Hangovers

FelinePrincess

Hi,

Not looking for medical advice just tips and advice on preventing and dealing with hangovers.

I'd like to get some tips and advice on helping preventing hangovers, as well as the best ways to deal with them please

Background story..
I used to get out drinking twice a week, every week for several years, I would drink about 15-20 units on a normal night and feel fairly ok the next day. I'd only ever have a bad hangover if I drank a shocking amount and got drunk. Anyway, since I started working weekend nights about 5 years ago I have been pretty much tee-total as I've never been one to drink in the house and I always work on the usual 'going out' nights. But, the odd night I do go out these days, even if I only drink a small amount of alcohol I have a shocking hangover the next day. I recently went to a party, only had 4 units and was ofcourse completely sober but the next day I was very ill all day and spent the afternoon throwing up. It seems like these days, even a small amount of alcohol will make me very ill the next day I normally drink archers and lemonade (when I used to go out alot I'd drink lots of this and be fine - it was my safe drink!), eat before going out and drink plenty of water before bed.

So please share your hangover tips :beer:

No "just don't drink" comments please - I'm only in my mid 20s and only go out about twice a year so I'd like to be able to just have a few drinks without worrying about how I'll feel the next day

Save4ArainyDay

It gets worse as you get older I find!

Tip No. 1 - Don't drink at all - not very practical I agree

Tip No. 2 - Drink water or soft drinks between alcohol drinks this works well for me

Tip No. 3 - ALWAYS eat well before going out, lots of carbs - spuds, rice , pasta

Tip No. 4 - Always have a big glass - a pint if you can do it of water before going to bed

Tip No. 5 Combine Tips 2 + 3 + 4 and things should be a lot better :beer:

RedBern

my friend swears by a fried egg sandwich immediately before going to bed following a drinking session. She never has a hangover (or never admits to one... is that the same thing:))

FelinePrincess

Save4ArainyDay wrote: »

It gets worse as you get older I find!

Tip No. 1 - Don't drink at all - not very practical I agree

Tip No. 2 - Drink water or soft drinks between alcohol drinks this works well for me

Tip No. 3 - ALWAYS eat well before going out, lots of carbs - spuds, rice , pasta

Tip No. 4 - Always have a big glass - a pint if you can do it of water before going to bed

Tip No. 5 Combine Tips 2 + 3 + 4 and things should be a lot better :beer:

Thanks for the tips, I do 3 & 4 already and I know 2 is really good advice but my problem is I don't get tipsy/drunk easily and I'm often still quite sober long after everyone else is drunk so I think if I drink water/soft drinks in between I'll be sober all night!

RedBern wrote: »

my friend swears by a fried egg sandwich immediately before going to bed following a drinking session. She never has a hangover (or never admits to one... is that the same thing:))

Can imagine this working quite well, but unfortunately I hate eggs - so bad I can't even eat a sponge cake because I can taste the egg so eating the sandwich would probably make me sick!

xoxo_2

FelinePrincess wrote: »

Can imagine this working quite well, but unfortunately I hate eggs - so bad I can't even eat a sponge cake because I can taste the egg so eating the sandwich would probably make me sick!

Try eating anything that will soak up the alcohol - a bag of crisps, some chips on the walk home, a sandwich... anything really!

Obviously plenty of water before bed and a bottle by the bed for sips as you wake through the night. Although I find squash works a bit better.

I'm having a similar problem. I used to drink a lot of wine, always woke up absolutely fine. Stopped for a few months and switched to vodka & lemonade and now find myself waking with a cloudy head and not feeling 100% the next day despite drinking less than I did before. I do find having something to eat before bed, plenty of water, and a vitamin water drink (i know, full of rubbish not vitamins:p I think it's the sugar that works) and brushing my teeth as soon as I wake up the next morning helps a lot. I think it's partly down to not sleeping as well because of all the sugar in the lemonade than just the alcohol that makes me feel funny the next day :rotfl:

patchwork_cat

milk thistle

Edited as a bit blunt! Milk Thistle is supposed to help your liver to detoxify and is advocated by Jane Clarke - nutritionist and Jancis Robinson - wine taster.

meer53

Blimey, 15-20 units a night, thats a lot ! Maybe your body is trying to tell you something now ? Personally, i've now got to the stage where i know when to stop or i'll be really ill the next day (and the next) it's usually after about 3 or 4 glasses of wine these days. I don't think there is any way to prevent a hangover except for stopping before you get drunk. Mixing drinks is one of the worst culprits for making you ill.

ailuro2

I rarely drink either, can't stand the hangovers, what I do notice though is if I'm up really late, drinking or not I feel terrible the next day - it's because I'm a dayshift worker and a Mum, so I'm in bed at a decent time and up pretty early every day, so going out of my normal time zone affects me - maybe a bit like jet lag does, I suppose.

If I know I'm going to be up late I have a nap in the afternoon so I'm not so wiped out the next day.

Might be worth a try if you're a creature of habit like me?

I stay away from wine as that seems to make me drunk very quickly when drinking it round for round, I never ever mix the grape and the grain these days - so no nips of vodka after a few pints - I try and miss rounds out rather than having a drink at every one, that way you don't leave yourself open to people having a go at you for asking for a lemonade - and I try and stay away from caffeinated mixers, so no diet coke or irn bru as it will help keep me awake even after I stop drinking.

You could always NOT drink, if you have to pour gallons of the stuff down your neck to get any effects only for it to be closing time and have to put up with others being drunk while you're still sober I'd stash my cash and stick to the J2os.:money:

eta, because I DO get stinking hangovers I'd rather spend the money on a drink I really like than getting trashed on cheap vodka, a cheeky wee bottle of Veuve Cliquot is very nice once in a while, and won't give you a stinking hangover the next day if you stop at just the one bottle...

Sublime_2

I second milk thistle. Also take an effervescent vit c, andrews, before retiring. Then you can have your night out, without the dreaded hangover.

FelinePrincess

meer53 wrote: »

Blimey, 15-20 units a night, thats a lot ! Maybe your body is trying to tell you something now ? Personally, i've now got to the stage where i know when to stop or i'll be really ill the next day (and the next) it's usually after about 3 or 4 glasses of wine these days. I don't think there is any way to prevent a hangover except for stopping before you get drunk. Mixing drinks is one of the worst culprits for making you ill.

Yes, I have wondered that too.. When I used to go out alot I always knew when to stop, but these days I only drink about twice a year and seem to get hungover so easy there's just no way of knowing as if I've only had a few drinks I feel totally fine and it seems illogical that I'd be hungover. I will definitely avoid mixing drinks I am going out this week and am trying to pick in advance a drink that might not be so bad for my hangovers, otherwise I know I will get to the first bar and just order archers and lemonade out of habit - which doesn't seem to work for me!

ailuro2 wrote: »

I rarely drink either, can't stand the hangovers, what I do notice though is if I'm up really late, drinking or not I feel terrible the next day - it's because I'm a dayshift worker and a Mum, so I'm in bed at a decent time and up pretty early every day, so going out of my normal time zone affects me - maybe a bit like jet lag does, I suppose.

If I know I'm going to be up late I have a nap in the afternoon so I'm not so wiped out the next day.

Might be worth a try if you're a creature of habit like me?

I stay away from wine as that seems to make me drunk very quickly when drinking it round for round, I never ever mix the grape and the grain these days - so no nips of vodka after a few pints - I try and miss rounds out rather than having a drink at every one, that way you don't leave yourself open to people having a go at you for asking for a lemonade - and I try and stay away from caffeinated mixers, so no diet coke or irn bru as it will help keep me awake even after I stop drinking.

You could always NOT drink, if you have to pour gallons of the stuff down your neck to get any effects only for it to be closing time and have to put up with others being drunk while you're still sober I'd stash my cash and stick to the J2os.:money:

eta, because I DO get stinking hangovers I'd rather spend the money on a drink I really like than getting trashed on cheap vodka, a cheeky wee bottle of Veuve Cliquot is very nice once in a while, and won't give you a stinking hangover the next day if you stop at just the one bottle...

I know exactly what you mean about tiredness! I feel really rough if I don't get enough sleep, and it's the same feeling as a hangover (just minus headaches and being sick) I think so I'll definetly make sure I have a nap before hand - I do love an afternoon nap so any excuse

I don't like wine, which is just as well as it gives me the worst hangovers when I have drunk it. Don't drink caffinated mixers either - I kicked my diet coke addiction when I realised it was causing anxiety and palpitations and never liked redbull as I think it tastes like medicine! Kind of only leaves lemonade of fruit juices as mixers.. anyone know if fruit juices are a good or bad idea?

It is a good point about spending a fortune just to get drunk by closing time, but as I don't go out much I'd like to get a bit tipsy for a change. Not drunk though - I'll make too much of a fool out of myself :rotfl:

xoxo wrote: »

Try eating anything that will soak up the alcohol - a bag of crisps, some chips on the walk home, a sandwich... anything really!

Obviously plenty of water before bed and a bottle by the bed for sips as you wake through the night. Although I find squash works a bit better.

I'm having a similar problem. I used to drink a lot of wine, always woke up absolutely fine. Stopped for a few months and switched to vodka & lemonade and now find myself waking with a cloudy head and not feeling 100% the next day despite drinking less than I did before. I do find having something to eat before bed, plenty of water, and a vitamin water drink (i know, full of rubbish not vitamins:p I think it's the sugar that works) and brushing my teeth as soon as I wake up the next morning helps a lot. I think it's partly down to not sleeping as well because of all the sugar in the lemonade than just the alcohol that makes me feel funny the next day :rotfl:

I'll make sure I have something quick and easy in to soak up the alcohol I think water throughout the night anyway (I wake up alot during the night) but will give squash a try. Interesting that you say about the sugar in the lemonade causing problems - when I used to go out alot, I always used to order "archers and lemonade with only a little bit of lemonade" and I did used to find having less lemonade helped. Totally agree about brushing teeth first thing - if the alcohol doesn't make me sick the taste of my own mouth having drinking will :rotfl:

patchwork_cat wrote: »

milk thistle

Edited as a bit blunt! Milk Thistle is supposed to help your liver to detoxify and is advocated by Jane Clarke - nutritionist and Jancis Robinson - wine taster.

Sounds good, I will buy some tomorrow ready

sublime wrote: »

I second milk thistle. Also take an effervescent vit c, andrews, before retiring. Then you can have your night out, without the dreaded hangover.

Will get some of that to try as well


Thanks everyone for the replies - they are very much appreciated

littlestar1981

A very large glass of orange juice always worked for me (followed by a McD's breakfast!)

However now I just choose not to drink instead.... or I have a couple, start to feel a bit 'iffy' so stop drinking. I always seem to wake early when I've been out drinking too!