Imbibe
Drinking too much is easy; curing hangover is harder

By Sean Nakamura

If we are lucky, the drunkenness is replaced by a mild morning headache, but too often, the night whose events we vaguely recall are followed by a splitting headache, queasy stomach and overall sluggishness that can last well into the afternoon.

I myself wonder if there is any miracle cure for a hangover. Aside from simple abstinence, neither I nor science know of an infallible remedy for the day-after blues, and this can't be the result of not looking. Sure, I've gotten lucky a few times, averting or curing a hangover with a wondrous remedy, but just as I was surprised it worked the first time, I was even more disappointed the next when the misery of symptoms dragged long into the day.

The list of reputed remedies is almost as long as the number of us who have experienced them. Numerous and wide-ranging, some remedies seem to have some medical backing, while others seem to have been thought up during a night of wild abandon.

The following, by no means guaranteed, are some suggestions some people use for relief from the dreadful day after.

Put out the fire

Whatever remedy you choose to help with your hangover, don't underestimate the need for water. That "cotton mouth" you feel means your body is thirsting for water. In fact, the headaches and lethargy you feel can probably be attributed to the body's need to be rehydrated.

If you are sober enough to remember, downing a glass or two of water after drinking and before settling down to sleep may alleviate some effects of alcohol. Continue drinking water throughout the day, or at least until the symptoms begin to subside.

Medical intervention

For some, there is no cure worth trying unless it involves some type of pill-popping. For these individuals, taking a dose of aspirin before sleeping and upon waking seem to quell those headaches.

Ibuprofen seems to work equally as well, but by all means avoid taking any acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol) when drinking or nursing a hangover. As you may know, this combination can do serious liver damage over just a short time.

A boost of vitamins, B-complex or a multi-vitamin is thought to replace many of the nutrients that are leached out of the body during heavy drinking. Taking these before going to sleep can provide a phenomenal turnaround; this is one that has worked for me on occasion. You can accomplish many of the same effects eating fruits such as bananas, or drinking high-powered shakes or sport drinks, which are also rich in vitamins, salts and, more importantly, water.

Comfort food

What do you crave when you're feeling down in the dumps? The food you know best, the stuff that always lifts your spirits: comfort food. For some that might be a burger and fries, for others a big bacon-and-eggs breakfast, but for me and a lot of local folk, hangover comfort food means saimin and miso soup. Think about it: a rather salty broth to hydrate and replenish all the nutrients lost while drinking, as well as some starch to energize the weakened body — what could be better? Maybe combining them both in a big bowl of miso ramen, if you can persuade your significant other to make it for you.

Hair of the dog

While scientists have scoffed at this notion, an often-used remedy for a hangover is jumping right back on the horse that bucked you off. Some people say a little alcohol in the form of one of the many "morning cocktails," such as the bloody Mary or Ramos fizz, will do wonders in the relief of the "next day" aches and pains. As extraordinary as you may feel, this relief is only temporary, as the refresher cocktails seem to just delay the inevitable. Rest assured, you will be looking to some other source of aid before the day is over.

There is the belief that you can sidestep a hangover by watching what type of alcohol you consume. While it is true that red wine, colored spirits and sweet cocktails are more likely to cause a hangover (it involves the amount of "stuff" with the alcohol that gives it color and flavor) — and regardless of whether you've mixed drinks or downed cheap booze — the quantity of alcohol consumed will determine the quality of the hangover.

Some require sympathy, others prefer just to be left alone; rest assured that you will suffer if you drank too much the night before. You could rot in bed for most of the day, but getting moving may be one of the best ways to alleviate the hangover blues. After a few hours, you'll feel a lot closer to normal, and hopefully at the end of the day, too tired to repeat this insane torturous routine.

While I am not recommending curing a hangover by consuming more alcohol, I am enclosing a basic bloody Mary recipe for those who just can't do without. Everyone has their own interpretation of this classic. If you choose, add anything that tickles your palate. Celery salt, steak sauce, horseradish, wasabi, beef broth and garlic are just a few of the extras I've seen added to the basic recipe.

Basic Bloody Mary

• 1 1/2 ounce vodka
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• A couple dashes Tabasco sauce
• 3-4 ounces tomato juice

Mix all ingredients in a salt-rimmed English highball or bucket glass. Top with fresh ground pepper and garnish with celery stick and lime wedge.