5 secret hangover cures that won’t break the bank (and actually work)

If you’ve ever had a little too much to drink, you know what the next day feels like — and it’s not good! 

And apparently quite a lot of Americans know the feeling — and will spend whatever it takes to get rid of it.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the herbal and dietary supplement market — including hangover treatments like PartySmart and Drinkin’ Mate — is projected to hit $1.9 billion in 2018.

Read more: Dietary supplements can be a dangerous mix with your regular meds

But do these remedies — targeted specifically for hangovers — actually work? Well, they aren’t a cure for hangovers — since there really is no official ‘cure.’ Plus, these products are typically just made up of the same active ingredients you already know about — like Aspirin and caffeine. They just cost more because Americans will pay for anything that will ‘cure’ a hangover. 

So what can you do to treat a hangover?

Tips to beat a hangover

According to WebMD, unfortunately there’s no magic potion that can completely eliminate a potential hangover — well, besides drinking less.

But if you’re looking for ways to reduce potential hangover symptoms, that actually work, WebMD asked some experts and came up with these tips:

• Eat before and while you drink, not just at the end of the night.
  
• Drink water throughout the night and drink even more before you go to bed.
  
• Stick to clear booze like vodka or gin. According to WebMD, the reason has to do with a chemical compounds called congeners — and dark liquors tend to have higher levels, which can make your hangover worse.
  
• Treat your specific symptoms: If you have a headache, take anti-inflammatory medication like ibuprofen. If you’re nauseous, try something like Pepto-Bismol. But WebMD experts say you should never mix alcohol with any medications that have acetaminophen — the combination can cause liver problems.
  
• Have a drink the next day: Well, this depends on what’s on your agenda for the next day… But according to George Koob, MD, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), when you drink, alcohol holds back a brain chemical called glutamate — and that ’causes your brain to make more and more of it,’ Koob told WebMD. ‘When the alcohol wears off, you have a bunch of it floating around in your brain. It may be to blame for hangover symptoms like irritability, headaches, nausea, and fatigue.’

Read more: This couple eats for less than $60 per month