Although the hangover should be gone by now...

...there is a very colorful discussion thread of hangover remedies over at the WSJ Health Blog.

Yesterday, Health Blog's Jacob Goldstein briefly discussed a 2000 Annals of Internal Medicine paper on alcohol hangovers and remedies/prophylactic approaches. Despite all of the discussion, Goldstein also cites a 2005 systematic review in BMJ by Max Pittler and Edzard Enrst at Exeter that concluded,

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 practise abstinence or moderation.

If you didn't abstain adequately, or if you're in a need of a laugh or two, head over to the Health Blog post, The Anatomy of a Hangover. There are some very insightful comments from Frank Sinatra, Keith Richards, Paris Hilton, Donald Rumsfeld, and Bill Clinton, among others.

P.S. I learned from the Annals paper that the medical term for an alcohol hangover is "veisalgia" (from the Norwegian kveis, or "uneasiness following debauchery," and the Greek algia, or "pain").

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P.S. I learned from the Annals paper that the medical term for an alcohol hangover is "veisalgia" (from the Norwegian kveis, or "uneasiness following debauchery," and the Greek algia, or "pain").

I am very thankful to be able to read this from a historical perspective! I haven't touched a drop of alcohol for over 20 years, but I still can remember the uneasiness and pain! Seems like way too high a price to pay!
Dave Briggs :~)