, my tummy's a little too skittish to take a lot of juice or Gatorade. I usually don't sleep too well after I've spent the evening tippling, so every time I wake up I take a sip of some sugared drink. Juice, obviously, is best, but even Coke would work. I think it helps keep my body sugar from totally bottoming out during that 8 (or 12) hour sleep span, so I start out the morning (or afternoon) a step or two ahead of the game.

Or just drink Guinness. I've NEVER gotten an I-wish-I-were-dead hangover from Guinness. It's good for you!

[Cpt. Wafer]

Don't know if these have been mentioned or not because I haven't read all the posts, but, I've tried these w/ great results. In order of preference they are:

Aerobic activity. At least an hour. More is better. Sweat it out. You'll feel great. Be sure to drink plenty of water before, during and after your work out.

Hair of the Dog. A Bloody Mary. Sip slowly. Stop after two, max.

Enough Valium to take the shakes away and put you to sleep if it's really bad.

I strongly endorse the first remedy.

[Scargod]

Oh yea, like I really want my head to literally explode!

The question was what to do after you've got a hangover, but I take vitamins B and C before, if I know there will be drinking involved and I eat well (not just drink). I drink lots of water before I retire.

[djk]

Well, the topic has been pretty well covered and covered well I might add - but one suggestion left out....years ago living in bali for a summer, all of us very hung out to dry - the gardener made us drinks composed largely of coconut milk. There were other ingredients that frankly I never understood but it was like a miracle, we were transformed. I think it was really the milk. Try it all but next time, give the coconut a try. You might feel better just by getting to smash it......

[WLA]

And if you just throw a jigger or two of rum in there and maybe a little pineapple with the coconut you may just have stumbled upon something. (g)

[Cookiepants]

My brother says really really burned toast, the black stuff works the same in your system as a the charcoal they would give you at the hospital for a overdose? And a banana to replace the potassium. Or a Prairie Oyster:

* 1 whole egg
* 1 1/2 ounces brandy
* Dash Worcestershire sauce
* Salt to taste
* egg yolk
* .more alcohol as necessary

[KevinB]

Lots of good ideas here; my friends and I always made sure to drink a quart of water before we went to bed, and another couple of glasses when the inevitable midnight trip to the bathroom occurred. Then in the morning, icy cold tomato juice with a shot of Worcestshire sauce, and hot buttered toast. Haven't tried the B-vitamins, but aspirin before bed, and if it's really bad, some Gravol in the morning.

And the pool idea is also great, if you have access to one. If not, a warm (not hot) bath seems to do wonders; much better than a shower.

[bobfxd]

Bloody Mary,lots of horseradish & tabasco.

[guby]

two words: waffle house.

(with a cup of their fantastic coffee, and an advil if necessary)

[Passadumkeg]

Man, you guys must have wicked bad, I mean wicked, hangovers if you're still trying to get rid of one from '03. Let the ole Navy Corpsman, Doc, help ya. What ya wanna do is increase your metabolism to burn out that nasty alcohol that has fried yo brain. How? None of the above posted civilians have a f*^%$#n' clue. Oxygen! Get to a tank of O2, get a mask, and breathe deeply of the fix. Feel the pain go away. Then give a hearty toast to ol' oxy w/ a big glass of ol' H2O. Crank it up and do it all over again before they send you back "in country" again. Piece-a cake!

[malibumike]

This would be a preventative before you actually woke up with the hangover and probably only applies to those who are coming back from the bars/party, yes I know we shouldn't be out drinking that much but in those circumstances a trip to Tommy's hamburger(los angeles) or similar where you live, get a double chili cheeseburger with extra chili and onions and a coke, you probably will not have the hangover in the morning.

[oystersallday]

egg and cheese on a roll
large vitamin water (with emphasis on vit b)
2 advil/ibuprofen
water

or depending on your responsibilities for the day:
many bloody marys
and foods that are good and salty and fried.

athough i am slightly disturbed to find that i am seriously contemplating this whole oxygen tank idea thanks to this thread...

[Passadumkeg]

The O2 cure works so well, I surprised that it hasn't been marketed. Basic science.
Compare it to some of the other cures from around the world:
Russia: herring & vodka
Finland: rotten herring & vodka
Bolivia: coffee w/ rum and a saltena
New Mexico: a bowl of menudo and a cold beer
Maine: Fried clams & and a beer
Is there a common thread here?

[swsidejim]

gyros, eggs, and hash browns

[starlady]

Japanese! Miso Soup and Tempura in particular and tuna with lots of wasabi.

Lie on your couch and have a ceasar with horseradish in the dark

Occasionally chocolate milk and a Granny Smith apple

If you have to get up and drive home - CHoclate shake and fries

Fried egg and bacon sandwich with ketchup (the only time I eat ketchup with my eggs) and a beer

Butter chicken and a beer - specifically an IPA

An orgasm - gets the blood flowing again :)

I'm sure I could come up with a couple more

[Scargod]

I really like your ides about treating a hangover, especially the wasabi and tuna, salad in the dark and the IPA. They (CH) don't want me saying anything about the orgasm...

[hill food]

Pedialyte - tastes like crap, but...

[rednyellow]

After decades of research, the best cure is Lipovitan. It comes in 6 packs of 3.3 oz bottles for about $8. Find it in the vitamin and supplement area of the grocery store. As best I can figure, it is a cross of something like Red Bull and a B heavy mulit vitamin drink. It doesn't taste great. Just chug it. You can almost feel it working its way through your body. Drink plenty of water and maybe some Excedrin or Vicodin and I"m good as new in just a short matter of minutes.

[Seldomsated]

Don't think this has been said yet, so club soda with a couple jots of bitters will help to settle a queasy stomach. You all who are eating Mexican food have stronger stomachs than I! I'd go for something bland, like steel cut oats, or basmati rice eaten with a side of plain yogurt. The yogurt neutralizes your system. Drink a lot of water, don't skip your regular caffeine intake, and go back to bed!

[rob133]

The old fail safe from a few years back was a can of coke and a bag of Walkers (Lay's in the US) Salt and Vinegar crisps (potato chips). Never failed.

[cupcakez]

egg mcmuffin and diet coke. although I think that just might be my diet coke addiction talking.

[theannerska]

Ah, sometimes I go the sausage mcmuffin route (with a bottle of water). It hits the spot like nothing else can...

[gmk1322]

Back in my college days I would hit up Wendy's and get the chicken fingers value meal with a frostie; so much fat that it sucks up the alcohol in your GI system like a sponge.

[Passadumkeg]

Eat raw garlic.

[atheorist]

Ice Face!

I hope you still have plenty of ice after the party. Fill a big bowl or or the bathroom sink with ice water. Take some deep breaths and dunk your face as far in as you can for as long as you can. Repeat if necessary. The mammalian diving reflex limits blood flow to the extremities and concentrates it to vital organs like the brain.

I think all the food cures are wishful thinking. Soup, juice, OK - its the water. Do not forget plenty of water before you go to bed.

[bitsubeats]

the best hangover cure for my family is good ol' bean sprout soup or kongnamul gook. Basically take some dried niboshi (anchovies), throw them in some water, boil, add a minced garlic clove or two, then add whole bean sprouts and sliced green onion. Garnish with gochugaru or korean red chili flakes.

My mother told me some weird thing that the "tail" end of the bean sprouts are the best part of the bean sprout and are the cure all for hangovers. I know that a lot of korean women like to snip off the ends.....but you shouldn't cause apparently its where all the nutrients are. Of course after hearing this I didn't believe her, but I saw some hangover special on KBS (korean tv channel). They said that there are some enzymes and amino acids in the bean sprouts that help you get over a hangover quick. I'm sure adding garlic and chili flakes helps as well. So try this out and also drink lots and lots of water and honey tea (that helps too).

[SSqwerty]

Yes to the water before bed, but also blow your nose thoroughly, treat it with a couple of jolts of saline nasal spray and wear a Breathe Right to bed. It unclogs your nose and lets you sleep, plus it eliminates a lot of that woozy sinus pressure when you wake up.

[Beach Chick]

What works for me is an In and Out double double with extra spread and cheese, grilled onions and a extra large iced tea or Kung Pao chicken, super spicy with extra brown sauce also seems to help..
Bloody Mary with lots of horseradish and green olives seems to keep the party going..

[kali_MM]

I tend to lie very, very still.

When I can, I'll have loads of sparkling water, then something with lots of honey in it (hot tea, cold tea). Nothing milky for me - I think there's a PH clash when the mlk hits the acid in my stomach (I have no scientific basis for this theory), and it doesn't end happily.

Eventually, some greasy food, perhaps some hair from the dog (a Ceasar), and more rest..

When my mom was in nursing school back in the 60's however, they used to stop by emergency on their way to work in the hospital after an all nighter. There, they could get half a valium and some time with an oxygen tank. She says it did the trick!

[PJ Mac BJ]

McDonald's.

Double quarter-pounder with cheese and a huge coke.

Large fries fresh out of the boiling hot grease, covered with salt.

I'm on my way now.

[chef.suzan]

heheheh... hamburgers, kung pao chicken, burritos and chile that make your nose run... those are the real hangover cures. I tried lying still once. It just made me want to die that much more. I figured I would die fat and happy and arterially leaded. Of course the bloody mary that keeps that party going is always an alternative and then if you are of the upper crust persuasion, there's always the Ramos Fizz. That is a flat head fixer too.

[cimui]

>> I figured I would die fat and happy and arterially leaded.

=D i support this statement.

[revsharkie]

Admittedly I don't get a lot of hangovers, and they're not all that bad when I do. But this is what I do, that works every time: a couple or three hours before my regular getting up time, I get up and take some Advil and a couple of good drinks of water. Then I go back to bed. When I wake up after that, no problem.

[piccola]

Gatorade and toast, maybe a couple eggs. On the non-food side: lots of sleep, fresh air, quiet.

[cimui]

Has anyone mentioned pho? That's usually a favorite. This morning, however, I had sweet tea and tater tots.

[piccola]

Pho or congee, for sure.

[cimui]

there's very little that pho and sleep, together, can't cure, i think. :) vietnamese penicillin.

[MC Slim JB]

The over-the-counter anti-hangover pill is called Chaser Plus; it includes activated charcoal and calcium carbonate. I've found it is useful for fending off red wine hangovers (which I find the most insufferable), but not the after-effects of beer, other wines, or distilled spirits. I have no idea if the placebo effect is at work here, but I and several of my friends who love red wine now swear by it. It's expensive to buy at retail, so I get it online in bulk at vitacost.com, which has the best prices including shipping that I've found.

If I expect to drink a bit of red wine during an evening, I'll start with a couple of these, and have another one every hour that I continue to drink. If you enjoy more than a couple of glasses of red wine in a row on a regular basis and feel fuzzy the next morning, I think it's worth buying a bottle to see if it works for you.

As for other types of hangovers, I generally hydrate, sleep in, avoid bright sunlight, and maybe have a single eye-opener with brunch. Some eye-openers I like include: Campari and fresh grapefruit juice, a fresh-juice Greyhound or Screwdriver up, a good Bloody with vodka or pure-agave blanco tequila, Campari and soda, Becherovka and tonic water. Beer and beer highballs are also nice: a plain draft (Guinness is low alcohol and gentle), a Red Eye (lager with a shot of tomato juice), shandy (lager and lemon soda), a Black Velvet (Guinness and champagne, which sounds awful but is actually very nice).

If you have access to really good bartending, a Ramos Fizz is lovely.

I adore Fernet Branca as a digestif, but I'd find it kind of strong for the hair of the dog (it's based on grappa, and is a very fierce bitters.)

For a non-alcoholic morning-after tonic, a few big dashes of a non-potable bitters like Angostura in soda is nice.

Hangovers, like death, are nature's way of telling you to slow down. Or, consider Rule #30 from Modern Drunkard Magazine's indispensable "86 Rules of Boozing": "Learn to appreciate hangovers. If it was all good times every jackass would be doing it." More of those pearls here: www.moderndrunkardmagazine.com/issues...

Moderation the night before is what I increasingly rely on to avoid hangovers. My body just doesn't bounce back the way it used to. As Dirty Harry once put it, "a man's gotta know his limitations."

[Caroline1]

Interesting that five years after this thread began, it pops back to life! Kinda says something about the topic, don't you think?

For me (who hates tripe with a passion), it's curious that menudo, for example, is only mentioned once, then quite briefly. Soups made with tripe are fairly universal as a hangover cure and have a tradition that probably goes back to the time when man first discovered fermentation. Time was when many chic European nightclubs served complimentary tripe soup (usually cream of...) in the wee small hours of the morning to help their guests get through the morning.

I've only had two really really bad "bouts of excessiveness" in my lifetime, the first of which was so bad I made my husband help me downstairs and outside so I could bury my face in the grass and hold on for dear life because I was sure the planet was trying to fling me into outer space! But even with that, I would never have considered sipping one spoonful of any sort of tripe soup. Not even the next morning when just turning my head set off a global pain marathon. I'd gotten really angry at my husband and chug-a-lugged a large tumbler full of cognac. NOT the brightest thing I've done in my lifetime, but hey, I was twenty two and what did I know?

Other than occasions such as that (a one time thing), it was always pretty difficult for me to get drunk because when approaching that state, my front teeth would begin to itch and the tip of my nose would go to sleep. At that point I knew it was time to quit if I didn't want to be forced to find some tall grass so I could hold and pray for a seat belt. I'm curious whether anyone else has an inescapable built in warning system?

The most helpful thing I found for my hangovers (two, but I think the second one was from bad olives in the martinis: and that's my story and I'm sticking to it) was NOT water. It just made me feel yuckier. The best answer was sleep. Optimally until the hangover was all gone. So for that reason, my best recommendation for the morning after is take two Benadryl and go back to bed. The antihystamines and hystamine blockers will work on getting your system back into shape, and meanwhile, there is no better sleep medication in the world than Benadryl!

[revsharkie]

I'm a big fan of Benadryl, too, but not necessarily for hangovers. Interesting that water doesn't work for you. When I've had too much to drink, after a few hours' sleep I wake up absolutely craving water, and no water ever tastes sweeter or more delicious than the water I drink then.

[Caroline1]

Six to eight ounces of water is okay, but if I try (tried) to drink enough water to flush my system, it just seemed to shake all the toxins loose and redistribute them to places that weren't hurting before. But then I seem to have a body that doesn't behave like normal folks. However, with any uncomfortable physical situation, be it hangover, toothache or a broken bone, sleeping through it is always my first choice! Yay Benadryl!

[revsharkie]

Nah, I'm not trying to flush my system. The glass at the bathroom sink is about four ounces. I drink two of those, and then it's back to bed for a few hours. I suspect we're more in agreement than not.

[gryphonskeeper]

A Tall Bloody Mary with very good Vodka, and a nap.

[misnatalie]

Urban Daddy's opinion:

http://www.urbandaddy.com/nyc/1288/Ho...

[melly]

one airborne and lots of water or .. an ativan if you have one...or a few of those liver detox pills you get at health food stores...and pasta..or a hamburger.

[chef.suzan]

Three things: A long shower. Good company. The greasiest hamburger and fries you can find (generic). OR The hot chile verde burrito from Taco Elegante in Fresno.

[babybat]

A shower, a big glass of water, Emergen-C, and a bacon or sausage sandwich. Then going back to bed for an hour!

[rednyellow]

how about all three at once?

[eastcoastgirl_westcoastlife]

What a great thread! Here's my fave picks:

If I'm quasi hungover: a doobie and Dim Sum - nothing beats the combo of endless pots of green tea, and the salty carb-deliciousness of Dim Sum (with lots of chilli sauce), followed by straight home and a nap on the couch in front of the TV

If I'm fairly hung over: water, then diet ginger ale, graduated on to green tea. Once I'm feeling not so shitty, a hot bath with epsom salts (great for drawing out the toxins) a grilled cheese sandwich with a side of bread and butter pickles and some ketchup for dipping. I wash this down with an icy cold MDG (has to be draught, maybe 'cause higher water content?) served in an ICY cold pint glass - feels great when held up to my head!

When I'm really REALLY hungover: I can usually get someone who loves me to bring me either Pho, Ramen or Wonton Soup, and lots of Oolong tea.

Some other things that have worked for me:

- When I was a flight attendant, a good pull on the quick don oxygen mask worked a treat, but only for 10 mins or less;
-Sex for sure...nothing beats that dopamine/endorphic rush to make me feel better and slip into a nap;
-Midol works better than any other OTC that I've tried;
-If I know ahead of time that I will be drinking to excess (ie. b-day or open bar wedding etc.) the best cure is prevention. I pre-hydrate to the max (at least 2-3 L of water the day of) and make sure to leave a bottle of gatorade or at least water next to the bed to down either b4 I pass out or when I come to!

[Beach Chick]

I'm sure a lot of us are going to need to read this thread before and after the big party..

Happy New Year's Everyone!