Dry mouth, headache, nausea, feeling like a transport truck recently ran over your body – it's the day-after syndrome.
Despite the best resolutions to be responsible, limit alcohol consumption, not give in to temptations, there are going to be mornings after, particularly during the holiday season.
While experts on hangovers are quick to state up-front that the best solution is prevention, they have an arsenal of "cures."
A variety of Internet sites offer suggestions from the standard water or tomato juice to more bizarre cures like a pickled sheep's eye in tomato juice (purportedly used by Outer Mongolians.)
However, Jamieson Laboratories, makers of vitamin and herbal supplements, offers a more mainstream solution.
Their Anti Hangover formula, developed in Holland by naturopathic doctor Pierre Swaab, is comprised of a combination of Chinese herbs that are said to have an anti-toxic and cooling effect on the body.
"Part of the discomfort of a hangover is dehydration. In the case of alcohol consumption, the stomach and small intestine absorb the alcohol and the liver takes care of all necessary chemical reactions. This complex process produces heat in the body, resulting in such symptoms as red eyes and dizziness," says Gary Leong, director of scientific and technical affairs for Jamieson.
The herbs in the Chinese medicine neutralize the heat and regulate stomach and liver functions to prevent headache and nausea.
It's advised to take two or three capsules while consuming alcohol to avoid the ill effects.
Health.co.za, the South African Health and Medical Search Engine, devotes an entire sector of its site to hangovers and their possible cures.
High on the list, by both the site owners and subscribers, is drinking lots and lots of water while partying, after partying and the next morning. This cure makes sense because the main effect of drinking is dehydration.
Tomato products, from juice to soup to Italian dishes, also rank high on the cure list. Others are less common: a hot bath, sushi and comfort food like macaroni and cheese.
Exercise is often advised. It gets the body revved and helps sweat out the alcohol-induced toxins.
The South African site, however, discounts another oft-advised remedy: aspirin after drinking. Tylenol, it says, is metabolized by the liver, as is alcohol, and the combination can have disastrous consequences. Aspirin and Ibuprofen are NSAIDs, which are stomach irritants, like alcohol, so that combination may also be a bad idea.
Whatever the cure, the consensus remains: take it easy the next time and try to avoid the problem altogether.