A Heaping Helping of Hangover Helper Might Be Needed This Morning

Since travelers first began settling down in the Americas hundreds of years ago, people have bonded with the assistance of the social lubricant colloquially known as booze.

It would not be hyperbolic to say that numerous friendships, business transactions, and spiritual rituals have been solidified in the presence of some .

But as you may be experiencing right now, this libation that so often accompanies the things we hold dear as a society clearly affects our physical body in ways that are less than enjoyable.

This is why I turned to the doctors at to help me identify a few ways to help nuke some of the pain from the after glow of a memorable evening.

George Bulloch works as the Chief of the Emergency Department at Kaiser Hospital in Redwood City, and calls Menlo Park his home.  Bulloch explained that alcohol dehydrates the body in radical ways that take a hefty toll on it, especially when drinking to excess.

"When you drink alcohol, it acts as a diuretic, getting rid of all the free fluid that you body normally uses," Bulloch said. "That's why you start to pee and pee. Then, after your body depletes the free fluid from your blood stream, it starts to pull water from your cells. And that's what makes it so painful the next day."

This pain quite often makes people reach for Tylenol or asprin, but these painkillers may actually make you feel worse he said, as both are fairly significant liver toxins.

"Introducing either into the gastrointestinal tract that is already irritated from alcohol, will inflame it more, and may stimulate bleeding," Bulloch said.  However, this would only be a problem for people who are not in a healthy state of body.

He stressed the importance of knowing that there is a risk with each dose, recommending a limit of four grams a day. A standard dose of Tylenol for an adult is 500 mg, according to tylenol.com.

For people who are not fans of drinking water, Bulloch recommends taking Gatorade or Pedialyte and diluting it with water to make a 50/50 rehydration blend that will replenish some of the fluids that the body lost during drinking process. Both drinks contain more salts and minerals than your body probably needs. The less concentrated form will contain a solution that will pump your body full of the elements it needs to regain its full functionality.

Both Bulloch and Matthew Tarran, Ph.D, Chairman of the Chiefs of Chemical Dependency Recovery Services for Kaiser Permanente Northern California, who also lives in Menlo Park, agree that drinking a lot of water is the best way to eliminate the hangover.

"I've talked to numerous patients who have tried everything in the book, and that is the only thing that works for everyone," Tarran said. "Some people drink coffee, or eat foods with garlic, or go for a run to get rid of a hangover.  And the next time they'll do the same thing, and it won't work."

So many variables can result in a hangover that clearly it is challenging to pinpoint a precise cure. A healthy male will process alcohol at twice the rate that a female will, generally speaking, unless, of course, that woman has built up a tolerance. Some people can drink like a fish, so to speak, and never experience a hangover. Others are born missing the enzyme that the body uses to break down alcohol, which may shine a masochistic light on the entire drinking concept.

In any case, having more than two drinks in a sitting is going to have unhealthy effects, Tarran said.

"In fact, I want people to have hangovers," he said. "Then if they do, they might think twice about drinking again," he said.

But if you are going to indulge, doctors agree that drinking one glass of water for every alcoholic beverage you consume during the celebratory event will help replenish your body of any liquids that it will lose.  This will likely make the sunshine less invasive the next day.

Given that we are in California, I had to ask whether medical marijuana, which is known for its pain reducing properties, would assist in the recovery process.

"I wouldn't advise substituting one drug to alleviate the pain caused by another, for it may lead to a dangerous cycle," Tarran said.

And so I leave you with my fail-safe hangover helper. Before you retire for the evening, place a pitcher of water and a glass within reach of the spot where you will snooze. When your eyes creak open, down a glass of water. Then go back to sleep. Repeat as necessary.