C’mon, admit it. You’ve been there. An afternoon beer turns into two, or three, a few pre-dinner cocktails, a bottle of wine with supper. Next morning, even the blessed loon call can’t soothe your head. Forget cactus extract, spoonfuls of honey, or any other homespun potion—they won’t “cure” a hangover. In truth, there’s no surefire solution. “A hangover is caused by toxic by-products the liver releases as it breaks down alcohol,” says Dr. Jose Lança, assistant professor of pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Toronto. These toxins lead to general awfulness. All you can do is treat your symptoms. Dr. Lança recommends sports drinks to help rehydrate and replace salts and sugars, ibuprofen or acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) for headaches, and antacids for nausea. (But never acetaminophen, which can derange a post-drunken liver and increase your chances of eventual liver failure.) And hair of the dog? Scientifically speaking, more alcohol will make things worse, but we suspect some cottagers wouldn’t mind giving it a try.
This story originally appeared in our June ’09 issue.
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