Eating bland foods with complex carbohydrates, such as toast or crackers. You'll boost low blood sugar levels and reduce nausea. Drinking water, juice, broth and other non-alcohol beverages to reduce dehydration. Getting sleep to counteract fatigue.
Dr. Shafer says hangovers usually resolve within 24 hours. But, those 24 hours can be rough due to symptoms, including fatigue, thirst or dry mouth, headaches, body aches, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, poor sleep, sensitivity to light and sound, dizziness, shakiness, irritability and rapid heartbeat.
Simply put, alcohol irritates your gut. Regular drinking can cause alcoholic gastritis, which includes symptoms like stomach ache, abdominal pain, hiccups, indigestion, loss of appetite, bloating and nausea. Alcoholic gastritis can be chronic or short-lived.
Treatments for upset stomach and nausea
To ease the nausea or upset stomach from hangovers, try the following treatments: Bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol), an over-the-counter anti-nausea medication. Pepcid, Zantac, or Alka-Seltzer may help with some of the sour stomach you may feel.
Carb-heavy foods such as bread, sandwiches, toast, and crackers are some of the best things to eat with a hangover. They're easy for the stomach to digest and offer an immediate source of energy. Carbohydrates are also naturally high in sodium, so they can help replenish your electrolyte levels too.
Taking a shower won't slow down your recovery from symptoms, but it won't help you instantly bounce back either. A hangover is very unpleasant, and we would love to do something as simple as a jump in the shower to make the symptoms disappear, but that is not the case.
The only way to get rid of that feeling is to catch up on the sleep you missed the night before. If you can manage to nod off for an hour or two, you might just feel better. Sleeping can also help prevent a hangover. Getting enough sleep will improve your immunity and get your body ready to handle a night of drinking.
"A glass of water when you first wake up will help you rehydrate from the night before," says Beaver. "If you got to the point of vomiting, drinking Gatorade and Pedialyte are good choices to help replenish the lost electrolytes."
Want to gain an edge over plain old water to treat your hangover? Consider reaching for Gatorade, Pedialyte, Powerade, or a similar nonfizzy sports drink. This recommendation comes courtesy of Kelly Kennedy, RDN, the staff nutritionist at Everyday Health.
What not to eat when you're hungover. Some people swear by greasy burgers and fries, coffee or “hair of the dog” (aka, more alcohol) to overcome a hangover. In reality, those really aren't your best choices, Zumpano says. Greasy foods may feel comforting, but eating a heavy meal can really stress your hangover belly.
No food can erase the effects of a night of drinking alcohol, but the best hangover foods are hydrating and anti-inflammatory. Rest helps, too. Try to avoid greasy foods, sugar, and caffeine which can make your symptoms worse. Instead, stick to water and foods like bananas and crackers.
For example, the liver will be overworking to process alcohol, you'll be tired from little and/or poor quality sleep, you're likely to be urinating more as alcohol is a diuretic, leaving you dehydrated and headache-y – and any post-night out vomiting can irritate the stomach for several days.
Carb-heavy foods like bread, crackers, sandwiches, and pasta are typically easy to digest, which is what your body needs at this point. The myth that eating tacos, pizza, and burgers will help "soak up" the alcohol is just wrong. "Greasy food doesn't soak up anything, it's not soluble in water," White said.
Bananas. A nice quick convenient hangover cure, bananas are loaded with potassium and magnesium, two of things that the body loses when drinking alcohol. Potassium will help reduce the feelings of nausea and tiredness commonly experienced by those with a hangover, so get peeling.
Milk does not contain magic hangover-curing ingredients. It's a nutritious drink that will provide you with some energy and hydration. And more importantly, you may be able to tolerate it better than a meal in the morning when hungover. But it really doesn't matter what type of milk you go for.
A: Alcohol prevents the breakdown of nutrients present in milk into usable molecules by decreasing secretion of digestive enzymes. Alcohol impairs the nutrients absorption by damaging the cells lining the stomach and intestines and disabling transport of some nutrients into the blood.
Alcohol irritates the lining of your stomach.
Alcohol increases the production of stomach acid and delays stomach emptying. Any of these factors can cause abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting.
And while there is no cure for hangovers, Hydralyte can help relieve dehydration associated with drinking. Late nights can mean long mornings. We know what it's like when you need to be “on” the next day but you aren't feeling your best from the night before.
DO NOT take acetaminophen (Tylenol, Paracetamol, etc.) with alcohol, it interferes with liver function and cause hepatoxicity and even death. If you take for hangover symptoms, wait until most of the alcohol has been eliminated ( the liver gets rid of one standard drink an hour). This is a serious warning.
Many will choose to take some type of medication such as paracetamol or ibuprofen before or after, but it is worth knowing that not only will they not prevent a hangover, but you will be adding extra damage to your body. The discomfort can be combated with painkillers, but it is not recommended.
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).