Avoiding Hangovers?

If you have 3 or 4 beers in the afternoon, then stop, you're going to feel washed out and tired, but it's not really a hangover. Have one more beer (or a shot of whatever, or a drink) when you feel this way, and the pain will subside. You sort of have to keep it rolling if you are going to drink 3 or 4 early in the day. If you wait to start drinking until 6PM, then have your 3-4 brews, relax, hit the sack at 10 or 11, and you'll wake up fresh as a daisy. If you want ot stay up later, drink one at 10, one at 11, same thing in the morning; no hangover.

 

Water and food help head off most issues. My main way to avoid hangovers is to STICK TO BEER - mixing in anything else can be a recipe for disaster, even at my age (44), weight (220ish) and tolerance level (considerable). My emergency antidote to shake off the cobwebs are the Rockstar beverages with milk thistle, but that is usually necessary once a year.

 

I have a feeling drinking on an empty stomach is your main problem.

When I plan to have a big night of drinking. I'll wake up that morning and constantly drink tons of water throughout the day. I continue drinking water in between drinks, but honestly believe being completely hydrated before I even start drinking makes a big difference.

Cheers!!!!

 

Beer + Water + Beer + Water + Beer + Water + grilfriend/wife says "I think you've had enough" = STOP! take advil and go to bed = no hangover

 

I swore religiously by the bottle of Gatorade + 3 Advil combo right before bed to avoid a hangover throughout my twenties without fail...and then I hit my early thirties and to my horror, my supposedly bulletproof plan started to take some crushing defeats- and that's when I realized that I was simply getting old.

These days, it's drink a ton of water before my first drink, food, water throughout the night, and then making sure I pound at least 32oz of water or Gatorade before passing out. And even that's not always a guarantee. Sigh.

 

As long as I space out my drinking, eat, and drink plenty of water, I am usually OK the next morning. If I do have a hangover, a Diet Coke and BC Powder (and coffee) is pretty much the only thing that helps quickly and effectively.

 

Gotta admit, I'm surprised this thread persisted

That being the case, I'm with the crowd that says make sure you eat - food in the stomach will slow the absorption of alcohol - and drink water - dehydration is a major culprit behind the hangover - plus, by drinking water between beers, you slow your rate of drinking beer - and sure, you're gonna pee more, between the fluid consumption and suppression of anti-diuretic hormone - but who cares? I'd rather have to piss than feel like shit. And I like whoever mentioned Gatorade because when you pee you are losing more than just water (I dilute my Gatorade with water - to about a 50/50 mix).

Now, if I've had a bit too much to drink and I'm feeling a bit woozy before bed, I will down a pair of Advil with a glass of water - or if I wake up to pee in the night and my head's feeling a bit achy - glass of water with two Advil.
I ain't got no time for a headache.

 

Drive to North Carolina and buy cases of the indigenous soda, Cheerwine. This elixir works wonders! Other than that up you water intake to slow your beer intake.

 

Vitamin B12 Complex is supposed to help with breaking down alcohol dehydrogenase, and therefore theoretically help reduce the effects of a hangover.

Not sure if it really works though!

 

My go to is try to have a glass of water with every beer you drink. When the night is done, pound a gatorade before going to bed. The electrolytes will save you in the morning.

 

The easiest way to avoid a hangover is to abstain from drinking alcohol but of course, we wouldn't be on this forum if we did such a thing

If you plan on drinking a lot, the key to avoiding a hangover is to stay hydrated.

Have a glass of water before your first beer and an additional glass of water for every 2 beers you have. It's something nobody wants to do but dehydration is a big reason why you will wake up with a headache. Another good tip that I always follow is to put a bottle of gatorade, powerade, etc. by your bed. Not only will it rehydrate your water starved body but it will also replace electrolytes that you pissed away the night before. A boost in blood glucose can really make you feel better as well.

Cheers!

 

My suggestion, man up. If you can't handle the consequences of drinking, don't drink. I swear hangovers are gods invention so we don't drink ourselves to death.

 

Ibuprofen and alcohol is a shit kick to the liver but I suppose if you're drinking heavily, odds is the difference.

 

All the advice of drinking water and eating are right on, heed it! I also take two Advil or Excedrin or Tylonal and drink some Vitamin Water, Poweraide or Gatoraide before I go to bed. The med's pre-empt any head-ache that may come on during the night, and the Vitamin Water/sports drink helps replenish the electrolytes that are lost due to the alcohol. I heard Pedialyte works too to replenish the electrolytes, though I've not used that before.

 

You know when you get to the point and you're like, "should I have another?"

Don't

 

Vitamin B

 

10 pushups
red bull
2 advil
sleep like a baby

 

Vit B works. Blunts the effects and makes it easier to muscle through a rough early AM

 

Can't believe no one has mentioned the wonder drug yet, NAC-Acetyl Cysteine, it is an amino acid that helps your stomach neutralize the toxins that are produced when your liver processes alcohol. I learned about this magic elixir about 18months ago and it has been a life changer. Combine this with Milk Thistle and for better or worse 90% of your hangovers will go away. Best to take 2 NAC and 1 milk thistle just before drinking (my friends know this as 2 white & 1 yellow) and repeat every 4-6hrs if you are drinking rather heavily. Most people are fine with a single dose. Everything you are taking is natural so there aren't any side effects unless you consider the ability to drink more the next day a bad side effect.

The only thing this won't do is help with hydration so you still need to drink some water but don't need the 1beer/1 water ratio because your body will process alcohol much more efficiently. If you drink no water you will still have a headache but the rest of the side effects from drinking should be next to nothing.

I'm surprised NAC doesn't have its own thread since this is a beer drinkers forum.

 

So it sounds like water helps. I don't really get hungover, I wake up around 3:30, can't get back to sleep and feel tired the next day.