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{{Other uses|hangover (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox Disease
 | Name           = Hangover
 | Image          = Portrait de Suzanne Valadon par Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.jpg
 | Caption        = "The Hangover" (portrait of [[Suzanne Valadon]], by [[Toulouse-Lautrec]])
 | DiseasesDB     = 
 | ICD10          = G44.83, F10
 | ICD9           = 
 | ICDO           = 
 | OMIM           = 
 | MedlinePlus    = 
 | eMedicineSubj  = 
 | eMedicineTopic = 
 | MeshID         = 
}}
A '''hangover''' ({{pron-en|ˈhæŋoʊvər}}) describes the sum of unpleasant physiological effects following heavy consumption of [[alcoholic beverage]]s. The most commonly reported characteristics of a hangover include [[headache]], [[nausea]], [[photophobia|sensitivity to light]] and [[phonophobia|noise]], [[lethargy]], [[dysphoria]], [[diarrhea]] and [[thirst]], typically after the intoxicating effects of the alcohol begin to wear off. While a hangover can be experienced at any time, generally speaking a hangover is experienced the morning after a night of heavy drinking. In addition to the physical symptoms, a hangover may also induce psychological symptoms including heightened feelings of [[depression (mood)|depression]] and [[anxiety]].

[[Hypoglycemia]], [[dehydration]], [[acetaldehyde]] [[Substance intoxication|intoxication]], glutamine rebound, and [[vitamin B12 deficiency|vitamin B<sub>12</sub> deficiency]] are all theorized causes of hangover symptoms.<ref>{{cite web|last=Perry |first=Lacy |url=http://health.howstuffworks.com/hangover.htm |title=HowStuffWorks "How Hangovers Work" |publisher=Health.howstuffworks.com |date= |accessdate=2010-03-26}}</ref> Hangover symptoms may persist for several days after alcohol was last consumed. Approximately 25-30% of drinkers may be resistant to hangover symptoms.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Howland J, Rohsenow DJ, Allensworth-Davies D, ''et al.'' |title=The incidence and severity of hangover the morning after moderate alcohol intoxication |journal=Addiction |volume=103 |issue=5 |pages=758–65 |year=2008 |month=May |pmid=18412754 |doi=10.1111/j.1360-0443.2008.02181.x |url=http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/resolve/openurl?genre=article&sid=nlm:pubmed&issn=0965-2140&date=2008&volume=103&issue=5&spage=758}}</ref>  Some aspects of a hangover are viewed as symptoms of acute ethanol withdrawal, similar to the longer-duration effects of withdrawal from [[alcoholism]], as determined by studying the increases in brain reward thresholds in rats (the amount of current required to receive to electrodes implanted in the lateral [[hypothalamus]]) following ethanol injection.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Schulteis G, Liu J |title=Brain reward deficits accompany withdrawal (hangover) from acute ethanol in rats |journal=Alcohol |volume=39 |issue=1 |pages=21–8 |year=2006 |month=May |pmid=16938626 |pmc=2266583 |doi=10.1016/j.alcohol.2006.06.008 |url=http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0741-8329(06)00106-6}}</ref> Dehydration is caused by alcohol's ability to inhibit the release of [[Vasopressin|anti-diuretic hormone]].

== Etymology ==
The term hangover was originally a 19th century expression describing unfinished business—something left over from a meeting—or "survival." In 1904, the meaning "morning after-effect of drinking too much" first surfaced.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=hangover |title=Hangover: Online Etymology Dictionary |publisher=Etymonline.com |date= |accessdate=2009-10-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://drunkard.com/issues/02_05/02-05_on_the_cuff.htm |title=Frank Kelly Rich: On the Cuff & Under the Table: The Origins and History of Drinking Words and Phrases (Modern Drunkard Magazine 2008) |publisher=Drunkard.com |date= |accessdate=2009-10-18}}</ref>

In Norwegian, [[:Wiktionary:veisalgia|veisalgia]] derives from ''kveis'' (uneasiness following debauchery) and the Greek ''algia'' (pain)[http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=34153].

== Symptoms ==
An [[ethanol|alcohol]] hangover is associated with a variety of [[symptoms]] that may include [[dehydration]], [[fatigue (medical)|fatigue]], [[headache]], body aches, [[vomiting]], [[diarrhea]], [[flatulence]], [[weakness]], elevated [[body temperature]], [[hypersalivation]], difficulty concentrating, sweating, [[anxiety]], [[dysphoria]], [[irritability]], sensitivity to light and noise, erratic motor functions (including [[tremor]]), trouble sleeping, severe hunger, [[halitosis]], and lack of depth perception. Many people will also be repulsed by the thought, taste or smell of alcohol during a hangover. The symptoms vary from person to person, and occasion to occasion, usually beginning several hours after drinking. It is not clear whether hangovers directly affect [[cognitive]] abilities.

== Causes ==
Ethanol has a [[dehydration|dehydrating]] effect by causing increased urine production ([[diuretic|diuresis]]), which causes headaches, dry mouth, and [[lethargy]].  Dehydration also causes fluids in the brain to be less plentiful.  This can be mitigated by drinking [[water]] after consumption of alcohol. Alcohol's effect on the stomach lining can account for nausea.

Another contributing factor is the presence of products from the breakdown of ethanol by liver enzymes. Ethanol is converted to [[acetaldehyde]] by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, and then from acetaldehyde to [[acetic acid]] by the enzyme [[acetaldehyde dehydrogenase]]. Acetaldehyde (ethanal) is between 10 and 30 times more toxic than alcohol itself.<ref name=Sprince74>{{cite journal |author=Sprince H, Parker CM, Smith GG, Gonzales LJ |title=Protection against acetaldehyde toxicity in the rat by L-cysteine, thiamin and L-2-methylthiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid |journal=Agents Actions |volume=4 |issue=2 |pages=125–30 |year=1974 |month=April |pmid=4842541 |doi= 10.1007/BF01966822|url=http://www.springerlink.com/content/w307w62037125v33/}}</ref>

These two reactions also require the [[Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide|conversion of NAD<sup>+</sup> to NADH]]. With an excess of NADH, three enzymes of the [[Citric Acid Cycle]] are inhibited ([[citrate synthase]], [[isocitrate dehydrogenase]], and [[alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase]]) essentially shutting it down. [[Pyruvate]] (the end product of glycolysis) starts to accumulate, and the excess NADH drives [[lactate dehydrogenase]] to produce lactate from pyruvate in order to regenerate NAD+ and sustain life. This diverts pyruvate from other pathways such as gluconeogenesis, thereby impairing the ability of the liver to compensate for a drop in blood glucose levels, especially for brain. Because glucose is the primary energy source of the brain, this lack of glucose ([[hypoglycemia]]) contributes to symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, mood disturbances, and decreased attention and concentration.

Alcohol consumption can result in depletion of the liver's supply of [[glutathione]]<ref>{{cite journal |author=Kera Y, Ohbora Y, Komura S |title=Buthionine sulfoximine inhibition of glutathione biosynthesis enhances hepatic lipid peroxidation in rats during acute ethanol intoxication |journal=Alcohol Alcohol. |volume=24 |issue=6 |pages=519–24 |year=1989 |pmid=2576368 |doi= |url=http://alcalc.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=2576368}}</ref> and other reductive detoxification agents,<ref name="Stickel F, Schuppan D, Hahn EG, Seitz HK 2002 132–9">{{cite journal |author=Stickel F, Schuppan D, Hahn EG, Seitz HK |title=Cocarcinogenic effects of alcohol in hepatocarcinogenesis |journal=Gut |volume=51 |issue=1 |pages=132–9 |year=2002 |month=July |pmid=12077107 |pmc=1773267 |url=http://gut.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/51/1/132 |doi=10.1136/gut.51.1.132}}</ref>   reducing its ability to effectively remove acetaldehyde and other toxins from the bloodstream. Additionally, alcohol induces the [[CYP2E1]] enzyme, which itself can produce additional toxins and free radicals.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Kessova I, Cederbaum AI |title=CYP2E1: biochemistry, toxicology, regulation and function in ethanol-induced liver injury |journal=Curr. Mol. Med. |volume=3 |issue=6 |pages=509–18 |year=2003 |month=September |pmid=14527082 |url=http://www.bentham-direct.org/pages/content.php?CMM/2003/00000003/00000006/0004M.SGM |doi=10.2174/1566524033479609}}</ref>

In addition, it is thought that the presence of other alcohols (such as [[fusel oil]]s), by-products of the [[fermentation (food)|alcoholic fermentation]] also called [[congener]]s, exaggerate many of the symptoms (congeners may also be zinc or other metals added primarily to sweet liqueurs to enhance their flavor); this probably accounts for the mitigation of the effects when distilled alcohol, particularly [[vodka]], is consumed instead.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Wiese JG, Shlipak MG, Browner WS |title=The alcohol hangover |journal=Ann. Intern. Med. |volume=132 |issue=11 |pages=897–902 |date=6 June 2000|pmid=10836917  |url=http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/132/11/897 }}</ref> A 2009 study provided evidence that darker-coloured liquors, such as bourbon, cause worse hangovers than lighter-coloured liquors, such as vodka. The higher amount of congeners found in darker liquors compared to lighter ones was indicated as the cause.<ref>{{cite web|author=8:32 p.m. ET |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34485233/ns/health-behavior/ |title=Whiskey hangover worse than vodka, study says - Behavior- msnbc.com |publisher=MSNBC |date=2009-12-18 |accessdate=2010-02-03}}</ref>

Most people of [[East Asia]]n descent have a [[mutation]] in their [[alcohol dehydrogenase]] [[gene]] that makes this enzyme unusually effective at converting ethanol to acetaldehyde, and about half of such people also have a form of [[acetaldehyde dehydrogenase]] that is less effective at converting acetaldehyde to acetic acid.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Xiao Q, Weiner H, Crabb DW |title=The mutation in the mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2) gene responsible for alcohol-induced flushing increases turnover of the enzyme tetramers in a dominant fashion |journal=J. Clin. Invest. |volume=98 |issue=9 |pages=2027–32 |year=1996 |pmid=8903321 |url=http://www.jci.org/cgi/content/abstract/98/9/2027 |doi=10.1172/JCI119007 |pmc=507646}}</ref> This combination causes them to suffer from [[alcohol flush reaction]], in which acetaldehyde accumulates after drinking, leading to immediate and severe hangover symptoms. These people are therefore less likely to become [[alcoholic]]s.<ref>{{cite book
  |last = Earleywine
  |first = Mitchell 
  |title = Mind-Altering Drugs: The Science of Subjective Experience
  |publisher = OUP USA
  |year = 1999
  |page = 163
  |isbn = 978-0195165319}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/127/5/376 |title=Alcohol Metabolism in Asian-American Men with Genetic Polymorphisms of Aldehyde Dehydrogenase — Ann Intern Med |publisher=Annals.org |date=1997-09-01 |accessdate=2010-02-03}}</ref>

It is often said that hangovers grow worse as one ages; this is thought to be caused by declining supplies of alcohol dehydrogenase, the enzyme involved in metabolizing alcohol.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1226478/Medical-miscellany-Why-hangovers-worse-age.html |title=Medical miscellany: Why hangovers get worse with age &#124; Mail Online |publisher=Dailymail.co.uk |date=2009-11-10 |accessdate=2010-03-26}}</ref>

== Possible remedies ==
Hangovers are poorly understood from a medical point of view. Health care professionals prefer to study alcohol abuse from a standpoint of treatment and prevention, and there is a view that the hangover provides a useful, natural and intrinsic disincentive to excessive drinking.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/07/health/07hang.html | work=The New York Times | title=Raw Eggs? Hair of the Dog? New Options for the Besotted | first=Jonathan D. | last=Glater | date=2004-12-07}}</ref> 

Within the limited amount of serious study on the subject, there is debate about whether a hangover might be prevented or at least mitigated; additionally, there is a vast body of [[folk medicine]] and simple [[quackery]]. There is currently no empirically proven mechanism for prevention except reducing the amount of ethanol consumed, or for making oneself [[Sobriety|sober]] other than waiting for the body to metabolize ingested alcohol, which occurs via oxidation through the liver before alcohol leaves the body. A four-page literature review in ''[[British Medical Journal]]'' concludes: "No compelling evidence exists to suggest that any conventional or complementary intervention is effective for preventing or treating alcohol hangover. The most effective way to avoid the symptoms of alcohol induced hangover is to avoid drinking."<ref>{{cite journal |author=Pittler MH, Verster JC, Ernst E |title=Interventions for preventing or treating alcohol hangover: systematic review of randomized controlled trials |journal=BMJ |volume=331 |issue=7531 |pages=1515–8 |year=2005 |month=December |pmid=16373736 |pmc=1322250 |doi=10.1136/bmj.331.7531.1515 |url=http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/331/7531/1515}}</ref>

=== Ineffective or unproven remedies ===
Recommendations for foods, drinks and activities to relieve hangover symptoms abound. The ancient [[Ancient Rome|Romans]], on the authority of [[Pliny the Elder]], favored raw [[owl]]'s eggs or fried [[canary]].<ref>http://www.forbes.com/2003/01/01/cx_cd_0101featsidebar_3.html</ref> By 1938, the [[Ritz-Carlton]] Hotel provided a hangover remedy in the form of a mixture of [[Coca-Cola]] and milk<ref name="Felten">{{cite news|last=Felten |first=Eric |url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123032812870836003.html |title=Recipe to Cure a New Year's Eve Hangover - WSJ.com |publisher=Online.wsj.com |date=2008-12-27 |accessdate=2010-03-26}}</ref> (Coca-Cola itself having been invented, by some accounts,<ref>{{cite web|author=Ian Ellis |url=http://www.todayinsci.com/3/3_29.htm |title=March 29 - Today in Science History |publisher=Todayinsci.com |date= |accessdate=2010-03-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.colamyths.com/ |title=// Welcome To |publisher=Colamyths.com |date= |accessdate=2010-03-26}}</ref> as a hangover remedy). Alcoholic writer [[Ernest Hemingway]] relied on tomato juice and beer.<ref name="urbanlegends.about.com">[http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/medical/a/hair_of_the_dog.htm]</ref> Certain mixtures were developed specifically for the purpose. The "Black Velvet" consists of equal parts champagne and flat [[Guinness Stout]],<ref name="urbanlegends.about.com"/> while the "Prairie Oyster" restorative, introduced at the 1878 Paris World Exposition, calls for raw egg yolk mixed with [[Worcestershire sauce]], [[Tabasco sauce]], salt and pepper.<ref name="Felten"/>  A 1957 survey by a [[Wayne State University]] folklorist found widespread belief in the efficacy of heavy fried foods, tomato juice and sexual activity.<ref name="American Folklore 1961 pp. 152-168">A Hair of the Dog and Some Other Hangover Cures from Popular Tradition 
Frank M. Paulsen 
The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 74, No. 292 (Apr. - Jun., 1961), pp. 152-168</ref>

Activities said to be restorative include a shower—alternating very hot and very cold water<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-03-17/lifestyle/eight-great-sdnn-recommended-hangover-cures |title=Eight great SDNN-recommended hangover cures |author=Read, Jennifer |publisher=San Diego News Network |date=17 March 2010 |accessdate=2 May 2010}}</ref>, exercise<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.health911.com/remedies/rem_hang.htm |title=Hangover Remedies |publisher=Health 911 |accessdate=2 May 2010}}</ref>, and steambath or sauna (although medical opinion holds this to be very dangerous, as the combination of alcohol and hyperthermia increase the likelihood of dangerous [[cardiac arrhythmia]]s).<ref>Ann Clin Res. 1988;20(4):287-91. The sauna and alcohol. Ylikahri R, Heikkonen E, Soukas A.[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3218903]</ref>

Other untested or discredited treatments include:
  
* [[Hair of the dog]]: The belief that consumption of further alcohol after the onset of a hangover will relieve symptoms, based upon the theory that hangover represents a form of [[withdrawal]]<ref>New hangover treatments go beyond traditions 'hair of the dog' New York Times News Service Dec. 6, 2004 [http://www.azcentral.com/health/wellness/articles/1206hangoverhelp-ON.html]</ref> and that by satiating the body's need for alcohol the symptoms will be relieved. Certainly the additional alcohol has a sedating and anaesthetic effect.<ref name="webtender1">{{cite web|url=http://www.webtender.com/handbook/antihangover.html |title=Anti-Hangover Tips |publisher=The Webtender |date= |accessdate=2010-03-26}}</ref> While the practice is affirmed by tradition<ref name="American Folklore 1961 pp. 152-168"/> and by many hospitality providers,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.sfgate.com/2006-12-29/wine/17324420_1_hangover-bloody-mary-drinking |title=For hangovers, bartenders prefer the 'hair of the dog' - SFGate |publisher=Articles.sfgate.com |date= 2006-12-29|accessdate=2010-03-26 | first=Camper | last=English}}</ref>  medical opinion holds that the practice merely postpones the symptoms, and courts addiction.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.webmd.com/balance/slideshow-hangover-myths |title=Hangover Myths Slideshow: Hangover Cures, Herbal Remedies, Hair of the Dog, and Other Common Myths |publisher=Webmd.com |date=2008-11-14 |accessdate=2010-03-26}}</ref> Favored choices include [[Fernet Branca]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Curtis |first=Wayne |url=http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/11/the-bitter-beginning/7041/ |title=The Bitter Beginning - Magazine |publisher=The Atlantic |date=2010-03-05 |accessdate=2010-03-26}}</ref> and [[Bloody Mary (cocktail)|Bloody Mary]].<ref name="webtender1"/>
* [[Globe artichoke]] (''Cynara scolymus'') extract: "Our results suggest that artichoke extract is not effective in preventing the signs and symptoms of alcohol-induced hangover."<ref>Max H. Pittler, Adrian R. White, Clare Stevinson and Edzard Ernst [http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/169/12/1269?ijkey=2bd65f3f6ba604d76688a6f86da10351b3b03051 Effectiveness of artichoke extract in preventing alcohol-induced hangovers: a randomized controlled trial] CMAJ December 9, 2003; 169 (12)</ref> 
* [[Propranolol]]: "We conclude that propranolol does not prevent the symptoms of hangover."<ref>{{cite journal |author=Bogin RM, Nostrant TT, Young MJ |title=Propranolol for the treatment of the alcoholic hangover |journal=Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse |volume=12 |issue=3 |pages=279–84 |year=1986 |pmid=3503570 |doi=10.3109/00952998609007397 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author=Bogin RM, Nostrant TT, Young MJ |title=Propranolol for the treatment of the alcoholic hangover |journal=Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse |volume=13 |issue=1-2 |pages=175–80 |year=1987 |pmid=3318398 |doi=10.3109/00952998709001507 }}</ref>   
* [[Fructose]] and [[glucose]]: A 1976 research came to the conclusion that "The results indicate that both fructose and glucose effectively inhibit the metabolic disturbances induced by ethanol but they do not affect the symptoms or signs of alcohol intoxication and hangover."<ref>{{cite journal |author=Ylikahri RH, Leino T, Huttunen MO, Pösö AR, Eriksson CJ, Nikkilä |title=Effects of fructose and glucose on ethanol-induced metabolic changes and on the intensity of alcohol intoxication and hangover |journal=Eur. J. Clin. Invest. |volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=93–102 |year=1976 |month=January |pmid=1253812 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-2362.1976.tb00498.x }}</ref> Nevertheless, consumption of [[honey]] (a significant fructose and glucose source) is often suggested as a way to reduce the effect of hangovers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.umdnj.edu/about/news_events/releases/07/r122007_UMDNJ_Expert_SuggestsHoney.htm |title=UMDNJ Experts Suggest Remedies for Holiday Headaches |publisher=Umdnj.edu |date=2007-12-20 |accessdate=2009-10-18}}</ref>   
* [[Kudzu]] (''Pueraria montana var. lobata''): The main ingredient in remedies such as [[kakkonto]]. A study concluded, "The chronic usage of ''Pueraria lobata'' at times of high ethanol consumption, such as in hangover remedies, may predispose subjects to an increased risk of acetaldehyde-related neoplasm and pathology. ... Pueraria lobata appears to be an inappropriate herb for use in herbal hangover remedies as it is an inhibitor of ALDH2."<ref>{{cite journal |author=McGregor NR |title=''Pueraria lobata'' (Kudzu root) hangover remedies and acetaldehyde-associated neoplasm risk |journal=Alcohol |volume=41 |issue=7 |pages=469–78 |year=2007 |month=November |pmid=17980785 |doi=10.1016/j.alcohol.2007.07.009 |url=http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0741-8329(07)00137-1}}</ref>

=== Potentially beneficial remedies ===
<!-- Please do not insert claimed remedies here without citation of a reliable source -->

* [[Food]] and [[water]]: consumption of foods such as eggs, which contain [[cysteine]], and water may be enough to replenish lost moisture and at least rehydrate the body, making a hangover shorter. A [[bacon]] sandwich has also been claimed to effectively relieve hangovers.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/science/sciencenews/5118283/Bacon-sandwich-really-does-cure-a-hangover.html |title=Bacon sandwich really does cure a hangover |date=7 April 2009 |work=The Daily Telegraph |accessdate=2 May 2010 | location=London}}</ref> 
* Rehydration: "Effective interventions include rehydration, prostaglandin inhibitors, and vitamin B<sub>6</sub>".<ref name=Wiese>{{cite journal |author=Wiese JG, Shlipak MG, Browner WS |title=The alcohol hangover |journal=Ann. Intern. Med. |volume=132 |issue=11 |pages=897–902 |year=2000 |month=June |pmid=10836917 |doi= |url=http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/132/11/897}}</ref>
* [[Oxygen therapy|Oxygen]]: In a double-blind random study of 231 patients at two Vienna hospitals, published in Anesthesiology in 1999 and reported by ''[[The New York Times]]'', it was found that the side-effects of general anesthesia could be diminished by giving patients a mix of 80 percent oxygen and 20 percent nitrogen during the surgery, and for two hours afterward. Only 17 percent of the patients receiving supplemental oxygen experienced nausea and vomiting, compared with 30 percent of the group who were given the standard 30 percent oxygen and 70 percent nitrogen.<ref>Dr. Daniel Sessler [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C01EED7153AF93AA35752C1A96F958260  Extra Oxygen for Anesthesia's Hangover] ''The New York Times'' 9 November 1999</ref>  The study's leader characterized the results for the Times, "Extra oxygen is cheap, risk-free and reduces the incidence of nausea as well as any known drug."  A related study by members of Dr. Sessler's team, published in Anesthesiology in October 1999, indicated that patients given oxygen in amounts up to 80 percent did not suffer impaired lung function.  In addition, there have been anecdotal reports from those with easy access to a breathing oxygen supply&nbsp;— medical staff, [[Scuba diving|SCUBA divers]] and military pilots&nbsp;— that oxygen can also reduce the symptoms of hangovers sometimes caused by alcohol consumption.  The theory is that the increased oxygen flow resulting from oxygen therapy improves the metabolic rate, and thus increases the speed at which toxins are broken down.<ref>Timothy Walker and Mary Fitzgerald [http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/a-drinkers-guide-to-hangover-cures-445085.html A drinker's guide to hangovers] ''The Independent'' 17 April 2007</ref> However, one source states that (in an aviation context) oxygen has no effect on physical impairment caused by hangover.<ref>{{ cite book |last=Reihheart |first=Richard|title=Basic Flight Physiology |publisher=McGraw-Hill Professional |page=179 |year=2007 |isbn=0-7735-0801-5 }}</ref>
* [[Tolfenamic acid]] (TA): A study concludes, "TA was found significantly better than placebo in the subjective evaluation of drug efficacy ([[p-value|p]] < 0.001) and in reducing the reported hangover symptoms in general (p < 0.01). In the TA group, significantly lower symptom scores were obtained for headache (p < 0.01), and for nausea, vomiting, irritation, tremor, thirst, and dryness of mouth (all p < 0.05)."<ref>S. Kaivola1, J. Parantainen, T. Österman and H. Timonen {{cite journal |author=  |last1= Kaivola |first1= S. |last2= Parantainen |first2= J. |last3= Osterman |first3= T. |last4= Timonen |first4= H.|title=Hangover headache and prostaglandins: Prophylactic treatment with tolfenamic acid |journal=Cephalalgia |volume=3 |page=31 |month=March |year=1983 |doi=10.1046/j.1468-2982.1983.0301031.x |url=http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/links/doi/10.1046%2Fj.1468-2982.1983.0301031.x }}</ref>
* [[Vitamin B6|Vitamin B<sub>6</sub>]] (pyritinol): Some studies have found large doses of Vitamin B<sub>6</sub> (several hundred times the recommended daily intake) can help to reduce hangovers.<ref name=Wiese/><ref>{{cite journal |author=Khan MA, Jensen K, Krogh HJ |title=Alcohol-induced hangover. A double-blind comparison of pyritinol and placebo in preventing hangover symptoms |journal=Q J Stud Alcohol |volume=34 |issue=4 |pages=1195–201 |year=1973 |month=December |pmid=4588294 }}</ref>
* [[Chlormethiazole]]: "Chlormethiazole was found to lower blood pressure and [[adrenaline]] output and, furthermore, to relieve unpleasant physical symptoms, but did not affect fatigue and drowsiness. The cognitive test results were only slightly influenced by this agent, while psychomotor performance was significantly impaired. Subjects with severe subjective hangover seemed to benefit more from the chlormethiazole treatment than subjects with a mild hangover."<ref>{{cite journal |author=Myrsten AL, Rydberg U, Ideström CM, Lamble R |title=Alcohol intoxication and hangover: modification of hangover by chlormethiazole |journal=Psychopharmacology (Berl.) |volume=69 |issue=2 |pages=117–25 |year=1980 |pmid=6779303 |doi=10.1007/BF00427636 }}</ref> "However, all 8 subjects had unpleasant nasal symptoms following chlormethiazole, and it is therefore not an ideal hypnotic for this age group."<ref>{{cite journal |author=Castleden CM, George CF, Sedgwick EM |title=Chlormethiazole—no hangover effect but not an ideal hypnotic for the young |journal=Postgrad Med J |volume=55 |issue=641 |pages=159–60 |year=1979 |month=March |pmid=379841 |pmc=2425402 |doi=10.1136/pgmj.55.641.159 }}</ref>
* [[Rosiglitazone]]: [Study in rats] "Rosiglitazone alleviated the symptoms of ethanol-induced hangover by inducing ALD2 expression..."<ref>{{cite journal |author=Jung TW, Lee JY, Shim WS, ''et al.'' |title=Rosiglitazone relieves acute ethanol-induced hangover in Sprague-Dawley rats |journal=Alcohol Alcohol. |volume=41 |issue=3 |pages=231–5 |year=2006 |pmid=16554376 |doi=10.1093/alcalc/agl013 |url=http://alcalc.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=16554376}}</ref>
* [[Acetylcysteine]]:  There are claims that N-acetylcysteine can relieve or prevent symptoms of hangover through scavenging of acetylaldehyde, particularly when taken concurrently with alcohol.<ref>Fawkes, SW [http://www.ceri.com/alcohol.htm CERI: Living with Alcohol] ''Smart Drug News'' 1996 Dec 13</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author=Ozaras R, Tahan V, Aydin S, Uzun H, Kaya S, Senturk H |title=N-acetylcysteine attenuates alcohol-induced oxidative stess in rats |journal=World J. Gastroenterol. |volume=9 |issue=4 |pages=791–4 |year=2003 |month=April |pmid=12679934 |url=http://www.wjgnet.com/1007-9327/9/791.asp}}</ref> Additional reduction in acetaldehyde toxicity can be achieved if NAC is taken in conjunction with vitamin B1 (thiamine).<ref name=Sprince74/>

== See also ==

* [[Blood alcohol content]]
* [[Hair of the dog]]
* [[The Hangover (film)]]
* [[The Hangovers]]

== References ==

{{Refs|2}}

== External links ==
{{Wiktionary|hangover}}
{{Wiktionary|veisalgia}}
* {{wikihow|Get-Rid-of-a-Hangover|Get Rid of a Hangover}}
* [http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh22-1/54-60.pdf "Alcohol Hangover:  Mechanisms and Mediators"] [PDF] by Robert Swift, M.D., Ph.D. and Dena Davidson, Ph.D., [[NIAAA]] ''Alcohol Health and Research World'', January 14, 2002, retrieved November 22, 2004.
* [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/expert_advice/article401844.ece "The party's over: Advice on treating hangovers"] by [[Thomas Stuttaford|Dr. Thomas Stuttaford]], ''[[The Times]]'', December 13, 2004 retrieved August 24, 2005.  A colorful article on hangovers, their cause and treatment along with reference to famous [[Soho]] residents, such as [[Jeffrey Bernard]], [[Dylan Thomas]] and [[Francis Bacon (painter)|Francis Bacon]].

{{Bartend}}{{Alcoholic beverages}}
{{Headache}}

[[Category:Alcohol abuse]]
[[Category:Drinking culture]]
[[Category:Symptoms]]

[[af:Babbelas]]
[[be:Пахмелле]]
[[bg:Махмурлук]]
[[cs:Kocovina]]
[[da:Tømmermænd]]
[[de:Kater (Alkoholintoxikation)]]
[[et:Pohmelus]]
[[es:Resaca]]
[[eo:Postebrio]]
[[fa:خماری]]
[[fr:Gueule de bois]]
[[gl:Resaca]]
[[hr:Mamurluk]]
[[iu:ᐊᖓᔮᕐᓇᖅᑐᖅ ᓯᓕᙴᑎᕚ ᐅᓪᓛᒃ/angajaarnaqtuq silinnguutivaa ullaak]]
[[is:Timburmenn]]
[[it:Postumi dell'ubriachezza]]
[[he:חמרמורת]]
[[la:Crapula]]
[[lv:Paģiras]]
[[hu:Másnaposság]]
[[nl:Kater (alcohol)]]
[[ja:二日酔い]]
[[no:Bakrus]]
[[pl:Kac]]
[[pt:Veisalgia]]
[[ru:Похмелье]]
[[fi:Krapula]]
[[sv:Bakfylla]]
[[tr:Akşamdan kalmalık]]
[[uk:Похмілля]]
[[yi:הענגאווער]]
[[Category:2Fix]]