Ian said:
I've notcied that over the past few years, my hangovers have become worse. I put that down to age and the fact that I can consume more booze than any other time in my life.
Yep, sadly that's an age thing. Your metabolism slows down and it takes you longer to ditch the poison from your system.
So...
the_missus said:
This... Only the night before.
Alcohol comes in two types. Ethanol and methanol. Ethanol is the good stuff, Methanol is very bad. Some particular fermentation processes produce a mix of ethanol and methanol alcohol. You tend to find the darker the drink, the more chance it has of containing methanol.
Methanol is what produces really rank hangovers.
The treatment for methanol poisoning is ethanol. Ethanol actually destroys methanol in the body.
So... The basic theory is this.
If you are drinking cider or red wine, finish the night with white wine or vodka. Vodka and white wine are pretty much methanol free and this will kill off any methanol you've got into your system that could cause a bad hangover. Hair of the dog before you finish drinking.
Of course, this won't stop any ill effects from drinking too much ethanol. As has been said, a lot of this is dehydration the following day.
Again, there's a lot to be said about taking care the night before.
If you drink spirits, then your stomach reacts to the poison by closing down as much as it can. So if you drink ten pints of beer then 8 shots of whisky? Well, you stomach will close down on any beer and whisky you have. This will sit and slowly be absorbed while you sleep. You don't feel the effects of the alcohol the night you have it, but rather it's all going on in your sleep.
Obviously the pints of beer undigested, the whisky and the kebab are also sitting there making you feel sick. It never ends well...
So, drinking spirits isn't good if you've had a belly full of beer/food. Drinking lots of shots is REALLY bad, especially as most of the drunkenness occurs while you're sleeping.
Next, you also need to increase liver function as much as you can. Alcohol is a poison and your body works to stop it from harming you. The best way to do this is to flush it from your system yourself.
This is where metabolism plays a part. The higher your metabolism, the higher your liver function rate.
You can force its increase by exercising. So dancing while you drink is a good idea, as is walking home (and running screaming from ghosts in the woods
). Avoid taxis and walk it off. It also gives you more "awake" time without alcohol to process it.
Ibuprofen also increases liver function. A pint of water and 400mg of Ibuprofen before you go to bed helps "flush" you.
As for the following day? I find Lucozade helps and painkillers (a mix of ibuprofen and paracetamol) and getting solid food inside you (as long as you're clear of alcohol in your stomach).
Mini-milk ice lollies I've also found are superb, as are McDonald's milkshakes. Both contain protein, are very cold (reduce temperature) and are "thick", so you don't feel awash and sick.
So, we have:
1. Drink from dark to light.
2. Don't drink spirits on top of a heavy load of beer/food. Never drink too many late on as it takes many hours to absorb them.
3. Dance/walk off your drinks.
4. Ibuprofen and a pint of water before bed.
5. The following day liquid, painkillers, food. Cool down. Ice-cream/thick shakes can help.
6. Don't get old.
Simple.
