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Welcome to the Hangover Cures Guide. Stop that hangover in its tracks!

We dedicate this page to curing that awful hangover you might need to treat the next day.

They say it’s important to begin with the end in mind. This is also true for hangover cures. It is therefore beter to prevent it or treat its symptoms either before they occur or as soon as they do.

Sometimes a night of enjoying cocktails and being social results in a terrible feeling the next day. So, try and remember to take some pre-caution, as this helps to prevent a hangover the next day, or at least cause a much-subdued one.

Before we look at hangover cures, let’s think about what the symptoms really are. It is usually one or a combination of the following:

Ø Head ache, combined with a “fuzzy" feeling
Ø An unsettled stomach
Ø Nausea
Ø Trembling
Ø Tiredness
Ø Vomiting, in fairly serious cases

These are caused by dehydration and depletion of vitamins, particularly A, B (6 and 12) and C.

Here is Cocktail Mixing Master’s tried and tested hangover cures:

1. Drink liver tonic before and after the event. Tablets and drinks containing vitamins A, B (particularly B6 and B12) and C are excellent. Also, have milk thistle, a strong anti-oxidant, which helps your liver break down alcohol. You will find this at most pharmacies or drug stores.

2. Have a glass of water after every drink.

3. Ideally stop consuming alcohol at least an hour before you go to sleep.

4. Have something to eat before you go to sleep – a QuarterPounder is perfect, but cocktail party leftovers will also do the trick.

5. Drink a head ache tablet (aspirin or paracetamol) before you go to sleep. You'll probably forget, so make it easy for yourself: put it next to the bed you plan to sleep in.

6. Drink plenty water before you go to sleep – a litre or more if you can.

7. VERY IMPORTANT: Have a bottle of water next to your bed so that you don't have to get up during the night to go and drink water.

8. Don’t drink and drive. There is nothing fuelling a hangover like waking up to the fact of having crashed your car last night. Or even worse, waking up in hospital. More importantly, don't put your life and that of others at risk.

9. Get enough sleep. You usually require more sleep than usual because your body is “working harder” than usual in your sleep to digest the alcohol.

10. Eat something as soon as you wake up. A big oily breakfast usually does wonders (if you can keep it down of course).

11. If you feel sick or nauseous, have a tablet that specifically treat this.

12. Get some exercise after you have eaten. Nothing strenuous, just something to break a light sweat like a 30 minute walk.

13. Take a shower after you have exercised.

14. Consume plenty of water and fruit juice during the day.

The rest of the page describes common hangover cures in more detail, explaining why they are considered to work.

Liver tonics

Often, the nausea and tired feeling is caused by your liver having to work over-time. It is after all your liver that processes the alcohol you take in. It is interesting to note that your liver treats alcohol as it would any poison – it digests it and breaks it down to ultimately help your body dispose of it. The more alcohol you consume, the harder your liver works.

It is usually the best to make pre-caution before you start drinking. There is an array of organic and non-organic liver tonics available on the market. It is suggested to drink this before and after the event. Liver tonics supports your liver and helps it.

Milk thistle

This is a herb use by people with liver disease. It is very effective in remving all sorts of toxants from the liver and works well for curing and preventing hangovers.

Other supplements

Charcoal tablets is said to work as it is a strong anti-oxidant, removing all that nasty poison from your body.

Water or fruit juice before, while and after the event

Alcohol dehydrates you. Dehydration makes us tremble, apart from all the other bad effects it has. Suffice to say dehydration is not good for you and causes the jittery feeling. Drinking enough water and/or fruit juices before, while and after helps prevent dehydration and the resulting symptoms. Tomato juice or cocktail helps a lot since it contains many vitamins and anti-oxidants.

Sleep

This of course helps for the tiredness. A night of consumption is often followed by going to bed later than usual and getting less sleep than you are used to. On top of this, when you’ve had a few, sleep does not let your body rest as effectively as usual because your body is working hard to process the alcohol while you sleep. This causes the tiredness associated with a hangover. Tiredness leads to grumpyness!

If you can, sleep as much or more than you usually do. If you can’t, try to take a power nap sometime during the day after.

Exercise

Exercise results in the generation by your body of endorphins – a natural feel good drug.

Exercise is said to get the “poison’ out of your body quicker, particularly if you sweat. Sitting in a sauna (at the gym, or at home if you’re privileged enough) also helps a lot (particularly with that alcohol infused body odour sometimes experienced).

More alcohol

Some swear by this. Bloody Mary is a popular choice since it contains tomato juice. If you consume alcohol the day after, it usually has the effect of making things better. It usually, however, just postpones the inevitable. At some point you will have to sober up and then the hangover is likely to be worse than it started.

We have experience of this, and opinions vary from “works well” to “don’t do it”. See for yourself if it works for you.

Avoiding caffeine and other dehydrators

Coffee, Coke, etc. Read about dehydration above. Caffeine dehydrates you. Enough said.

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