Cures for hangovers

Drinking is a great occupation but it's not always done responsibly. I'd be curious to know if you have stumbled across miracle cures.

In Le fait du prince, Nothomb suggests that amethysts protected one from inebriation. In fact, its etymology means: a- ("not") and methustos ("intoxicated"), a reference to the belief that the stone protected its owner from drunkenness; the ancient Greeks and Romans wore amethyst and made drinking vessels of it in the belief that it would prevent intoxication (from wikipedia).

It sure beats drinking olive oil with two aspirins before a glass of wine!

Avoiding being intoxicated in the frist place is kind of spoiling the fun. Having been intoxicated, to avoid a hangover the next day you need:

Water.

Providing you haven't drunk too too much*, water is involved not only in the metabolism of alcohol but also in the metabolism of the byproducts - various aldehydes - which are largely responsible for the hangover feelings. Given sufficient water and time you'll be fine. Anything else only works because it also contains water.

Beer is 95% water anyway so you won't need to drink much extra. Spirits are almost pure alcohol you'll need a lot of water to avoid a hangover with them.

*Alcohol is of course toxic in it's own right. Avoid drinking this much. It isn't funny. really.

The best thing to do is just go back to sleep. When you wake up, you'll feel great and wonder why you ever did such a thing to yourself the night before.

However, if you've got to see the day through feeling like you're about to die, Valium is the best cure by far. Unfortunately, you can't procure this as easily as alcohol.

Of course, there's always the hair of the dog.

I was probably trying to say that in the last sentence, but I admit it's not too clear.

Marijuana, and lots of water.

And munchies.

something greasy - eggs, or a cheeseburger. It settles the stomach.

reading_fox is spot on. It works. It's best, if you're out for the night, to begin to drink much water early on (& then to continue to do) because as you can imagine the resolve to do so might have faded sometime before the end of the night.--I'm wondering whether anyone's tried Fernet Branca as a hangover cure? I've not but I'm curious as to whether it has any effect, actual or psychological . . .

I have a hard and fast rule when drinking: drink one eight oz glass of water for every alcoholic beverage consumed. One for each mug/glass of beer, one for every six ozs of wine, and one for every shot of liquor. No hang overs.