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The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Women: Hangovers

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Hangovers

Hangover

Revive Yourself

Last night you and a male co-worker went out for drinks after work. You were feeling great when you got home. Now you're shaky and headachy. Your stomach is heaving (or feels as though it's about to), your heart is racing and your mouth is dry--the rebound effects that your body feels after an evening of excessive drinking. What happened?

"Too much alcohol depresses the nerve cells in your brain," explains Anne Geller, M.D., neurologist and chief of the Smithers Alcoholism Treatment and Training Center at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City and past president of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. "When the alcohol leaves your system, the nerve cells are no longer sedated, so you become anxious and irritable." Plus, alcohol irritates your stomach lining (explaining the queasies) and dilates the blood vessels in your head (explaining the headaches).

Meanwhile, your drinking buddy is fine. What gives?

Women react more intensely to alcohol than men do. Within seconds of drinking the same amount of beer, wine or liquor as your male companion, your blood alcohol content is higher than his. And the toxic effects of what you drank more quickly attack sensitive organs like your liver and brain.

One reason that women suffer worse hangovers than men may be because of differences in body fat and water in the body. Since women have a higher percentage of body fat and a lower percentage of water in their systems, alcohol is less diluted with water when it reaches your brain, liver, kidneys and other organs.

GETTING BACK TO NORMAL

If you have a hangover, you won't need a doctor to diagnose what's wrong with you. As for what to do about it, Dr. Geller advises that you treat a hangover in its earliest stages instead of waiting until later in the day. "Without question, the earlier you get active and start treating your hangover, the better you're going to feel." Here's her advice.

What Women Doctors Do

The Medical School Cure

Anne Geller, M.D.

Currently a neurologist and chief of the Smithers Alcoholism Treatment and Training Center at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City and past president of the American Society of Addiction Medicine, Anne Geller, M.D., doesn't get hangovers anymore. But like a lot of people, she profits from previous experience.

"I used to get hangovers when I was in medical school," says Dr. Geller. "Women today are lucky--back then, we didn't know very much about how to treat a hangover. But I did know enough to drink two large glasses of water the next day. I also knew that I couldn't stay in bed; that would be counterproductive. Since I had an irritated stomach with my hangover, I never felt inclined to eat very much, so I just kept it light."

Today, that's the same basic advice that Dr. Geller gives other women who find themselves suffering from the aftereffects of overimbibing.

Fill up on fluids. "Alcohol stimulates the kidneys to produce more urine," says Dr. Geller. "Consequently, you're dehydrated, and you need to replace the lost fluids. So as soon as you get up in the morning, drink two eight-ounce glasses of water." It doesn't hurt to drink some water before you go to bed the night before, either.

Get up and get out. "Exercise is the best thing to do when you have a hangover," says Dr. Geller. "Excessive alcohol depletes your body's supply of endorphins, or mood-elevating hormones."

You can boost your body's supply of endorphins with light to moderate exercise for 20 minutes. Dr. Geller recommends taking a brisk walk, working out at the gym or going for a light jog.

Soothe an upset stomach. "Too much alcohol can inflame the stomach lining," says Dr. Geller. "If you have stomach upset, reach for an antacid. Follow label directions."

Eat light. "Most women aren't interested in eating a heavy meal when they have hangovers," notes Dr. Geller. "If you feel like eating, stick to light foods that are bland and easy to digest--such as melba toast, white rice and pretzels--and sip beverages like ginger ale and bouillon."

Peel a banana. "Excessive alcohol can diminish carbohydrate levels," says Dr. Geller. "Bananas are a nutritious source of complex carbohydrates and provide energy, which is sorely lacking the morning after."

Tame that throbbing head. "If you have a headache, take enteric-coated aspirin, which is formulated to digest in the intestines, rather than in your already upset stomach," says Dr. Geller.

AND NEXT TIME . . .

If you have a wicked hangover, you've probably resolved to drink less next time (or not at all). Here are some tips to make sure that your current hangover is your last hangover.

Know your limits. "Your body gets rid of alcohol at the rate of three-quarters of a drink per hour," says Dr. Geller. "One drink is one five-ounce glass of wine, one can of beer or one shot of gin, bourbon, whiskey or other hard liquor. For women, more than three drinks per hour will put them over the legal limit."

Pace yourself. "Alternate alcoholic with nonalcoholic drinks over the course of an evening," suggests Dr. Geller. Or skip the alcohol and stick to ginger ale.

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