Bulletin Board of Bad Behavior

I have a new theory that low sodium V8 style drinks, or at least pure tomato puree can help a person avoid a bad hangover.

I'll report back as I test this theory.

Yes, yes I know Martino said drink a glass of water for every alcoholic drink, but I still get the feeling there's something I'm missing: potassium for one thing. Get the low sodium tomato juice out and let's see what happens.

Back in the day (the 1980's) when I was toiling in a big factory it was recieved wisdom that you weren't allowed to moan about your hangover until you had:

A) Eaten breakfast

B) Taken a shit

It is something that I've stuck with.

Also, it is pointless trying to sleep out a hangover. Better to get up, confront it for as long as you can and then take a nap. That way you avoid that feeling of living under water that you get if you stay in bed for sixteen hours. I also take a shower and try to get out into fresh air.


The comedian and writer Pete McCarthy won the perrier award at the Edinburgh Festival some 16 or so years ago with his "Alchohol lecture." It was wickedly funny. I recall his quoting Kingsley Amis on how to get rid of a hangover. Something along the lines of........"upon waking, turn to your wife or sexual partner and perform the sexual act as vigorously as possible." Now, at this time, Kingsley was an old man who looked every inch the old boozehound he was. McCarthy asked was there anything worse than waking up with a murderous hangover and seeing the wobbling carcass of a stinking old man about to climb on you.

Rob Buckman (Who also pops up in "May week was in June" See other thread.) is a medical doctor as well as an author and comedy writer. He commented on "Hair of the dog" theories thusly. It is the medical equivalent of treating a patient who has broken his leg falling down a flight of stairs by telling to go home and just throw himself down the last three steps.

but hair of the dog works best. at lest when you keep it up for a week. who wants to live (liver) forever?

The best hangover cure I ever tried was ecstasy.
Hangover? What's that? I am sure other class A's work well enough too.

That being said the best practical cure (as the Class A's are almost always gone by the next morning) is hair of the dog and codeine.

If you have to go to work... then its codeine (substitute whatever pain killer you have convenient), shower, Gatorade, and breakfast or lunch at McDonalds. There is something in the food that 'resets' your stomach. I tried this just the other day... not as good in Sweden as America but it still works better than eating something healthy.

Also, smokers like me out there will note that smoking generally increases your hangover by a factor of 1.5.