There is no set number of drinks that will cause a hangover. Everyone is different, but any time a person becomes intoxicated from alcohol, a hangover is possible and symptoms can vary from person to person. Experts recommend nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like Advil and Motrin (ibuprofen) or Aleve (naproxen) to provide relief. Try to avoid options that contain acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, as this ingredient may cause liver damage when taken in combination with alcohol. If you focus on moderation, stay hydrated, eat a healthy-sized meal, and drink slowly, you should be fine.
- Food will help restore your blood sugar and can help you feel better.
- Whatever it is that’s plaguing you, there are things you can do to feel better.
- When you drink, alcohol holds back a brain chemical called glutamate.
- Some people say that getting fluids through an IV can help ease hangover symptoms.
- Drinking alcohol can lead to low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia), even if you don’t have diabetes (a condition that makes hypoglycemia more common).
Research shows that drinking about 7½ ounces helps lower blood alcohol levels and makes hangovers less intense. The catch is that you need to drink it before you have alcohol. Drinking alcohol can lead to low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia), even if you don’t have diabetes (a condition that makes hypoglycemia more common). Experiencing mild low blood sugar can exacerbate some of the hangover symptoms you may be feeling, like nausea, fatigue, and headache. You’ll start feeling the effects of a hangover hours after you stop drinking. Symptoms of a hangover can be mild or serious, depending on how much and what you drank.
It may help you fall asleep faster, but the sleep is likely to be fragmented and short. There are several factors that influence how long a hangover lasts and how bad you feel. If you’re in the throes of a monster hangover, relief can’t come soon enough.
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That may explain the dizziness and shaking some people get with a hangover. Have a couple of slices of wheat toast or a few whole-grain crackers to bring those blood sugar levels back up to normal. A different herb that goes by a similar name, Siberian ginseng extract, also improved hangover symptoms like headache, dizziness, and stomachache. But the Siberian type isn’t the ginseng used in Chinese medicine. Some people suggest drinking more alcohol may help relieve hangover symptoms.
Amount of Alcohol Consumed
You’ll feel the worst as your blood alcohol level goes back to normal. Hangover symptoms can linger for a day or sometimes longer. Hangovers happen after consuming too much alcohol. They involve unwanted symptoms like nausea, headache, fatigue, and dizziness. Ethanol can cross the blood-brain barrier, where it produces much of its hangover effects, but acetaldehyde cannot. So, the faster the body converts ethanol to acetaldehyde, the less severe a person’s hangover symptoms will be.
What Are Hangover Symptoms?
If you drink alcohol, drink water before you go to bed. It’s also smart to keep a bottle of water by your bedside. Another drink of water when you wake up will help keep you hydrated. Have a sports drink to replace the sodium, potassium, and other electrolytes you’ve lost from vomiting or diarrhea. Drinking water also slows the rate at which your body absorbs alcohol and keeps your overall blood alcohol level lower. Mild dehydration can give you a headache, dry mouth, and make you feel dizzy and tired — all common symptoms of a hangover.
Drink Lots of Water
Alcohol also irritates the lining of your stomach. If you haven’t eaten, you’re a lot more likely to have stomach pain and vomiting after drinking. Believe it or not, how many drinks you have doesn’t appear have a significant impact on how long a hangover lasts, according to a 2017 study. Fortunately, hangovers typically go away within 24 hours. There are some reports online of them lasting for up to 3 days, but we can’t find much evidence to back this up.
That’s because it may help lower your chances of getting kidney stones. Even if you slept for 8 hours, it probably wasn’t restful—which affects how long you feel groggy. Let’s break down how long does a hangover last plus how to cure a hangover fast how long you can expect to feel rough—and what actually helps you bounce back faster.
Hangover Cure FAQs
Try Hangover Cure now.Download our Hangover Recovery Timeline and Tips guide for a faster bounce back. Alcohol messes with your sleep, and that lack of rest leaves you fatigued. You should plan to make this time as restful as possible. Though you are no longer drunk, you won’t be at the top of your game as you recuperate, so take it easy. Water helps, but electrolytes (like potassium and magnesium) work faster. Your cells need them to function properly and detox.
- The more dehydrated you are, the worse you’ll feel, and longer.
- And alcohol is a diuretic, which means it makes you pee a lot and lose a lot of liquid.
- This root has been a feature of Chinese medicine for thousands of years.
- It speeds up the breakdown of acetaldehyde (the real hangover villain).
- A hangover is a feeling of illness that occurs after alcohol consumption.
Feel like your hangover is lasting forever? Here’s what science says about hangover duration—and how to speed it up.
Not drinking alcohol is the only surefire way to prevent a monster hangover in the future. Alcohol has a diuretic effect that makes you pee more, leading to dehydration if you’re not also drinking water. If you drink enough alcohol to vomit, then that’s even more fluid lost. Pain relievers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) filter through the liver the same way alcohol does. Healthcare professionals caution using this type of medication regularly along with alcohol as it can increase the risk of liver damage. You’re likely dealing with residual fatigue or dehydration.
While there is no cure for a hangover other than time, it may be possible to reduce the severity of some symptoms. Hangovers usually last 8–24 hours, but poor hydration, sleep, or heavy drinking can stretch them to 72 hours. Support faster recovery with smart hydration, nutrition, rest—and Hangover Cure. Especially after heavy drinking, poor sleep, or dehydration, symptoms can linger 48–72 hours. But it can damage your liver if you take it while you have alcohol in your system. Check with your doctor before using it if you have diabetes or high blood pressure.
In the study, participants using red ginseng had lower concentrations of ethanol and increased acetaldehyde levels compared with placebo. This suggests that the red ginseng increased the speed of ethanol’s conversion to acetaldehyde. A hangover is a feeling of illness that occurs after alcohol consumption. The more a person drinks, the greater their chance of experiencing a hangover. Limiting your intake and drinking a glass of water after each alcoholic beverage are ways to avoid or minimize the next day’s hangover. Easy-to-digest or bland foods such as toast, cereal, or oatmeal can help provide nutrition and energy without contributing to nausea or heartburn hangover symptoms.
Even if you are feeling nauseous, it is a good idea to eat breakfast after drinking. Choose a more nutritious breakfast over a greasy comfort meal. If you have a headache or other aches and pains following a night of drinking, you may reach for an over-the-counter (OTC) pain reliever. Rehydrate with water or an electrolyte-rich sports drink.