Does a little paracetamol beforehand help against a hangover?

Say wine, snacks or haute cuisine and the foodies of online food magazine FavorFlav know where to drink, how to eat and what to cook. This time our chefs serve you: paracetamol for a hangover.

Got a nasty hangover? There's a good chance you're feeling sluggish and unstable, lying horizontally on the couch and turning into a bottomless pit. On such a dismal day, you’ll probably find yourself wondering how you could have prevented this hellish feeling – and how that nausea and head that feels like a bowling ball can disappear as quickly as possible. Shouldn't you have anticipated this and taken a paracetamol, Advil, or ibuprofen before going to sleep? We discussed this misery after a night out and a pounding head with our wise colleagues from Amayzine.

The hangover comes later
According to a pharmacist, you can at least forget about the idea that a hangover can be prevented by taking a paracetamol before going to sleep. You might think with your drunken head that it’s a good plan, but no. “Paracetamol only works for four to six hours, and during your sleep, you won’t feel the hangover symptoms anyway. Taking it preventively doesn’t make much sense because the paracetamol wears off before you wake up. Furthermore, paracetamol does nothing about the cause of the hangover, which is caused by a buildup of alcohol breakdown products.” Okay. But once you’ve woken up the day after, what gets you through that hellish day?

The savior in need
An Advil could save your weekend, just like a paracetamol. It works as a pain reliever and will help with a slightly less pounding head. What you should avoid taking, on the other hand, is aspirin, which contains acetylsalicylic acid. That’s not good for your liver and kidneys, which are already struggling after a load of alcohol. So what do you choose? According to some experts, it’s better to take a paracetamol: it’s the least harmful to your organs and won’t make you feel more nauseous. Your stomach lining is already irritated by the amount of alcohol you’ve consumed, so you don’t want to make that worse with a pill. Others swear by ibuprofen because it’s said to be more effective against hangover symptoms, although you should avoid taking it if you’re feeling nauseous or have stomach issues. So we say: feeling nauseous? Paracetamol. Headache like a donkey? Ibuprofen.

Recovery drink
If you want to do even more about that hangover, eating a greasy meal with a cup of coffee also helps according to scientists. Moreover, according to FavorFlavs Steffi, you can also take a recovery beer or wine (and there’s scientific evidence for that).

Text: Favorflav