If there's one thing you're guaranteed to get during the festive season, it's a hangover. iVillagers share suggestions to minimise the effects, plus how to cope with a pounding head, dodgy tum and inevitable bacon sarnie cravings, with no hairy dogs in sight...
It's the night of the office Christmas party and you're hot to trot. Ahead lies an evening of fun, frolics and cheap sparkling wine. This year, however, a bit of forward planning wouldn't hurt in your bid to minimise the effects of tomorrow's all-too-predictable killer hangover.
Milk thistle extract
An ancient preventative and remedy, the milk thistle plant is considered to be a powerful liver protectant by homeopaths. It's an antioxidant but also works to protect the liver cells from alcohol by making it more difficult for the poisons to penetrate the cell. Buy from your local health food store and take in capsule form, before and after a big night out.
'I've tried everything there is to try in a bid to lessen the effects of hangovers. Last Christmas my mate recommended Milk Thistle for hangover prevention and cure. I was willing to give it a go and I have to say they really help minimise the sick feeling and headaches you can get. I could still feel the effects of the alcohol in my system the morning after but by taking Milk Thistle before I went out, my hangover wasn't as bad as it would normally have been. Nowadays I swear by it!'
melbal_35
There's a very simple way you can reduce the effects of your hangover even while your night out is still in full swing: drink less alcohol. However, if that just sounds a bit too boring, why not drink one glass of water or soft drink to one alcoholic drink? Or you could water down your alcoholic drinks by mixing white wine with soda water?
Alcohol dehydrates you, causing those thumping headaches, dizziness and sickness. By taking water onboard throughout the evening (or by diluting your drinks) you're keeping your hydration levels topped up, which should help minimise the hangover. Check out iVillagers' suggestions:
Eat while you're drinking
'Lining your stomach with a good meal either before you go out or while you're drinking will really help banish tomorrow's hangover. Having a full tummy helps absorb all the booze and means it's processed by your body quicker. Doesn't mean I won't still want that kebab when the pub shuts but eating a meal before I go out always seems to do the trick.'
hencat1
Try an anti-hangover supplement
'My friend introduced me to some herbal tablets called Hangover Over, he swears by them. I took some this weekend (strangely you take them with your first drink!) and they work! Can't praise them highly enough. You can find them on the web www.hangover-over.com. Cheers!'
canny21
If you can remember, there are a few things you can do when you get in to make tomorrow morning a nicer place to wake up in.
If you forgot to pop a milk thistle capsule before you went out, you can still help your liver by taking one when you get home and of course, keeping hydrated is vital if you want to avoid that killer headache in the morning. Sipping a pint of water is an excellent way of warding off tomorrow's pain - but sip, not gulp or it may come straight back up again.
'I always put a pint of water and two paracetemol on my bedside table before I go out so that before I tumble into bed when I get home, I remember to take these. In the morning - no headache and not too dehydrated. Works every time.'
melbal35
The morning after the night before
If none of the above have in any way helped to alleviate your pain, why not try some (or all!) of the following...The humble banana
Need to soothe your tummy and quell the shakes? A banana is your best bet. Containing three types of natural sugar (sucrose, fructose and glucose), a banana will boost your energy levels and help stabilise your blood sugar. In order to get it down you in the most palatable way, a banana smoothie made with honey and milk, sipped slowly, will soon have you feeling right again.
'My husband swears by a real banana milkshake: Put 1/2 a pint of cold full-fat milk, at least a table-spoon of honey, a good dollop of double cream and a fresh banana into a liquidiser and whizz up.
Delicious whether you have a hangover or not. A great appetiser for a full fry-up too!'
twinkle_87
Carbs can cure
Forget GI or Atkins, toast is the way to go when you're feeling rough. The complex carbohydrates in bread (and pasta and potatoes), will raise your blood sugar level. Toast with vitamin B-rich Marmite is even better as alcohol destroys vitamin C and B complex - replacing them first thing the morning after will go along way to making you feel human again.
'A veggie oxo drink with a twist of black pepper, marmite on toast and/or pot noodles any flavour. If all that fails try chocolate or something yummy so it tastes nice when it comes back up!'
cfellows
Pop those pills
B-vitamins are the first to be used up as your body processes last night's Bacardi Breezers, so taking a vitamin B supplement such as Berocca either when you get home or first thing in the morning will help keep those hangover symptoms at bay.
Vitamin C is an antioxidant and will help support the liver as it breaks down alcohol. Drinking a glass of fresh orange juice is a brilliant way to battle your hangover because not only will it rehydrate you, it will also raise your blood sugar level and help your liver out. Plus, it tastes great with a bacon sarnie!
'Berocca (high potency multivitamin) is great for hangovers and is really popular in London. Get it cheap from www.cured.me.uk along with other similar products.'
lisaj_77
Work that body!
The thought of physical exercise might make you want to get reacquainted with the toilet bowl, but it's worth remembering that exercise will help you sweat the alcohol out of your system faster, fresh air will clear your head and you'll feel pleased with yourself for burning off all those cocktail calories by exercising the next day. If the gym doesn't appeal, you could always stay in bed - sex is a form of exercise and our sources say it's the best cure around!
'Sex is the best way to get rid of a hangover - that and a full English fry-up straight after always does the trick!'
lanie_42