Five Hangover Remedies That Works

Traditional hangover remedies often aren’t effective, and some of them may actually make you feel worse. Find out what hangover cures will help, and what is too good to be true.

Sleep 

People sleep poorly after a night of drinking. Alcohol will put you to sleep quickly, but when it begins to wear off several hours later, the withdrawal your body feels can disrupt sleep and jolt you awake. Although sleep deprivation won't by itself cause a hangover, it definitely can make the symptoms feel worse.

If you have the luxury of "sleeping it off" the next day, do so. Your foggy brain and achy body will thank you. "The body’s got an amazing capacity to heal on its own," says Dr. Cutler.

In the end, the only surefire treatment for a hangover is time

Hangover pills

There are lots of hangover "cures" in a bottle out there—such as Chaser, PreToxx, and RU 21—but very little evidence to back up claims. "Hangover pills that have been studied are not effective, or only help against a few complaints…but not all," says Joris C. Verster, PhD, an assistant professor of psychopharmacology at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, who studies hangovers.

A 2005 review article in the journal BMJ identified eight peer-reviewed, placebo-controlled studies of hangover remedies, and concluded that "no compelling evidence exists" to support their use.

Dr. Cutler suggests taking a multivitamin instead to restore the nutrients your body may have lost during a binge.

Coffee

If you’re a regular coffee drinker, skipping java when you’re hung over may—or may not—be a good idea, Brick says. You may wind up layering a pounding caffeine-withdrawal headache on top of your hangover woes when you miss your regular morning fix.

That said, caffeine narrows your blood vessels and boosts blood pressure. "Both of these may make the hangover worse," Brick says. "If you drink coffee regularly, you might try a very small amount in the morning. Wait 30 to 60 minutes and see how you feel."

Water and sports drinks

Conventional wisdom holds that the dehydration caused by heavy drinking is what makes you feel so sick the next day. In fact, experts actually know very little about what causes a hangover. Potential culprits include disrupted biological rhythms or even alcohol withdrawal, and research suggests that congeners—toxic substances found in alcohol, especially dark liquors such as whiskey—may also play a role.

Nevertheless, replacing the fluid you've lost will likely help you feel a little less miserable. "Juice, water, Gatorade, all those things—they're going to make you feel better," says Dr. Cutler.

Take pain relievers

For women who have PMS-related pain such as cramping, breast tenderness, backaches, or headaches, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory pain relievers (NSAIDs) can provide some relief.

These include ibuprofen (Advil and similar drugs) and naproxen (Aleve).

Or you can try over-the-counter remedies specifically aimed at PMS like Pamprin and Midol. These often combine some sort of pain reliever with caffeine.