There's no alcoholic drink that truly cures a hangover; the only real cure is time, rest, and hydration with water and electrolytes. However, some drinks, known as "hair of the dog," like a Bloody Mary, Michelada, or Irish Coffee, can temporarily mask symptoms by raising blood alcohol levels, but they ultimately prolong the hangover and can worsen dehydration, making you feel worse later.
A hangover is unpleasant, but symptoms tend to go away within a day or so. If you drank too much alcohol and feel sick, try at-home hangover remedies like drinking plenty of water, eating some carbs and sleeping. There's no quick cure for hangovers. You need to let your body rid itself of the alcohol and heal.
How to Cure a Hangover Fast
“But remember, caffeine is a diuretic, which might push you to the bathroom more and worsen dehydration — a key culprit behind those dreaded hangover symptoms. Sugar in Coke offers a quick energy boost too, which could temporarily alleviate that weak, sluggish feeling.”
The "20-minute rule for alcohol" is a simple strategy to moderate drinking: wait 20 minutes after finishing one alcoholic drink before starting the next, giving you time to rehydrate with water and reassess if you truly want another, often reducing cravings and overall intake. It helps slow consumption, break the chain of continuous drinking, and allows the body a natural break, making it easier to decide if you've had enough or switch to a non-alcoholic option.
Don't make it worse
Way, way worse. Instead, opt for something like Powerade or Lucozade. These isotonic drinks are designed to replenish sugars and salts quickly, so can work wonders for that hangover.
While light, low-intensity activities like walking may be acceptable for some, it's crucial to prioritize rest, hydration, and recovery when hungover. Pushing yourself too hard in this state could end up making your hangover worse and increase the risk of injuries.
When hungover, avoid more alcohol ("hair of the dog"), caffeine (like coffee), greasy/sugary foods, strenuous activity, and driving, as these worsen dehydration, irritate your stomach, or impair you further. Instead, rehydrate with water, eat bland foods (toast, crackers), rest, and be cautious with pain relievers like acetaminophen (liver damage risk) or ibuprofen (stomach irritation).
The phrase “hair of the dog” comes from an old belief that poison could be cured with more poison, so people treated hangovers with morning beers and Bloody Marys. It doesn't actually cure anything — it just delays the crash. Real relief comes from water, food, sleep, and time.
5 Poses to Cure Your Hangover
While light, low-intensity activities like walking may be acceptable for some, it's crucial to prioritize rest, hydration, and recovery when hungover. Pushing yourself too hard in this state could end up making your hangover worse and increase the risk of injuries.
Unfortunately, the only real cure for a hangover is time, typically 24 hours or more. While waiting that out, you can take steps to manage the symptoms. This includes rest, antacids to calm the stomach, complex carbs to boost low blood sugar and plenty of water and other nonalcoholic fluids for hydration.
5 Poses to Cure Your Hangover
Combining ibuprofen and alcohol can raise your risk for serious side effects, such as gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding and kidney or liver problems. It's likely fine to take an occasional dose of ibuprofen if you've consumed a small quantity of alcohol (1 or 2 drinks).
Since drinking too much alcohol can lead to dehydration, consider hydrating with water, coconut water, or a sports drink. Some foods can actually make hangover symptoms worse. Avoid greasy, spicy, and sugary foods if you have a hangover.
After a night of drinking, make sure you don't take Tylenol, Excedrin, or other pain relievers with acetaminophen. The combination of alcohol and acetaminophen can seriously hurt your liver. If you want some pain relief, take aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil) or naproxen (Aleve). pills.
While a hangover may make you feel like you're going to die, a hangover on its own won't kill you, but you should call your health care provider for any symptoms that last longer than 24 hours. For those with heart disease, hangover symptoms such as rapid heart rate or high blood pressure can be dangerous.
The "3-2-1" (or often "1-2-3") drinking rule is a guideline for moderate alcohol consumption: 1 drink per hour, no more than 2 drinks per occasion, and at least 3 alcohol-free days per week, helping to pace intake and reduce risks. It aligns with official health advice, emphasizing that the body processes only about one standard drink (e.g., 12oz beer, 5oz wine) per hour, and provides a framework for mindful drinking to avoid binge patterns and health issues, though it's a simplification of broader guidelines.
When hungover, avoid more alcohol ("hair of the dog"), caffeine (like coffee), greasy/sugary foods, strenuous activity, and driving, as these worsen dehydration, irritate your stomach, or impair you further. Instead, rehydrate with water, eat bland foods (toast, crackers), rest, and be cautious with pain relievers like acetaminophen (liver damage risk) or ibuprofen (stomach irritation).
The phrase “hair of the dog” comes from an old belief that poison could be cured with more poison, so people treated hangovers with morning beers and Bloody Marys. It doesn't actually cure anything — it just delays the crash. Real relief comes from water, food, sleep, and time.
The "20-minute rule for alcohol" is a simple strategy to moderate drinking: wait 20 minutes after finishing one alcoholic drink before starting the next, giving you time to rehydrate with water and reassess if you truly want another, often reducing cravings and overall intake. It helps slow consumption, break the chain of continuous drinking, and allows the body a natural break, making it easier to decide if you've had enough or switch to a non-alcoholic option.
Treatment
A popular theory suggests that dehydration is the primary cause of alcohol hangover. ∗ If correct, the consumption of water could alleviate hangover symptoms. This review concludes that hangover and dehydration are two co-occurring but independent consequences of alcohol consumption.
Healthy food options to go with alcoholic drinks
Nuts and seeds: Almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and other unsalted nuts or seeds are good choices. They provide healthy fats, protein, and fiber, which can help slow down alcohol absorption.
' What you are feeling are the effects of dehydration and low blood sugar. To bring your blood sugar back up to normal, you really just need to eat anything with some carbs, but balance it out with protein or healthy fats to prevent further blood sugar drops,” she says.