How to Get Rid of a Hangover Fast

For hangovers, sip water, rest or sleep, and eat bland food as tolerated to ease discomfort while your body recovers. There is no proven way to make a hangover disappear quickly, and symptoms can last 24 hours or longer. For more hydration options, see the best drinks for hangovers.

What are 3 home remedies for hangovers?

These three steps address thirst, fatigue and an unsettled stomach; they do not speed up alcohol clearance. They are practical ways to feel more comfortable, not a proven ranking of cures. Direct research comparing them as hangover treatments is lacking.

Evidence for marketed remedies is limited, too. In a small randomized pilot study of a hangover supplement, nine people completed testing and researchers found no statistically significant differences in overall hangover severity. The study did not test water, rest or food as treatments.

1. Sip water

Alcohol can increase urination, contributing to fluid loss and symptoms such as thirst and a dry mouth. Replacing fluids can help with dehydration, although a hangover also involves effects that water cannot reverse. Drinking water will not make alcohol leave your body faster.

Start with small, frequent sips, especially if your stomach feels unsettled. Drink more gradually as tolerated rather than trying to consume a large amount at once. If drinking makes you vomit repeatedly or you cannot keep fluids down, seek medical advice rather than continuing to force fluids.

If you have been vomiting, an oral rehydration solution may help replace both fluid and salts. Follow its package instructions, and do not assume it will relieve every hangover symptom. People with kidney disease, heart failure or a prescribed fluid restriction should follow their clinician's advice about fluids.

Evidence: Rehydration is a sensible response to fluid loss, but there is no good evidence that water or an electrolyte product cures hangovers or reliably shortens them. Avoid drinking excessive amounts of plain water rapidly, which can be harmful.

2. Rest or sleep

Alcohol can disrupt sleep, leaving you tired even if you spent a long time in bed. Rest gives you time to recover from fatigue and allows the body's usual alcohol-clearing processes to continue. It does not make those processes work faster.

If you can, set aside demanding tasks and sleep or rest in a quiet, comfortable place. Give yourself time to wake fully before deciding what you can safely do. Feeling more alert is not proof that alcohol has cleared or that your judgment and coordination are back to normal.

Do not drive, cycle in traffic or operate machinery while you feel impaired or may still have alcohol in your system. Arrange a safe ride or stay where you are if necessary. Hangover symptoms can interfere with attention even after alcohol levels have fallen.

Evidence: Rest is a reasonable way to manage tiredness, but it has not been shown to cure hangovers. Coffee, cold showers, exercise and more alcohol do not speed alcohol clearance; more alcohol can prolong the problem.

3. Eat bland food as tolerated

A small meal or snack can provide energy when you have not eaten, and plain foods may be easier to tolerate when your stomach feels unsettled. Eating does not remove alcohol from your system or guarantee relief from nausea. Choose food for comfort, not because it is advertised as a cure.

Try a little toast, plain rice or crackers once you feel able to eat. Eat slowly and pause if nausea worsens; you do not need to force a full meal. If you have been vomiting, begin with small sips of fluid and try food when you can keep those down.

Avoid a large, greasy or spicy meal if it makes your stomach feel worse. If you have diabetes, follow your usual plan for checking and managing blood glucose, especially if you are unable to eat normally. Contact your care team if you cannot follow that plan or are concerned about your readings.

Evidence: Food can address hunger and provide energy, but research has not established a particular food as a fast hangover treatment. Its effect on comfort varies from person to person.

When should you see a doctor for hangovers?

Call emergency services immediately if someone who has been drinking is difficult to wake, confused, has a seizure, breathes slowly or irregularly, has pale or bluish skin, or is vomiting repeatedly. These can be signs of alcohol poisoning, not an ordinary hangover. Do not wait for every sign to appear or assume the person can safely sleep it off.

Stay with the person while help is on the way. If they are unconscious but breathing, place them on their side; follow the emergency dispatcher's instructions. Do not give food or drink to someone who is drowsy or unable to swallow safely, and do not make them vomit.

Seek prompt medical advice if you cannot keep fluids down, feel faint, have severe or worsening abdominal pain, or have symptoms that are not improving. Vomiting blood, black stools, a severe headache after a possible head injury, or new confusion needs urgent assessment. Children or teenagers who have been drinking also need prompt medical advice; call emergency services for danger signs.

Be cautious with pain medicines. Avoid acetaminophen after heavy drinking until you have checked with a clinician or pharmacist, because alcohol and acetaminophen can harm the liver. Ibuprofen and aspirin can irritate the stomach and increase bleeding risk; check before taking them if you have an ulcer, kidney disease, bleeding problems or take blood thinners.

If you are pregnant or may be pregnant, contact a clinician for advice after drinking. If you drink heavily and regularly, shaking, sweating or anxiety as alcohol wears off may be withdrawal rather than a hangover; seek medical advice promptly, as withdrawal may need supervision. Seizures or hallucinations require emergency care.