Sunday is the South Side Irish Parade, always a celebration in my house. One of the days during the year I party all day.

Usually we get up and eat a big, high fat breakfast, then head to the parade. We go to one of our favorite bars and spend the day meeting people, having fun, and blowing the roof off the sucker.

In the past I've usually used a prevent defense in order to manage the inevitable hangover. When I get home I drink water and Cytomax until time for bed. Make sure I got enough to eat, etc.

This year I figured I'd do more during the day. Perhaps brining Cytomax with me to the bar and mixing a glass between Guiness'. Or eating those Cliff Bar gels, or anything that would help.

Anyone have a prevent recipe?

It seems simple to me, but feel free to ignore this...

How about drinking less?

Az

It seems simple to me, but feel free to ignore this...

How about drinking less?

Az
Now where is the fun in that:D -- Just kidding

What I do is before I go to bed is I drink tons of water and take plenty of aspirin and ibuprofen. Have something healthy to eat like fresh fruit or veggies for the vitamins. If you wake up in the middle of the night for any reason go drink another glass of water before returning to bed. Drinking dehydrates your body and in the process also flushes vitamins from your body this is what causes the hang over; so you want to replace what you lost. Aspirin will help the early effects so you can sleep threw the night deeper. The deep sleep and a lot of fresh water and vitamins in your system will give your body an optimal time to repair its self.

The most important thing to help make sure you have a good time is let someone else drive.

To prevent dehydration avoid drinking too much water. Alcohol blocks ADH and makes you urinate more. If you add water too the mix you will urinate even more losing more electrolytes in the process. While you are imbibing make sure that you eat plenty, and try to eat salty food. If you drink water make sure you take eat lots of salty food to prevent diuresis.

Concomitant drug use is not a good idea, especially NSAID's. Aside from poisoning your body with alcohol, you are now stressing it with drugs that are very hard on the body. You increase the risk of ulcers and bleeding. If you feel you must take drugs to prevent a hangover avoid Tylenol at all costs. There have been many cases of acute liver failure when people have taken Tylenol and alcohol, even the morning after. Alcohol and Tylenol both use up glutathione which is produced by the liver to protect itself from from Tylenol metabolites (which are very toxic) and alcohol metabolites. You have a better chance of surviving a Tylenol overdose if it is intentional (suicide attempt) than if you overdose by accident.

Have a sports drink before bed. Another way to avoid hangovers is to stay drunk. And there is always the hair of the dog.

Here is an interesting abstract that I found on the subject of ETOH and ASA. And here is the link (http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/264/18/2406)

Aspirin increases blood alcohol concentrations in humans after ingestion of ethanol

R. Roine, R. T. Gentry, R. Hernandez-Munoz, E. Baraona and C. S. Lieber
Section of Liver Diseases and Nutrition and the Alcohol Research and Treatment Center, Bronx Veterans Administration Medical Center, NY 10468.

Gastric first-pass metabolism of ethanol is an important determinant of blood alcohol concentrations. We studied five healthy volunteers after ingestion of ethanol (0.3 g/kg of body weight) and found that blood alcohol concentrations in the fed state (ie, 1 hour after a standard breakfast) were significantly higher when the subjects received 1 g of aspirin 1 hour before ingestion of ethanol than without the drug. In vitro, aspirin clearly decreased the activity of gastric alcohol dehydrogenase in human subjects and in rat models, but not that of hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase in rats. Furthermore, blood alcohol concentrations in rats were unaffected by ingestion of aspirin when ethanol was infused intravenously. Thus, aspirin may increase the bioavailability of ingested ethanol in humans, possibly by reducing ethanol oxidation by gastric alcohol dehydrogenase.

First and foremost, we will be walking the whole time. No way I'm driving.

I usually slam water with the thought that I'm doing some good, but it makes sense that alcohol won't let the water absorb into my system.

I've tried Pedialyte in the past. Tastes horrible. It may have helped some.

I've heard avoiding Tylenol is a good idea. I generally use Ibuprofen which seems to help me sleep better. I've always felt that I wouldn't feel so bad if I could just get a good night's sleep. If I drink too much I wake up after a fitful night earlier than usual with a weird wired feeling that won't let me go back to sleep.

Yes, avoidance makes the most sense, but what I'm planning for is best manage a day when making sense is the second priority.

Metabolically speaking, drink a sugary drink, like a milkshake or ice cream. The sugar will rev up the very liver enzymes that need to break down the alcohol. That is why you are fine during the drinking, but the next morning when your liver has slowed.... the alcohol doesn't clear (because nothing is revving up the enzymes needed to breakdown the alcohol and it builds up)

It seems simple to me, but feel free to ignore this...

How about drinking less?

Az

Crazy talk. Here's my completely unscientific prevention and remedy.

1) Eat something before you go to bed
2) 2 aspirin (not tylenol) w/ water @ bedtime
3) 2 aspirin when you wake up w/ some type of fresh fruit
4) Optional bloody mary

i find that if i drink too much (which doesn 't happen that often) the best thing is to drink a big glass of orange juice before bed, take two tylenols and have something to eat...like a bagel. If you wake up in the middle of the night and feel horrible, that also works...and try some herbal tea as well, non caffeinated. Any kind of herbal tea...mint is good.

Mayonnaise,

I'll preface my Precious Pearls of Wisdom with the admission that I drink wine every day. That said, ethanol is a toxin; a pure, simple, and demonstrable truth. In moderation it may provide some health benefit. Conversly though, in the end one accepts some level of toxicity accociated with its use and especially so with your "party all day" plan. Sure, drink herbal tea (mint) and all the rest, but my advice is not to plan anything next day requiring critical logic or fine motor skills, especially if that involves driving near someone I love. Here endeth the lesson.

Or just do like Jacque Anquetil and suck it up.

this question from a Bev rat???? common, you south siders are loosing your edge! I thought the Catholic church wrote this kind of information on your communion cards!;)

Nuun throughout the day. 2 Fish oil pills before bed. Don't know why...but the fish oil works really well. I try to avoid the drugs till the following day. Then I look for some weed.

And eat all damn day (is Reds still there?). Have fun, man!

the first thing you lose is your judgement. I had vitamins in my pocket and a baggie of cytomax with plans and intentions.

None of it mattered as I didn't do any of it. I just drank beer all day and am dealing with it today.

Thankfully an Oak Lawn fireman shared his corned beef sandwich which got some solid food in my stomach.

I suspect I'll be going to bed early tonight.

You never finish a hard ride with a hangover.