Had a helluva night. Whatcha got for a hangover?
Splitting Headache in SoPo
Dear Splitting Headache:
Ah, summer! Those long, warm nights when we can finally let loose and howl at the moon into the wee hours. Of course, it’s no fun at seven the next morning when the neighbor fires up the lawnmower right outside the window and the cruel sun stabs at bleary eyes. You want a hangover cure, and you want it fast!
We all probably have our own list of sure-fire remedies delved from urban legends and experienced roommates. But what really works? And why the heck do we feel so lousy anyway? An interesting medical mystery you raise, Headache. Read on ...
Alcohol is the most widely used psychoactive drug. I won’t go into all the biochemical mumbo-jumbo, but suffice to say the body treats it as a toxin. Like other toxins, alcohol is broken down (metabolized) in the liver. Some livers work faster than others, but metabolism is always slower than absorption. In other words, it’s easier to get booze in than out. As alcohol breaks down, it turns into the chemical acetylaldehyde (similar to formaldehyde), then acetic acid (vinegar), then finally into carbon dioxide and water. Some alcohol escapes this process and is excreted through sweat, urine and the lungs. Many of these chemicals are toxins, meaning they damage cells and organs. In moderation alcohol may be beneficial for older cardiovascular systems, but it provides little if any benefit for younger people. Sorry.
So how do we keep these toxins from making us feel like death warmed over the next day? Well, like Poor Richard never said, “An ounce of prevention is worth keeping the pounding headache away.” The only way to truly prevent a hangover is to drink in moderation. Also, eat before drink; some food in your digestive tract should slow absorption. But let’s say you threw caution to the wind and threw back a few too many. You can take some steps before you crash for the night to minimize your symptoms in the morning.
Drink plenty of water! This will help flush out those nasty toxins and rehydrate your system. Alcohol is a powerful diuretic and makes you pee out a lot of extra water. The expression “you don’t buy beer, you only rent it” is right on the money. So replace those lost fluids. One or two acetaminophen tablets may help cut down on the headache in the morning. Lastly, take a B complex vitamin with lots of thiamine (B1) in it; the body uses up a lot of thiamine in the detoxification process.
There are some natural remedies that show promise. More research is needed to call these “proven” cures, but these are the ones which have the best evidence:
1) Globe artichoke (cynara scolymus) can be taken before and during drinking to prevent a hangover. It may help digestion work better. Don’t take it if you have gall bladder or liver problems.
2) Nopal (prickly pear) cactus (opuntia ficus-indica) may prevent the production of inflammatory chemicals, thus heading over a hangover at the pass. One randomized, placebo-controlled trial showed a 50% reduction in headache, nausea, loss of appetite and dry mouth.
Hope that helps, Splitting Headache! Take it easy on your body and be well.
Sean McCloy, MD, MPH, MA is the medical director at Maine Integrative Wellness in Portland. He is dual board-certified in family medicine and holistic medicine. He specializes in integrative family medicine and can be seen walking around the Old Port with his therapy dog, Hershey. Send questions for Sean to editor@themaineswitch.com.