Does taking paracetamol preventively ward off a hangover?
Got a terrible hangover? Chances are you’re lying horizontally on the sofa, feeling miserable and unstable, and have turned into a bottomless pit. On such a dismal day, you’ll probably ask yourself how you could have prevented this hellish feeling — and how to make that nausea and head that feels like a bowling ball disappear as quickly as possible. Couldn’t you have anticipated it and taken paracetamol, Advil or ibuprofen before going to bed? We discussed this misery after a night out and pounding headache with our wise colleagues at Amayzine.
The hangover comes later
According to a pharmacist, you can forget about preventing a hangover by taking paracetamol preventively before going to sleep. You may think with your drunken brain that it’s a good plan, but no. “Paracetamol only works for four to six hours, and while you’re asleep you don’t feel the hangover symptoms anyway. Taking it preventively therefore doesn’t make much sense, because the paracetamol will have worn off before you wake up. Moreover, paracetamol does nothing to address the cause of a hangover, which is caused by a buildup of alcohol breakdown products.” Okay. But once you’ve woken up the day after, what will get you through that hellish day?
The lifesaver
An Advil could save your weekend, just like paracetamol. It relieves pain and will make your head pound a little less. What you’d better not take, on the other hand, is aspirin, which contains acetylsalicylic acid. It’s not good for your liver and kidneys, and they’re already working hard enough after a load of alcohol. So what do you choose? According to some experts, it’s better to take paracetamol: it’s the least harmful to your organs and it won’t make you feel even more nauseous. Your stomach lining is already irritated by the amount of alcohol you’ve poured into it, so you don’t want to make things worse with a pill. Others swear by ibuprofen because it is supposedly more effective against hangover symptoms, although you should avoid taking it if you feel nauseous or have stomach problems. So we say: nauseous? Paracetemol. Headache like a donkey kicked you? Ibuprofen.
Recovery drink
If you want to do even more to combat that hangover, scientists say that eating greasy food with a big cup of coffee also helps. Incidentally, according to FavorFlav’s Steffi, you can also have a recovery beer or glass of wine (and there is scientific evidence for it!).
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