Solutions for Everyday Overindulging

Your Overindulgence: Alcohol

What you did: Went out for drinks with friends. Three martinis later (but who’s counting?), you’re queasy and uneasy.
 
 Now what? Hand your car keys to a sober friend, call a cab, or stay put for the night. It will be hours till your judgment and reflexes are no longer impaired. Gastroenterologist Patricia Raymond says there’s no way to speed up detox. Nor are there medically proven cures for veisalgia, better known as a hangover. Folk remedies abound, but none have proven more effective than these symptom relievers:
 
 

• Drink plenty of fluids to counter the dehydrating effects of the ethanol in alcoholic beverages. Do this before going to sleep and you could avoid a hangover entirely. (Water or a sports drink will work.) Avoid temperature extremes (hot tea, ice-cold juice), which can shock an upset stomach.
   
• Eat bland carbohydrates, like toast, to soothe an upset stomach.
   
• Take a pain reliever, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, for headache pain. Avoid acetaminophen; in conjunction with alcohol, it can cause liver damage.
   
• Try Pepto-Bismol if your stomach is upset.