Updated:: Nov 7, 2018
Original:: Feb 27, 2008

How to Cure a Hangover

Nothing's more fun than having a few drinks with friendsuntil the room starts spinning, your mouth is parched, and your head feels like it's about to explode. Here's how to feel human again.

Instructions

Step 1: Drink water Because most of a hangover's vile symptoms are the result of dehydration, drink as much water as you can when you get home from your big night out.
TIP: You can speed up the hydration process by adding half a teaspoon of salt to each quart of water you drink; the salt helps the body absorb the water.
Step 2: Burn some toast Burn yourself some toast. Studies show the carbon helps absorb the impurities released when alcohol is metabolized in your body.
TIP: You may also want to keep Vitamins B-1 and B-6, Vitamin C, and the amino acid supplement N-Acetyl-Cysteine on hand in your medicine chest; taking them together has been proven to reduce hangover symptoms.
Step 3: Take effervescent pain relievers If your stomach is upset, go for the pop, pop, fizz, fizz of effervescent pain relief tablets; they'll help neutralize your stomach acid.
Step 4: Take ibuprofen If you have a headache, take ibuprofen; mixing aspirin and alcohol can irritate the lining of your stomach, and mixing acetaminophen and alcohol can increase your risk of liver damage.
TIP: Never take aspirin before drinking: Studies show it can increase your blood alcohol level by a whopping 30 percent!
Step 5: Have a sports drink In the morning, have a sports drink to replace the electrolytes your body has lost.
Step 6: Eat an egg sandwich Indulge in a nice, greasy bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich for breakfast. People swear by it as a cure, and scientists speculate it helps because the carbs raise blood sugar levels, the fat absorbs alcohol, and the salt replaces your body's depleted sodium.
TIP: For extra sodium, and extra pep, add a few dashes of hot sauce to your egg sandwich.
Step 7: Drink a cola Nauseous? Drink a cola. It contains phosphoric acid, an ingredient in the drug Emetrol, which controls vomiting.
Step 8: Sleep When all else fails, climb back into bed. There's a reason they call it "sleeping it off."
FACT: Champagne causes the worst hangovers.