Diet & Fitness Blog
St. Paddy’s Hangover Help: Cure What Ales You!
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Leaping leprechauns parade down a rainbow road, they deliver me pots of gold as beautiful, fair-skinned lasses hand me pints of green beer! We all sing "O' Danny Boy" and dance like tomorrow will never come! A red-haired beauty reads my "Kiss me I'm Irish" T-shirt and decides that advice from a novelty T-shirt is worth taking, so she leans in for the kiss and…Beep! Beep! Beep!
Oh, no! The screech from my alarm clock shatters my happy holiday dreaming and brings me right back into the cold reality that is today -- Wednesday -- a work day. I celebrated my heritage and love of whiskey and beer on St. Patrick's Day, but today I must drag myself from the sanctuary of my warm, cozy bed and go bleary-eyed to work to slog through my day.
It will not be pretty.
I feel like someone blarney-stoned my brain, kicked me in the shamrocks and upholstered the interior of my mouth with well-worn, green shag carpet. This is my least favorite part of St. Paddy's Day -- the hangover.
Normally, I would use my tried-and-true hangover cure of ibuprofen, ice-cold Gatorade, a greasy, cheesy meal and lying on the couch watching SportsCenter all day, dozing in and out of consciousness, until about 4 or 5 this afternoon when my hangover gives way to the guilt of wasting another day after a night of over indulgence.
I can hit the snooze bar no more; I must get up. I'm going to need a game plan if I'm going to survive the day-after doldrums. So I head to the medicine cabinet.
Over-the-counter pain relievers can alleviate a headache, but I have to be careful because studies show that mixing an acetaminophen (Tylenol, Excedrin, etc.) pain reliever with alcohol can be hazardous to the liver -- and I don't need to do any more damage to my liver. Wait until the morning to take any type of pain reliever and stick with ibuprofen products after a night of boozing.
Brushing my teeth and a quick shower takes care of that taste in my mouth and at least makes me look presentable. In my hurried haze, I forget socks and hope no one will notice. Where are my keys? I need food. So thirsty…
There are numerous morning-after meals that some people swear by, such as: a cheeseburger and milkshake, a big greasy breakfast with all the fixings, a peanut butter, honey and banana sandwich on white bread, beans and rice, a sour herring with a beer chaser, a fried egg sandwich, and, of course, the hair of the dog that bit you. I need to eat to replenish the nutrients I lost the night before. I stop by Micky-D's for a number one with a black coffee on the way to work.
Many drinkers believe in having a cocktail to cure your hangover, with the most popular being the Bloody Mary. However, from what I understand, drinking before work is frowned upon. So I opt for an ice-cold Gatorade.
I get in and they are testing the building's fire alarm system.
Really? Today of all days… St. Paddy, why have you forsaken me?
Loud beeping and blinking lights make it difficult to focus. I crawl under my desk to hide, a la George Costanza. Maybe no one will notice I'm gone and I can get just a little nap in… yawn.
Time, rest and relaxation are the only 100-percent cures for a hangover, according to Dr. Guy Ratcliffe, medical director of the Medical Council on Alcohol. But if you don't have the time for the resting and relaxing, you might want to try one of these cures supplied by our readers:
"Juice and Gatorades tend to be a little strong taste-wise, so that leaves us with a conundrum. The solution? Pedialyte. This seems to be the only thing that my stomach can handle if I have tried to drink myself into oblivion the night before. It's gentle on my stomach, in that it has electrolytes and fructose. I highly recommend the apple flavor. Pedialyte can be found in the baby section of any supermarket and should not be ignored simply because curing hangovers was not its original purpose. Besides, with all the complaining and curling up in the fetal position, who's to say we don't transform into overgrown babies?" -- Kathryn
This was suggested by several people, so it may be worth trying out.
"I do coke and pretzels, it seems to work every time." -- Christine
This combo is easy to find at the office, so may be good if your hangover doesn't hit 'til you get to work.
"The redneck hangover cure is 1 tablespoon of sugar, mixed into 1 can of cold Coca Cola. Take along with 2 over-the-counter ibuprofens, then nap 90 minutes. When you wake up, no more hangover! Works every time!"
Interesting, if you can figure out a way to get in a nap, this is worth a shot… Shot? (Shudder.)
"Alka-Seltzer is the best! Especially if you must work the next morning! I like the one that adds cold, plus, the boss sees it and thinks you must have a cold!" -- Annie
I like this, very sneaky.
"Tae Bo for 15 minutes or until you break a sweat, glass of water and a shower. It doesn't necessarily take the hangover away, but at least you feel you accomplished something for the day and can lay on the sofa the rest of the day and watch Lifetime for Women."
-- Jenny
Swap video games for Tae Bo and ESPN for Lifetime, and this plan just might work.
"I personally make myself go to the gym to help sweat out the alcohol... although I'm not really sure if it actually does come out faster, the whole process of drinking the Gatorade and working out makes me feel better. Of course, there have been occasions where that just ain't gonna happen, and unfortunately the only thing that seems to work is OTC drugs and rest. Sigh…" -- Carla
I can't imagine exercising in my weakened condition, but you sound very brave.
Well, I hope that helps if you're suffering for last night's indiscretions, but remember: Drink responsibly, practice prevention and if you're using these hangover cures on a daily basis, it may be time to try the Betty Ford hangover prevention plan.
Cheers!
What are your sure-fire hangover healing tips? Do you have a wacky recipe or crazy concoction that cures a hangover in no time? Right now, I'm willing to try anything, so don't be shy -- let's hear 'em!
Labels: alcohol, beer, cure, food, hangover, hangover-cure, holidays, tips
Comment by 
said... - Tuesday, March 18, 2008 7:50:00 AM
I just do Alka Seltzer before going to sleep.Plop Plop Fizz Fizz
goes to where to the green beer is
Comment by said... - Tuesday, March 18, 2008 9:51:00 AM
2 ibuprofen and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce works every time. The soy sauce replaces the salt you lose from drinking. Within half an hour no more hangover.
Comment by said... - Tuesday, March 18, 2008 11:08:00 AM
A spicy V8 and a BC Powder. A bloody beer works well too if you don't have to be at work.
Comment by said... - Tuesday, March 18, 2008 11:11:00 AM
The older I get.... the worse the hangovers become! Now.... none of us are going to stop drinking, but moderation is the key to a hangover cure. Or.... for every two drinks, pound one glass of water. As much as a greesy burger and fries hits the spot the next day (believe me... done it a zillion times).... without a doubt, the best cure (if physically possible), is to get up, eat a healthy breakfast, pound water and head to the gym to sweat it out!
Comment by said... - Tuesday, March 18, 2008 11:45:00 AM
The solution is so obvious that these unclear heads don't even see it. Obviously, if you have a hang-over, you drank irresponisbly. Is it really worth it to have the handover in the morning? Stop the use of alcohol and have fun with non-drinking friends. I've never had a hangover---because, I never had a drink of alcohol.
Comment by said... - Tuesday, March 18, 2008 12:50:00 PM
Definitely Alka Seltzer... It's a miracle cure-all! I also pound some Pedialyte in the morning and then head to the gym with extra water in tow. If I'm still a little shaky after working out, another dose of Alka Seltzer usually fixes everything!
Comment by said... - Tuesday, March 18, 2008 5:52:00 PM
Roll over and sweat-it-out with the red hair beauty you met the night before...at O'tooles
Comment by said... - Tuesday, March 18, 2008 8:43:00 PM
I had no idea that acetaminophen and alcohol didn't mix! Really. I also didn't think I'd laugh out loud reading a post on recovering from a hangover. Did I mention, great puns? Anyway, my best cure is, once your lips begin to feel numb, stop drinking. Along with that, drink as many glasses of water as you can before going to bed, and if you have to go at night (you undoubtedly will after drinking so much water) drink another glass of water while you're up.
Comment by said... - Friday, March 21, 2008 5:28:00 PM
To that person who never had a hangover - I kinda feel sorry for you! Also, I can't imagine going to the gym and working out till I sweat when I have a hangover. I can't do without chocolate milk and motrin for those hangover mornings.
Comment by Kelly Wright said... - Thursday, December 18, 2008 1:52:00 AM
Sauerkraut soup is also a good hangover cure. It can be replaced with raw cabbage, a bit salted, but I know many people wouldn’t eat it no matter how bad they feel in the morning. However, cabbage is full of vitamin C and other substances that make a good nutrition, easy on the stomach.
Comment by said... - Wednesday, March 18, 2009 1:33:00 AM
well, first if you don't drink all the time take tylenol before bed it works.. and gatorade or mountain dew.. never liked the dew until i could not raise my head the dew will have up and runing try live wire
Comment by said... - Wednesday, March 18, 2009 3:12:00 AM
2 large glasses of water and a good multi-vitamin/mineral supplement before bed; and i cured the worst hangover of my life the day after with fizzy packets of Emergen-C~~ good stuff!!!!!
Comment by 
peanut said... - Wednesday, March 18, 2009 3:43:00 AM
Best cure for hangovers is do not get one. I use to eat pepermint patties and otc pain meds for the headache. I found out if I don't take the first drink I won't get hangovers. Hangoverfree for 4 yrs wooohooooo
Comment by said... - Wednesday, March 18, 2009 7:47:00 AM
Load up on lots of vitamins with a normal size meal before you drink. As soon as you feel yourself getting drunk...SLOW DOWN and have a glass of water every other drink...then before you head home have a coupe of glasses of water. Once you get home...drink another glass of water and load up on the vitamins again and two advil...you'll wake up like a champ!
Comment by timothy said... - Wednesday, March 18, 2009 8:15:00 AM
Comment by said... - Wednesday, March 18, 2009 9:22:00 AM
I'm wondering if otoole's is in richmond. I'm kinda envious of who got to cure their hangover that way!
Comment by said... - Wednesday, March 18, 2009 11:16:00 AM
Gatorade and a Banana with a small dose of Ibuprofen. If I can squeeze a small nap after that. I'm Golden!!
Comment by said... - Wednesday, March 18, 2009 12:12:00 PM
Salty boullion - helps cure the dehydration caused by drinking,adds back protien and salt which was depleted
Comment by said... - Wednesday, March 18, 2009 12:48:00 PM
Get over yourself! If you don't drink, then why are you reading this ? My remedy is pacing myself. If that didn't happen, nothing like Jack in the Box 2 for a dollar tacos. I have no idea what kind of "meat" that is, but the whole combo works. Better if you have them before you go home.
Comment by said... - Wednesday, March 18, 2009 2:23:00 PM
I work around college students. For years, I've offered them a little fizzy vitamin drink called Emergen-C by Alacer. There are several variations and flavors available.They all have a full gram of Vit. C, electrolytes, those brain-healing B-Vits, and other minerals. They have a new flavor-Berry Blue that has extra doses of the B-Vits. They're sweetened with fructose or you can get lo-cal versions, too. You can purchase them at most health food stores, pharmacies, and some supermarkets. For under 50-cents, you are on your way to feeling better for your hang over, or just dragging and needing a lift for the day!
Comment by said... - Wednesday, March 18, 2009 4:23:00 PM
Definitely an Irish breakfast fry-up - sausages, rashers, black and white pudding, with plenty of toast and about five pots of tea! Best hangover cure in the world - why d'you think the Irish invented it?!! ;-)
Comment by Cathy said... - Wednesday, March 18, 2009 7:48:00 PM
I've found that taking a PM Advil with a complete vitamin B tablet and potassium with a big glass of
water before sleeping helps me sleep really well.
Then in the morning, apple juice with a complete
all vitamin + minereal tablet with 2 hoodia tablets=
hangover all gone!
Comment by said... - Wednesday, March 18, 2009 8:54:00 PM
I think gingerale a tums and a midol work awsome! sure did get me through today i alos agree with the greasy cheeseburger!!!
Comment by said... - Wednesday, March 18, 2009 11:16:00 PM
Remember to take two aspirins
before you go to bed, If you
aren't toooo intoxicated to
remember. works for me.
Comment by said... - Thursday, March 19, 2009 6:41:00 PM
I have a pretty strong tolerance when it comes to alcohol (maybe it's my Irish blood). But for precaution's sake, I down a ton of Airborne. One before I go out, one after I come home, and depending on how I feel, one in the morning. It also helps to keep me from catching any germs in case the alcohol forces me to kiss someone.
Gatorade is also another big help. I water it down so the flavor doesn't hit me too hard when my taste buds are just waking up.
Comment by said... - Saturday, March 21, 2009 2:26:00 AM
I read an article quite some time back from a research study done on frat boys. After much trial & error the best thing was a tall glass of OJ with a heaping tablespoon of sugar mixed into it right before you go to bed. I also rehydrate myself & take a handful of vitamins, repeat that in the a.m., as well. The latter was my own addition from my own research, tedious as it was. This always seems to do the trick for me. That is if you aren't too out of it to have some foresight before collapsing into oblivion.
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