What do doctors do? (Hangover Prevention, Cures & Advice)

Member Name: chrispitts

Product:	Hangover Prevention, Cures & Advice
Date:	27/12/01 (962 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: It's Christmas

Disadvantages: Never again.

Never have I written an op with more relevance to how I feel at the moment. Sitting, as I am, in my office, head full of cotton wool, stomach churning, having partaken a bit too much of the Christmas Spirit, I thought it would be a good idea to let you all know how us doctors deal with hangovers...

Alcohol is bad. I can say that now, because it's the morning after the night before, but if you'd asked me yesterday, I don't think I'd feel quite so strongly. As well as dehydrating you, it can damage the stomach, and it contains nasty molecules (congeners), which "poison" the body. Hence the hangover. It also lowers your blood sugar, and generally leaves you wishing you hadn't drunk what you drunk the previous night. Most people find that the "coloured" drinks, such as red wine and whisky give worse hangovers than the clearer ones - this is because there are less congeners in clear drinks.
A particularly bad combination is Vodka and Red Bull - research is being done on this cocktail, but it is thought that the stimulant effects of the Red Bull increases aggression (and masks the feeling of being drunk).

So, having got a hangover, what do I do? When I was in hospital medicine, a number of my colleagues used to set themselves up with an intravenous drip the next morning, containing sugar solution. They swore by it. I have to confess, I've never been brave (or desperate) enough to try it.
With easy access to prescription drugs, my personal favourites are Stemetil (to stop sickness) and Cocodamol (or Kapake, or Solpadol) for the head. I personally believe that ibuprofen is not a good choice with hangovers (or aspirin), since anti-inflammatories tend to cause more stomach irritation - so I stick to the paracetamol-based pain-killers.

Many people believe in a fry-up. If you can tolerate it, then it can sometimes help.

But my personal favourite non-drug hangover cure is (cue drumroll...)


Lucozade Sport. Again, if you can stomach sweet, sickly drinks, I believe lucozade sorts hangovers out quicker than anything. (Preferably the still varieties). It replaces fluid - isotonically - which I won't explain - just believe me, it's better! It gives you a huge sugar boost, which you will need if you're planning to move from your bed the next day, and it takes away that horrible taste in your mouth.

What it doesn't do is take away the half-dream-like memories of what you got up to the previous night, or destroy the photographic evidence. That's your problem!

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