Caffeine and painkillers cure a hangover, say scientists

By Jeffrey Van Camp Published January 18, 2011

After many years of downing a Mountain Dew and two Ibuprofen in the morning, science has finally proven me right. Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia have concluded that a mixture of caffeine and painkillers may be the best way to get rid of that pesky hangover, reports New Scientist. The scientists found that the caffeine in coffee and anti-inflammatory ingredients in aspirin and other painkillers had a neutralizing effect against the after-effects of ethanol (pure alcohol).

To come to this conclusion, the research team lead by Professor Michael Oshinsky gave headache-prone rats small amounts of ethanol to induce hangover-like symptoms. 4-6 hours after the rats were given the ethanol, they each began to exhibit symptoms of a headache, one of which is that the skin around their eyes becomes sensitive to touch. He then gave some of the rats caffeine and anti-inflammatory drugs. He found that the combination of the two blocked acetate (a byproduct of ethanol) and relieved the headaches.

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Many have argued against drinking coffee because it was believed that dehydration is a main cause of hangovers. Not so, argues Oshinsky. The rats in the study were fully hydrated and still developed hangover-like symptoms. Therefore, adding coffee to the mix may not dehydrate you as much as you think.

If you decide to give coffee and aspirin or Ibuprofen a try, take them about four hours after you drink, says Oshinsky.

What hangover cures work for you? Many times, I’ll replace caffeine with a lot of water and sleep, but the painkillers seem to help. Of course, the best cure for a hangover is not drinking in the first place, but ah well.

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Jeffrey Van Camp

Former Digital Trends Contributor

As DT's Deputy Editor, Jeff helps oversee editorial operations at Digital Trends. Previously, he ran the site's…

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