Hangovers and Medical Cures

 

We've all been there. Your happy hour is going great, you're feeling on top of your game, so you order another beer, then a second. The music's great, everybody's laughing, so a round of shots is decided upon, and you chase it with another beer. People suggest going to a different venue, and there you get a gin and tonic, which you follow with another. Before you know it you've lost track of how much you've had, but the music is great, you feel wonderful… and then the next morning hits. You wake up, confused, sick, a pounding headache threatening to bust open your head, and desperate to feel better. What can you do? Sure you could just drink water and take some pain medication, but what about all those other options? In today's article we take a look at two supposed ‘medical' options, and evaluate their effectiveness.

The first is Alka-Seltzer, which has been around for nearly a century and which has been taken to help with hangovers for probably as long. This is such a popular cure that Alka-Seltzer recently released a version entitled ‘Morning Relief' to help with hangovers. But does it work? What is true is that all Alka-Seltzer varieties contain sodium bicarbonate, which will help neutralize the acids in your stomach and settle your nausea. However, they also contain such ingredients as aspirin and citric acid, which may upset your stomach further. Should you take it? Yes, but with caution. It might help, but it also might make you feel worse.

Then we enter the weird and mysterious universe of hangover pills. Recently a rash of these have hit the market, promising to help remove all hangover symptoms, to make you feel as good as new and put you back on your feet. Pills like Chaser, PreToxx, and RU 21 have made a huge splash, but do they work? If you ask researches and doctors, the answer is no. Those that have been studied have not shown to help with more than perhaps a few slight complaints, but in general do very little or nothing. A study in 2005 identified eight different placebo-controlled studies of hangover pills, and concluded that there is no proof that they work.

The tough reality is that the best way to cure a hangover is to avoid it in the first place by ensuring that you remain hydrated the night before.

 

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