Hangover Remedies

In this episode, hosts Don Weinberger and Steve Small separate fact from fiction about hangover remedies.  

Does drinking water actually help prevent symptoms?

Is acetaminophen safe for hangover headaches?

Let’s hammer out the facts!

They’ll share research and insights into some interesting claims including:

• Consuming fluids before, during, or after drinking will curb hangovers.
• Having beer before switching to harder drinks can prevent hangovers.
• Acetaminophen should be avoided after drinking.
• Some natural products can be used for hangovers.
• “Hydration clinics” are a hangover cure.

Rumor vs Truth is a production of TRC Healthcare.

TRC Healthcare Editor Hosts: 

• Stephen Small, PharmD, BCPS, BCPPS, BCCCP, CNSC 
• Don Weinberger, PharmD

The clinical resources mentioned during the podcast are part of a subscription to Pharmacist’s Letter, Pharmacy Technician’s Letter, and Prescriber Insights: 

• Article: Address Rumors vs Truths About Hangover Remedies
• Chart: Alcohol and Drug Interactions

Don’t miss out! Subscribe to Pharmacist’s Letter today to stay ahead with trusted insights and tools. If you're a student, good news—students can access a free version of Pharmacist’s Letter. 

If you’re not yet a subscriber, find out more about our product offerings at trchealthcare.com.

Follow, rate, and review this show in your favorite podcast app. Find the show on YouTube by searching for ‘TRC Healthcare’ or clicking here.

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Chapters

• 0:01 Introduction
• 0:21 Welcome
• 1:38 Claim: Consuming fluids before, during, or after drinking can curb hangovers.
• 2:59 Claim: Having beer before switching to harder drinks can prevent hangovers.
• 3:57 Claim: Acetaminophen should be avoided after drinking.
• 5:21 Claim: Some natural products can be used for hangovers.
• 6:44 Claim: “Hydration clinics” are a hangover cure.
• 9:02 Summary
• 10:01 Wrap-Up
• 11:37 Addendum

Transcript

This transcript is automatically generated. 

00:00:04 Narrator

Welcome to Rumor vs Truth, your trusted source for facts… where we dissect the evidence behind risky rumors and reveal clinical truths. Today we’ll look at popular hangover remedies to see if there’s any proof behind the claims.

00:00:21 Stephen Small

So this is our second episode of Rumor versus Truth by TRC.

00:00:25 Stephen Small

We're going to dive into the evidence behind some of those clinical conundrums you face to see if they're actually based on evidence or frankly, just hearsay.

00:00:32 Don Weinberger

You know, you probably heard of pharmacist letter and prescriber insight products, and now we're adding this podcast series to help pharmacists, technicians and prescribers.

00:00:41 Don Weinberger

And even patients navigate some of the claims they might see about medication therapy as pharmacist, we are trained to help clear up some of the rumors and identify the truth.

00:00:50 Stephen Small

I like that.

00:00:51 Stephen Small

And I'm Steve, the pharmacist. I've been in hospital practice since 2015, mostly in Pediatrics and obstetrics.

00:00:58 Stephen Small

I've been an editor here at TRC since 2024.

00:01:02 Don Weinberger

And I am Don the pharmacist. I've been an editor here at TRC since 2015, and I've been an outpatient inpatient pharmacy practice since.

00:01:10 Don Weinberger

I'm a date myself, 2000.

00:01:12 Don Weinberger

Steve, when you were probably just two years old.

00:01:14 Stephen Small

So I will not confirm or deny that.

00:01:18 Stephen Small

In this episode, we're going to be making a well deserved toast to the rumors and truths behind hangover remedies, especially after wrapping up the Super Bowl party season.

00:01:27 Don Weinberger

Don yes. And while we also drink responsibly, it's also important healthcare providers. Think responsibly.

00:01:36 Don Weinberger

About how to prevent and treat this issue.

00:01:38 Stephen Small

And with that done, our first spirited claim is hangovers can be prevented by drinking a lot of water.

00:01:46 Stephen Small

Now I try to look into this to see if there's any data behind this.

00:01:49 Stephen Small

There's one small systematic review that only had three studies and two of them.

00:01:54 Stephen Small

Were just surveys of college students and not the best data.

00:01:57 Stephen Small

And from that, they didn't gather that it makes a huge difference drinking water before, during or after drinking alcohol doesn't really have an effect on hangover severity.

00:02:08 Stephen Small

And actually when looking into kind of expert opinions on this, it seems like the dehydration people have a hangover is different from the hangover itself.

00:02:16 Stephen Small

It might just be separate Co occurring issues, so whether consuming fluids before.

00:02:23 Stephen Small

During or after drinking can curb hangovers, the verdict is.

00:02:30 Stephen Small

Of the rumor.

00:02:31 Stephen Small

I would say frankly we got we got any.

00:02:33 Stephen Small

Data for this.

00:02:34 Stephen Small

So folks, get your research hats on because yes, again, proper hydration might help with things like a dry mouth from a hangover, but it's not going to help that hangover itself.

00:02:47 Don Weinberger

Did you say research pants?

00:02:48 Don Weinberger

I hear that correctly.

00:02:50 Stephen Small

Yeah, why not. OK or research.

00:02:52 Don Weinberger

Yeah, I'm gonna still go.

00:02:54 Don Weinberger

Yeah. OK. And let's put on some more research pants here and move on to our next.

00:02:58 Don Weinberger

And we've gotten some curious questions about whether sayings like beer before liquor, never sicker, are true in preventing hangover symptoms. That means.

00:03:09 Don Weinberger

Just drinking beer before switching to harder alcohols like whiskey and vodka.

00:03:14 Don Weinberger

Uh can prevent hangovers.

00:03:17 Don Weinberger

Now.

00:03:17 Don Weinberger

Just note this symptoms are you result of quantity of alcohol and regardless of.

00:03:23 Don Weinberger

So small studies have shown that near the type nor the order of consumed alcoholic beverages, significantly affected hangover intensity.

00:03:33 Don Weinberger

And interestingly enough, the analysis did show the perceived drunkenness and vomiting to be the strongest indicators for the hangover intensity.

00:03:44 Don Weinberger

So for the claim of having beer before switching to harder drinks can prevent hangovers, the verdict is.

00:03:53 Don Weinberger

Just a rumor at this time.

00:03:55 Stephen Small

Yeah, that sounds about right, Don.

00:03:57 Stephen Small

And then another common question I get for folks who have hangovers is, should they be taking acetaminophen for that headache, right?

00:04:04 Stephen Small

We know that acetaminophen may have liver risks and we know alcohol is liver risk, So what should they do?

00:04:10 Stephen Small

In general, we're able to find is acetaminophen can be used at normal OTC dosing. Up to that 3G per day for hangovers. If it's just occasional drinking once in a blue moon, kind of a deal, but we do need to. We do need to be more PR.

00:04:25 Stephen Small

In terms of limiting for chronic heavy drinkers, right, because their liver might have more background issues going on.

00:04:34 Stephen Small

So if someone's taking more than three or.

00:04:36 Stephen Small

Drinks.

00:04:36 Stephen Small

Day we should be using acetaminophen sparingly at the lowest dose.

00:04:40 Stephen Small

And some experts even say we shouldn't be going over that 2G per day dose.

00:04:45 Stephen Small

And if you actually look at some of the labeling for OTC meds for hangover, that includes cinamophil. They also say you shouldn't be taking it more than two days, which is another good thing. We could probably tell our patients if they're needing this for a hangover. So for.

00:04:59 Stephen Small

Out there, who claim that acetaminophen should be avoided after drinking.

00:05:04 Stephen Small

Our verdict is.

00:05:08 Stephen Small

It's true, but with conditions, right?

00:05:11 Stephen Small

This depends on the dose and the patients alcohol use pattern. So a lot to take into account there.

00:05:17 Don Weinberger

Great. There's some good stuff there, Steve.

00:05:20 Don Weinberger

Moving on, you know, I was at the grocery store the other day and I saw these.

00:05:24 Don Weinberger

Hangover cure?

00:05:28 Don Weinberger

Products on the counter and even the gas.

00:05:32 Don Weinberger

I saw some as well and it kinda brings up the question you know, are there any natural products with good evidence for hangover treatment or prevention and you know, from the looks of it, many have been studied.

00:05:45 Don Weinberger

But none of those are really robust. Once I did look at 82 hangover products on Amazon.

00:05:51 Don Weinberger

And about 60% had one or more vitamin doses above the recommended daily limits.

00:05:57 Don Weinberger

You look at the fat soluble vitamins like AD and K that can be an issue.

00:06:02 Don Weinberger

And also none of them have safety or efficacy data in humans.

00:06:07 Don Weinberger

And about 65% of them made these explicit claims that they treat or prevent hangover and that kind of rustled the fdaa little bit, and they sent the warning letters out to these companies for advertising unsupported claims.

00:06:21 Don Weinberger

Supplements.

00:06:23 Don Weinberger

That actually prevent or treat hangovers. So the claim that some natural products can be used for hangover treatment prevention. The verdict is.

00:06:35 Don Weinberger

Just a rumor.

00:06:36 Don Weinberger

Many have been studied, but none of.

00:06:37 Don Weinberger

Are really robust.

00:06:39 Stephen Small

Yep, that makes.

00:06:41 Stephen Small

Don't. That's good to know about the FDA stance on that. And OK, last call here. It's a high tech hangover remedy that going to an IV hydration clinic can actually help with hangover symptoms.

00:06:52 Stephen Small

John I.

00:06:53 Stephen Small

You were actually recently in Vegas, did you?

00:06:56 Stephen Small

Clinics around. I heard they even have like bus versions of these now that you can kind of hitch a ride on.

00:07:02 Don Weinberger

Yeah, I.

00:07:02 Don Weinberger

Actually saw quite a few of.

00:07:04 Don Weinberger

And you know, I believe actually you can use some of your casino reward points there.

00:07:10 Don Weinberger

To fund them.

00:07:12 Stephen Small

And the next rumor versus.

00:07:13 Stephen Small

We should look at folks, is how much did Don actually win in Vegas?

00:07:17 Stephen Small

But that'll be the next episode there.

00:07:20 Stephen Small

But with that, I think it's important to think about those hydration points we already talked about that drinking fluids probably doesn't help. So getting at IV.

00:07:28 Stephen Small

Either and looking at some studies with this, there were two I found that looked at patients who were acutely drunk in the emergency department and whether getting normal saline or lactic ring or boluses did anything versus placebo.

00:07:40 Stephen Small

And really, they found that it didn't change the amount of time it took for those folks to wake up from their state.

00:07:46 Stephen Small

Their symptom scores or anything like.

00:07:49 Stephen Small

So just from that alone, it seems like giving IV fluids is pretty dubious.

00:07:53 Stephen Small

But I think what's also important to think about is the safety aspects. A lot of these IV hydration clinics and medical spas may not be using the same regulations we use in the hospital to make sure I vs are safe. I've got a gown up from head to.

00:08:06 Stephen Small

And make sure everything's clean when I'm making an IV. And these spas may not be doing that. And in fact the fdai remember.

00:08:13 Stephen Small

Sent out a publication in 2021 about this, stating those risks. They even mentioned a case where a 50 year old woman got a Pseudomonas blood stream infection and got septic shock.

00:08:23 Stephen Small

From an IV vitamin cocktail they got.

00:08:25 Stephen Small

At one of these.

00:08:26 Stephen Small

So based on that, when it comes to whether hydration clinics are hangover cure, the verdict is.

00:08:35

Call.

00:08:37 Stephen Small

Rumer ID hydration really probably should only be useful in patients who are severely dehydrated.

00:08:43 Stephen Small

Really, we should be treating that in a hospital, not a medical spa.

00:08:46 Stephen Small

And also I'm kind of thinking about the IV fluid shortages we're seeing from Hurricane Helene.

00:08:51 Stephen Small

We need to be better stewards of IV fluids and we've got to reserve them for acute and critical needs, which frankly.

00:08:56 Stephen Small

That's not a hangover.

00:08:59 Don Weinberger

Yeah. Thank you for that.

00:09:01 Don Weinberger

Great point about the shortages. You know, it sounds like most of these are rumors or need more data except for the need to limit accepting if patients are drinking heavily or chronically.

00:09:10 Don Weinberger

Otherwise, you could say most of them tanked.

00:09:14 Stephen Small

Good one, Don.

00:09:15 Stephen Small

One sobering truth to all this is that.

00:09:18 Don Weinberger

DJ.

00:09:19 Stephen Small

Should really be ready to ask about patients drinking patterns during counselling if it's appropriate 'cause I think we can help patients identify if maybe their drinking patterns are a health issue and we can also refer to resources if they want help.

00:09:32 Stephen Small

And obviously we ought to remember that moderation, or frankly, just completely avoiding alcohol, is the most effective strategy for preventing those pesky hangovers, bar none. And we also know that lemony alcohol has other benefits, too, like decreasing cancer risks. That's good.

00:09:49 Don Weinberger

About being.

00:09:50 Don Weinberger

Steve, you are a buzzkill.

00:09:53 Stephen Small

Sorry, Don.

00:09:54 Don Weinberger

But seriously. Yeah, but seriously, there's a good point that we all can cheers to.

00:09:58 Don Weinberger

And that's a wrap on this episode of Rumor Versus True.

00:10:00 Stephen Small

Truth. And if you like what you heard, be sure to follow rate and review this show wherever you get your podcasts. And of course, please check us out at trchealthcare.com.

00:10:10 Don Weinberger

And take a look at our show notes or.

00:10:13 Don Weinberger

We're linking directly to some of our great resources like the article on Hangover DS in the February 2025 issue of pharmacist letter technician's letter and prescriber insights, as well as our handy chart reviewing drug interactions with alcohol.

00:10:27 Stephen Small

And if you aren't already a subscriber, don't miss out on these resources.

00:10:31 Stephen Small

Up today to stay ahead with trusted insights and tools.

00:10:34 Stephen Small

We're an industry leading non biased source of information and continuing education.

00:10:40 Don Weinberger

And if you're a student, good news students can access a free version of pharmacist letter.

00:10:45 Don Weinberger

Repeat that student and free you get a free version of pharmacy letter for your student.

00:10:49 Don Weinberger

Linked to that directly in the show notes as well.

00:10:52 Don Weinberger

It out.

00:10:53 Stephen Small

And we also need your help compiling more rumors, truths to analyzesosendusyourideas@trchealthcare.com.

00:11:01 Stephen Small

Contact us.

00:11:02 Stephen Small

Or use the contact US link at the bottom of your TRC healthcare home page.

00:11:06 Don Weinberger

You know, we know you've got some great ideas for us to demystify.

00:11:10 Don Weinberger

Join us next time where we'll tackle claims about tetracycline.

00:11:15 Stephen Small

Yep, and thanks for joining us on rumor versus truth. Your trusted source for facts. We will dissect the evidence behind those risky rumors to reveal clinical trials.

00:11:23 Stephen Small

See you next time. See you.

00:11:39 Narrator

Want to put faces to these voices? Catch the video version on YouTube - just search 'TRC Healthcare' or click the link in our show notes. While you're there, check out our other TRC podcasts like Medication Talk and Clinical Capsules.