My hangover experiment

Mr. Loverman

I've been experimenting with my drinking over the past few months to see if I can figure out what I can do to minimise hangovers.

I have discovered there are several factors which lead or prevent hangovers...

1. Physical exertion
2. Amount of liquids consumed
3. Type of alcohol consumed
4. Lack of sleep
5. Quality of sleep
6. Food
7. Dehydration
8. Withdrawl
9. Caffeine

I will go through each one now...

1. Physical exertion

Typically when I go out drinking I end up standing in a bar for about 5 or 6 hours. This itself is very tiring. I experimented going to the pub and not drinking alcohol but still stood in the corner with my friends for about 6 hours. The result? The next day I was shattered. It's not something you really think about but standing in the same spot for hours is physically demanding.

Result 1: Try to sit down for most of the evening and your hangover won't be as bad the next day. (Or at least, minimise the physical activity, including dancing!)


2. Amount of liquids consumed

I had read that it's the amount of peeing you do which causes hangovers (something along the lines of pissing out all the salt in your body or something like that). So I experimented with large amounts of low alcohol beer and small amounts of high alcohol spirits.

Result 2: Drinking less liquids reduces the severity of the hangover.


3. Type of alcohol consumed

I also read something about certain types of alcohol being bad for hangovers. In a nutshell, the more "pure" the alcohol the easier the hangover. So vodka would be better than beer, etc. My experiments confirmed this was true.

Result 3: Stick to drinks like vodka and rum. This ties in nicely with (2) above.


4. Lack of sleep

I spent a lot of time experimenting with this one. In particular I combined it with (1) above. Physically exerting yourself and then sleeping for about 6 hours or thereabouts results in symptoms similar to a hangover.

Result 4: A large part of a hangover is simply tiredness.


5. Quality of sleep

I was surprised by this one. I experimented by getting a bad nights sleep (sleeping on the ground) and a good nights sleep (cosy bed) after a night of drinking.

Result 5: A bad nights sleep minimises your hangover.

Yep, you read that right. The worse the sleep the easier the hangover. My conclusion on this is the bad nights sleep is sort of like staying awake so your hangover can't form properly.


6. Food

I experimented drinking on an empty stomach, a full stomach, eating while drinking, and pigging out after drinking. We all know food affects the strength of your hangover (i.e. the less food the worse the hangover.) But what I found best was...

Result 6: Eat during your drinking.

I found this made it harder to get drunk (I was able to consume a lot more alcohol and not get as drunk) but it definitely does great things for preventing hangovers.


7. Dehydration

This one was also surprising. I experimented drinking water between drinks and drinking a load of water before bed. Neither seemed to really make a difference.

Result 7: Drinking water is good for curing dry mouth but won't prevent your hangover.


8. Withdrawl

I found this one particularly difficult, because my body really rejects alcohol when I'm hungover, but I found the ol' hair of the dog works wonders.

Result 8: A drink when hungover lessens the pain.


9. Caffeine

I have no explanation for this one, but I've found a coffee greatly helps cure a hangover headache. I know coffee dehydrates you, but it really helps me.

Result 9: Drink a coffee the next morning.


So to put it all together...

When in the pub, make sure you have a seat, drink clean alcohol like vodka and try to minimise the amount of liquids you drink (i.e. drink shots instead of beer). Eat food throughout the night, and don't worry too much about getting a great nights sleep or consuming a load of water. Caffeine and a little bit of alcohol will help level you out the next day.

That's just my experience. Maybe yours is different.

kelle

After many years of hangovers, and recovery times taking longer and longer, I found the only way was to minimise it by 100% & stop drinking:(

Nevertheless, your post is interesting....

_feedback_

I'd love to go for a pint with you. It sounds like great fun.

But a lot of it makes sense !

Lux23

If I eat while drinking and have a soft drink or glass of water in between alcoholic drinks I am normally much better.

Red wine hangovers are always the worst, no mistake.

Smyth

I read the whole thing OP (srs)



















































not srs

m.j.w

wine gives me a much worse hangover than drinking pints all night so i would have to disagree with number 2

johnmcdnl

I shall try your theory but I think the drinking vodka instead of beer is the main one - that's why teenage girls never get hangovers - because they only drink vodka on a night out.. while lads like me get hammered on beer and die the next day...

makes sense I suppose

clikityclak

Meh... don't know if I'd be for sleeping on the ground after a night on the vodka, bed is way more comfy

Never got hangovers from drinking, not the headache kind, only tiredness

is "withdrawl" like speaking with a drawl?

Jaxxy

Sex cures my hangover 90% of the time.

Result: Have more sex OP.

Mr. Loverman

JaxxYChicK wrote: »

Sex cures my hangover 90% of the time.

Result: Have more sex OP.

Not possible.

(I'm having sex at the moment).

Jaxxy

Mr. Loverman wrote: »

Not possible.

(I'm having sex at the moment).

While you type? :eek:

You're either very talented or very boring in the sack. :pac:

Mr. Loverman

JaxxYChicK wrote: »

While you type? :eek:

You're either very talented or very boring in the sack. :pac:

I'm not doing the typing...!

_feedback_

Mr. Loverman wrote: »

Not possible.

(I'm having sex at the moment).

A female writing the word Sex in reply to your thread on a message board doesn't count as having sex.

karlog

Usually when i drink water after a session it lessens the hangover the next day. Everyones different i suppose.

AckwelFoley

Mr. Loverman wrote: »

(i.e. drink shots instead of beer)..

After a night of drinking brandy you will find this is not always true

mfceiling

Brilliant post OP

Thanks for doing some "serious research" into the drinking culture........somebody buy that man a pint!!

Gone West

high quality liqour is better than low quality plonk.

Btwndeyes

Smyth wrote: »

I read the whole thing OP (srs)
not srs

Why bother replying if you don't read the original post?

TerrorFirmer

karlog wrote: »

Usually when i drink water after a session it lessens the hangover the next day. Everyones different i suppose.

As it would be for most people. Drinking water definitely makes all the difference, if I drink a few pints of water before bed after a fairly heavy session, I can function the next day pretty well. Without....I spend the day in tatters.

FreudianSlippers

I find that many people love a fry when hungover - I'm the exact opposite: If I eat a fry when hung over I feel like killing myself. I think it's the salt that really wrecks me.

arse..biscuits

A few pints of guinness usually sort me out but it's a dodgy one as sometimes the session goes on all day and i'm worse the following day.

veryangryman

My tips...

Make your last drink a water.
Have a disprin before bed
Hot Shower in the morning
For the love of god, have breakfast!! :eek:
2 more disprin spread out over the morning
Decent lunch

Also, as an expirement, pick a (verbal but passive aggressive) fight at work. Keep it holy - remember that these people help to keep you drunk (some of them even drive you to it)

Your theories of the secrets to a wonderful hangover intrigue me. If you were a child, id sponsor you

Naos

Great post op, some good reading

Edit: To add to this, I tried some Dioralyte the other week - that stuff is special for rehydrating you.

Scuid Mhór

mr. loverman's getting locked tonight.

mconigol

wake up early, pop 2-3 nurofen, go back to sleep, wake up 3-4 hours later.....happy days

entropi

I've never had a hangover ever, but thats some nice, and tasty research OP...well done

AckwelFoley

Snypers tips to safe drinking

.

• Eat a good mean before drinking
• Buy your round, skip it and get knifed.
• Carry a picture of Ann Doyle in your wallet, when the pic turns into cheryl
  cole - Stop drinking

fonecrusher1

In my opinion hangovers are caused by one thing.

The amount of time between drinks.

If you drink 5 pints in the space of an hour, your going to have a ferocious hangover the next day. Your body can't process alcohol at that rate of consumption. Give it a chance.

Basically space your drinks or eat small portions of food as you drink & you'll avoid a hangover. Drink like a maniac on an empty stomach & your gauranteed a hum-dinger of hangover. Obviously.

BigBenRoeth

Cool story bro.

Shryke

Drink the good stuff, as in spirits. Wine can give a killer hangover, beer and cider just as bad, but nothing worse than too much gin.
Water is good before bed and all the next day. Food before you hit the sack too.
A shower in the morning clears the head some. Orange juice and a light feed, whatever you like. A joint if you've got nothing to do. Red Bull can help also.
To be honest the best thing for dealing for a hangover is if you have things to do. It's a distraction from the suffering.

Alter-Ego

The next day, I find some water, a ****, a spliff and a can will kill any hangover.

D'Agger

Drink a berocca or in my case - the cheap aldi alternative before bed to rehydrate, same thing in the morning if you can stomach it, I find eggs always help a hangover too oddly so if possible a bita scramble to start the day, then it's a case of the three golden steps to ridding yourself of any hangover - SSW

Shít

Shower

**** - preferrably sex but when you've a head on you like Kerry Katona trusty aul righty'll do

BigBenRoeth

Yes,my hangover cure consists of coffee,cigarettes,copious masturbation and 4chan.

kraggy

Smyth wrote: »

I read the whole thing OP (srs)



















































not srs

The guy puts in a lot of effort to share his finding, which I personally find interesting, and your contribution is that lame attempt at humour.

Go away. And take your stupid Superman avatar with you.

Mr. Loverman

Slightly weird one which I didn't add... I can't get a hangover from Fosters. My only conclusion is because I've been drinking it since I was 12 so I have some sort of immunity to it now.

PS Bring back Fosters Ice!

opinion guy

Mr. Loverman wrote: »

9. Caffeine

I have no explanation for this one, but I've found a coffee greatly helps cure a hangover headache. I know coffee dehydrates you, but it really helps me.

Result 9: Drink a coffee the next morning.

Ah yes. Caffeine is a pain killer in its own right.

D'Agger

opinion guy wrote: »

Ah yes. Caffeine is a pain killer in its own right.

I read somewhere years ago - and apologies if this isn't actually true, that headaches are caused by either brain waves being too fast or too slow - more often than not after drink they're too slow so caffine speeds up the aul brainwaves and relieves the thunderous pain you feel is going to kill you.

Either way, I've always maintained from this that you've more than a 50/50 chance of sorting out your head with a coffee

opinion guy

PaulieC wrote: »

I read somewhere years ago - and apologies if this isn't actually true, that headaches are caused by either brain waves being too fast or too slow - more often than not after drink they're too slow so caffine speeds up the aul brainwaves and relieves the thunderous pain you feel is going to kill you.

Paulie thats well up there with the Earth being flat in terms of things that don't make sense!

D'Agger

opinion guy wrote: »

Paulie thats well up there with the Earth being flat in terms of things that don't make sense!

To be fair I gave it a disclaimer!!

Have you ever had a cup of coffee that's made your hangover worse? because I have, just the once - going by that brilliant logic, my original point makes perfect sense

And the world is flat...dumbass!! :pac:

opinion guy

PaulieC wrote: »

And the world is flat...dumbass!! :pac:

I know - and we're all riding on the back of a giant turtle too!

Mr. Loverman

opinion guy wrote: »

I know - and we're all riding on the back of a giant turtle too!

Golden Axe?

AckwelFoley

Mr. Loverman wrote: »

Golden Axe?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiWHW5G6hlM

opinion guy

Mr. Loverman wrote: »

Golden Axe?

Terry Pratchett I think!
Possibly some ancient religion - who knows ?

BigBenRoeth

opinion guy wrote: »

Terry Pratchett I think!
Possibly some ancient religion - who knows ?

It's Pratchett

starlit

Drink pints of water before you head out, you won't feel a thing the next day!

rooney111

eat a heap of spuds before you go drinking.stay away from shots,eat after with bottle of water.dunno how a **** would help ha.fry in the morning does the trick with a few panadols.also if i stop drinking for 2hours before bed i wake up without a hangover.not always possible do!!:D

jimmycrackcorm

10. Drinking a full bottle of white wine followed by two bottles of red makes you fall on the sitting room floor and puke sideways. But at least the hangover is not as bad as the nagging you get the following morning from the wife.

Lesson learned: Don't get married


I wouldn't know of course.

BigBenRoeth

rooney111 wrote: »

.dunno how a **** would help ha.!:D

**** solves everything.

Smyth

kraggy wrote: »

The guy puts in a lot of effort to share his finding, which I personally find interesting, and your contribution is that lame attempt at humour.

Go away. And take your stupid Superman avatar with you.

u mad?

--Kaiser--

PaulieC wrote: »

I read somewhere years ago - and apologies if this isn't actually true, that headaches are caused by either brain waves being too fast or too slow - more often than not after drink they're too slow so caffine speeds up the aul brainwaves and relieves the thunderous pain you feel is going to kill you.

Actually most hangover headaches are due to dehydration, your brain is 75% water and very susceptible to lack of hydration. Try drinking a pint or two of water before retiring and another one when you wake up, it will do a world of good.

My personal hangover cure is a litre or two of Coconut Water, it not only hydrates you but replaces all the electrolytes you piss out during your drinking session (calcium, sodium, magnesium and potassium). Try it.

Another cure which will be much less popular is exercise. Sweats the alcohol out and gets your metabolism going. Yeah, I knew it wouldn't be popular.