What's Your Hangover Remedy?
November 18th, 2009 by Rodney LeeIf you didn't visit my Monday post: HBMDR Give2Live Charity Event, take a look. There was a nice comment that I posted from Rob Kimura of Greenwood congratulating Annie, Roy, and all the volunteers on a great job - and Rob's first time ever that he performed with his cousin from Glass Candle. How cool is that!?!
It was such a joyous night, the music was pumping, the food was coming to the table, and the drinks were flowing. Really flowing at our table anyway.
And after the event, since I was the designated driver - me, Paula, and opso stopped by a restaurant/lounge/karaoke place for a nightcap.
Or two. Or three. But who was counting.
Then came Saturday morning...
Not "really" a hangover - just a skosh nagging headache in the back of her head (so Paula claims). We got up and had our coffee, then Paula headed back to bed. When she got up the second time and asked me to get her some McDonald's fruit punch and a saimin, I knew. She had a hangover.
Being the good husband that I am, I went out and got her the fruit punch and saimin as requested (and a No. 1 for me). After finishing it off, back to bed she went. I went to Ala Moana solo. 
Which got me thinking - what is your Hangover Remedy? McDonald's fruit punch seems work for Paula. What works for you?
And don't forget - Triad party happening this Friday at Fort Street Bar and Grill in the Topa Towers (AMFAC towers). 6:00 PM until they kick us out. No host food, drink, and karaoke. Come on out and meet the other MLCers, Lanceformers, and Bees. And maybe a few other Honolulu Advertiser bloggers. Going be good fun!
Tags: Bees, Bloggers, Give2Live, Glass Candle, Greenwood, Hangover, hangover remedy, HBMDR, Honolulu Advertiser, Lanceformers, McDonald's fruit punch, McDonald's saimin, McDonalds, MCLers, midlife crisis blog, Rob Kimura, Rodney Lee, Roy and Annie Yonashiro, Triad party
November 18th, 2009 at 3:44 am
FIRST
Best hangover cure? No drink 
Nah nah, I enjoy a few myself but I stop early and drink a soda or water. Main thing eat something.
Otherwise it's a Bloody Mary for you in the morning.
November 18th, 2009 at 4:10 am
You're right Ynaku, drink water before you go to bed. It seems to help me anyway....not that I drink that much mind you.
November 18th, 2009 at 4:57 am
Good Morning Everyone!
Happpy Birthday Ynaku!!!
Gee, you guys had funnnnnn huh? LOL Sorry to hear 'bout that for Paula.
I haven't had a hangover since in my 20's so I don't have a remedy. I stopped drinking in my late 20s and didn't start up again till about a year ago. Since I'm my own driver, my rule is: No drinks from the last set, only water or soda (like Ynaku).
Esp if I go to Ige's cuz that's a long, cop-filled freeway drive home.
Okay Okay, Halloween was a special occasion.
November 18th, 2009 at 5:37 am
Last time had hangover was in my early 20's so no remedy to suggest. The worst was from UH days drinking a bottle of spanada...major headache and upchuck so no mo heavy drinking since. Maybe that was the best thing I learned at UH. Drink a glass of wine almost daily though...good for you, no?
November 18th, 2009 at 5:47 am
Same here- last time I really drank was back in the day and I didn't have a remedy back then either- just rode it out.
November 18th, 2009 at 5:57 am
Hey Rod, All us MLC guys not big drinkers in our "mature" age. Aunty Paula must still be a young Chicken.
Eh, You went rob da cradle? Halunka
November 18th, 2009 at 5:59 am
@hema. Wine drinking is scriptural
Jesus made wine for a wedding and Timothy drank a little wine for his stomach problems. 
November 18th, 2009 at 6:00 am
Oh and I remember that Spanada kick too
November 18th, 2009 at 6:42 am
Good morning Rodney!
I no drink so don't know what hang over is....
November 18th, 2009 at 6:47 am
I've never had enough to drink to feel junk the next day. The only thing that really happens to me is my sinuses act up. Poor Paula . . .
November 18th, 2009 at 7:21 am
@KAN: that was my thing too, always got stuck nose after the first sip. Then I discovered that when I drank "quality" stuff, it didn't happen. Coinkidink? Not sure. Maybe just determination. ha!
...and the only thing Spanada was good for was the empty bottle to put your loose change in and we thought it looked cool on out bedroom floor. You MLCers know what I'm talking about. Oh yes you do!
November 18th, 2009 at 7:39 am
Oh wow.......Aunty Paula "Tied one on".
Eh Rodney.....you have a "lush" on your hands. 
I've always remembered this and it seems to work. While you're drinking ALSO DRINK WATER. From what I was told when you drink alcohol you get dehydrated. Drinking water keeps you HYDRATED and the alcohol won't give you a hangover in the morning.
Seems to work......................
OL
November 18th, 2009 at 7:44 am
OL: I do that too, but not on purpose. I guess it does help.
Going work now, have a sober day everyone! (not somber. sober)
again... Happy Birthday Ynaku!
November 18th, 2009 at 7:54 am
Since I just turned 22, I haven't been drinking for too long.
To prevent hangovers, I always try to eat a lot while drinking. Then once I'm done drinking, I drink a ton of water. Seems to work.
But once I'm hungover, I just gotta pop some aspirin and try to sleep it off. Sucks, but hopefully it was worth it.
November 18th, 2009 at 7:57 am
Happy Birthday Ynaku!
Sorry no hangover remedies from me.
November 18th, 2009 at 7:58 am
Rod,
Haven't really drank that much to get hang-over, but when I did, I took a couple of asparin before going to sleep, but make sure you have food in your stomach.
I think the last time was the 70's NCR last year and I had the room at Ala Moana, good thing, but I didn't really have a HO.
Might BEE drinking "Red Wine" gives no HO, IDK. Boy, seems like I missed alot leaving at Half Time, hee hee.
November 18th, 2009 at 8:14 am
I agree with others, drink water between your drinks and aspirin with lots of water before sleeping.
Spanada brings back a lot of painful memories...
November 18th, 2009 at 8:15 am
Forgot, one more thing...Gatorade in the morning really helps if you didn't do the prevention.
November 18th, 2009 at 8:29 am
Hey Uncle Rod,
Take 2 asprin/tylenol (yes, it's not good for the liver with the alcohol but whats worse?) and lots of water before you go to bed. then when you get up...eat! usually i do the whole comfort food thing...hamburger steak with gravy. the rice and gravy usually fix me by lunch...if not then its time for another drink by 11am...hey?! its 5pm somewhere in the world by then! That's usually my remedy but haven't had a hangover in a while...thats what happens when you got kids who are always hungry in the morning! you have no time for hangover...by the way, did Dad tell you? Mikey & Casey's football team are Maui Champs!!! Had to throw it out there for them...Kahului Pee Wee's are #1!!!
November 18th, 2009 at 8:36 am
Last time I drank too much was in 'Vegas for the Super Bowl. It was the Raiders and the Buccaneers. Of course we all know who lost....my beloved Raiders. My Brother-in-law and I drowned our sorrows away with several shots of Patron Tequila. This was after we had consumed several beers during the game! Ouch!
That was in 2002 and I haven't drank that much since. Probably won't either seeing as how the Raiders won't be in the Super Bowl again for a loooong time!
November 18th, 2009 at 9:43 am
my hangover remedy/advice?.............drink Heiny lites!
but if i think i drank too much.....which is rare
......drinking lots of water seems to help. that is.....IF you can stomach more liquids.
another "secret weapon" of mine is taking a couple of Milk Thistle capsules before and after the bender. works like a charm!
then have some pho or kim chee chige
the next morningwhenever you get up...... just for good measure.AP - eh.......having a hangover only means that you REALLY had fun the night before.
November 18th, 2009 at 10:21 am
pretty clear that by the time you make it to old age, you've figured out a few things that are actually helpful..
1) don't drink regularly or too much..
2) if you do drink too much, try drink plenty water and an excedrin, an' you'll feel much better in the a.m.
nice to know that we're not just getting older, but..
older and bud-weiser..
November 18th, 2009 at 10:27 am
I agree with Opso, drink lots of water before you sleep.
A friend told me to take half a tablet of Imodium AD. I never tested this out.
What use to work for me when I was younger was to force yourself to do something physical. For me that was running or mowing the lawn. By the time you finish you have bigger pains than your headache.
November 18th, 2009 at 10:52 am
In an ER, they give a "banana bag". It's yellow, chock full of stuff like vitamins of the B sort and magnesium, and some glucose. In a pinch, get some Pedialyte or substitute store-brand and drink some before going to bed, and more after waking. And in the mean time, have a stash of water near the bedside for ease of picking up and drinking. Hey, even a water bladder backpack like Camelback would work. If you're feeling too lousy to get out of bed, you're not going to get your body what it needs: water.
That saimin is likely for the broth. Simple bouillon would do as well. It replaces the potassium and sodium lost with the diuresis. My guess on the fruit punch is for the sugar, but it would do better to have a glass of fruit juice like apple, orange, or even tomato (virgin bloody mary, eh?), or even some honey since it is fructose without too many other additives.
I heard milk thistle and grapeseed extract also help detoxify, and green tea and valerian help with? I'll take opso's word that milk thistle works.
Like mentioned previously, it's dehydration that gets you, since drinking alcoholic beverages is a diuretic, but a lot of people don't realize this. Having sweets with the drinks, like cakes, cookies, or sodas mixed can trick the body to not know how much alcohol it has had. Caffeinated beverages are also diuretic. Now I've never tried this, but allegedly drinking caffeinated stuff toward the morning helps the body get rid of the toxins from drinking. Caffeine is also a vasoconstrictor, which might help decrease the headache.
And yes, stay hydrated by drinking water in the first place, and maybe even taking Stress Tabs a few days prior, because they contain the beneficial B vitamins that help your body cope with the taxing alcohol effects.
Like Ynaku first said, best cure is to not drink. Happy Birthday Ynaku.
But if you are going to, make that drink go slow. That gives your body more time to metabolize the stuff, and eating foods with it that slow down the absorption will very much help: complex carbohydrates.
The sinus congestion, like flushing, is thought to be due to the ALDH (aldehyde dehydrogenase) which has an effect on histamine release. Didn't Rod write about this previously?
November 18th, 2009 at 10:58 am
best cure for a hangover? Don't stop drinking!
Nah, actually, I have no clue. I have heard all the different home remedies, no clue which ones actually work.
November 18th, 2009 at 11:09 am
@Two Fish: Yes, I did write about alcohol and flushing: http://tinyurl.com/yglp2lm
That's why I don't (can't) drink. I don't miss it. And I don't miss the hangovers too.
November 18th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
First, I have to wish Ynaku a Happy Birthday!!!
Second, HO DA SHAME!!
Rodney, you really didn't have anything else to write about? Anyway, for sure I goin' drink water with whatever I have on Friday night. If I forget, remind me, k?
Normally, I try to drink water and take aspirin when I get home, but I guess I was too tired and forgot. I did it when I woke up, but was too late by then. Was hard enough trying to drink my coffee. We don't have any gatorade or juice or other electrolyte replacements, but the fruit punch is easy to drink.
November 18th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
menudo is the dish of choice on saturday and sunday mornings up here, for some people. some like pho. seems like hot soupy stuff that lets steam get into your system, fills you up with carbs (alcohol carrier in your body) and some protein/fat (tastes yummy) is the universal recipe for hangover cures.
based on personal research I did in college, a hair of the dog that bit you does NOT work.
November 18th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
@ Ynaku - Happy Birthday, did da supa ferry get there yet, ordered it for your B/D. Sheesh, dem guys no listen, told dem had to BEE there today.
@ Rod - Haaaah ! ! Busted, j/k.
@ Two Fish - Wow you a doctor or something, never saw so many big words since dating an attorney, hee hee
@ All MLCr's - yeah I heard that 2 asprin the night before and gatorade the next day is winna's. Or you could do like I used to in my younger days, go surf and then get sea sick sitting on your board, no hang over thoughts after that.
November 18th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
AP: I was wondering if you were going to show up here. I think UR is in trouble
matt: menudo? Mmmmmmm, I love menudo!!
November 18th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
I like having "Vitamin S" (saimin) the next morning if I'm hanging.
I was told that taking a B-complex vitamin with a lot of water before you go sleep helps a lot too. I tried it a few times, and I woke up okay. Tired, but not hanging.
I also try to drink water as I drink so it's not too bad the next morning, as I don't normally take the B vitamins now.
November 18th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Oh, I am not affiliated with the "banana bag" mentioned in Two Fish's post.
Hm, maybe I should be, though?
November 18th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Nah. Not in trouble.
Now, if I didn't go out and get the McDonald's saimin and fruit punch - then I'd be in trouble.
November 18th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
@sally- yeah, I had the Spanada bottle filled with change and for decoration. Sometimes had those dried flowers sticking out of the bottle.
Now I get the big, big water bottle to put my change in.
November 18th, 2009 at 5:26 pm
jaydee, regarding the 2002 Super Bowl, I once got Trent Dilfer's autograph on a baseball in the bathroom of a country club in Beverly Hills.....just had to throw that in.
Drink lots of water before bed, take 3 advil. When you wake up, drink a lot of water, no caffeine or sugar. Eat some toast and you'll be fine. Sleep and water are the key.
November 18th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
Haven't drank since 1985 but I do remember some remedies.
1. hydrate and drink water before u sleep
2. drink slow, same rate as liver metabolizing alcohol
3. eat something that absorbs
4. the best remedy is time
myths: coffee drinking, cold showers,
November 18th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
Hey all you MLCers. Thanks for the best wishes. I'll be 29 for the rest of my life
Hey RBB, I met up with NKHEA last night in Hilo. I had about 4 beeas spaced out and had some guud grindz cause was slow and we got catered to. Even had opihi for NKHEA.
Early pahty for me. Drank 2 cokes before I left and slept like charm until 4:00 cause had to do shishi from the Heinie Lites.
November 18th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
Greetings Everyone.
Have a friend that swears by Midol and similar products.
He had to actually restrict the guys from raiding the medicine cabinet at his shop.
For those of you taking drugs for a hangover, be careful with acetaminophen. A friend used to take it after drinking, (she not a heavy drinker) and caused liver damage. Ibuprofen posed to be better for the liver.
I just googled Midol, it has acetaminophen in it.
@Largo and Paula, I usually drink water after a heavy night of scotch drinking. And bring a large jug of water with a lid on next to my bed. Drink as much as can during the night. Usually helps.
November 18th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
I neva drank since..... yesterday. Nah, just joking! But, when I do drink,
I stick to beer and nothing else( sometimes on ice, to water it down). And also eat during that period. Good comfort foods: hot soupy/gravy dishes like:Saimin, Chinese beef stew noodle, Pho, etc.....
November 18th, 2009 at 8:51 pm
My remedy: Always drink water while you're drinking (one for one is best) and of course, eat. Take two tums before you sleep (settles your stomach for the next morning). Saimin or Won Ton Min the next morning helps absorb the alcohol. Mountain Dew also helps. If all else fails: Bloody Mary. FYI, this doesn't work in Vegas (nothing does).
November 18th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
@Rodney: I think you in small kine trouble. After the McDonalds run you went off to Ala Moana Center. You supposed to be there for another Fruit Punch run.
Don't let Paula be a guest blogger!
November 18th, 2009 at 11:41 pm
Thanks folks. I heard about acetaminophen thing. That's why Tylenol isn't good. I think water - one for one as neo76 said - is probably the best.
@shoyu burner - what, no slammers?
muah, muah.
November 19th, 2009 at 7:27 am
Good Morning Everyone!
This is interesting reading... but I just got home and need to catch up a lot.
Will return laterz.
November 19th, 2009 at 8:17 am
Milk Thistle was brought up here. Yes, it is a liver detoxifier so it is a good thing for getting all that brew out of your system.
Funny you guys mention saimin. Back in the Mushroom days, my friend would come over the next morning and we'd make saimin dashi. If we were smart we'd have made it ahead of time and just heated it up on the stove. (no microwave ovens back then). MLC memories.
November 19th, 2009 at 8:56 am
@sally - 7:27 AM and just got home?!? hanakukulele.
November 19th, 2009 at 9:42 am
@Rod: no no no, not what you think (or what I'd rather ... never mind)
My SIL works back/forth on Lanai, my BigBro got transferred to annuder store and his hours are not as conducive to toting around a 4yr old. So Aunty Me helps out by picking up, feeding, bocha-ing, reading, singing, and getting to nene the keiki boy when needed.
Thank goodness I neva forget how.
I love that little boy to pieces! I do anything for him. Plus, I get to watch TV when I go there!
November 19th, 2009 at 9:52 am
I figured so, sally. Jus' teasing.
*maybe I should have wrote "halunka"?
November 19th, 2009 at 10:03 am
@Rod: halunka is not a MLC word. We got dibbs on ahanakokolele... or however it's spelled. Then it changed to "hambaaa" in our kids' kodomo time and that kinda stuck. I still say that now.
Shauna got the Finger of Shame award. We would have the Ahanakokolele award. ( I still like the RetroMix thing). : )
November 19th, 2009 at 10:07 am
No hangover if one does not drink. If one does, be ready to say cheese when they post ones picture online. I don't think it would be a pretty picture when someone's picture is taken when they are drunk.
November 19th, 2009 at 10:57 am
@Michael - welcome to MLC and thanks for posting.
And starting soon on Oahu, if they're charged with DUI, their mug shot will be posted on-line for 24-hours every Wednesday.
I'm glad I don't drink.
November 19th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Ron Menor's police mugshot looked pretty good, he was smiling at least.
November 19th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
sally and Rodney: Yeah, a RetroMix would BEE cool. Something you can BEE more proud of than Finger of Shame!!
November 19th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Halunka eh no tease.
November 19th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Retromix.com is taken. But Fingerofshame.com is available.
How about retromix808.com?
November 19th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Retromix? Interesting.
I'll have to get the 110 and disc cameras out of storage then.
Anyone know where I can get those flashbulbs from?
November 19th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
@ largo, are you going to be posting a Black Friday 2009?
November 19th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
@C0hiba - I'm so glad you asked. I thought nobody read that stuff and it was a waste of time. But since you asked...
I needed a topic for tomorrow's blog. I've got quite a few Black Friday emails to post.
Thanks!
November 19th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
Rod,
At least I no drive 25 mph in a 45 mph zone...... in New town!
phew!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 19th, 2009 at 9:30 pm
November 22nd, 2009 at 1:40 am
The best hungover remedy that works for me is to mix another drink... BUNZAI