What is a hangover headache?

Hangover is the many unpleasant physiological effects in the next morning after heavy consumption of alcoholic drinks. The most common characteristics are headache, thirst, lethargy, nausea and anxiety, light or noise irritability and restlessness. It is really an uncomfortable and unpleasant mood.

The usual symptoms are dehydration, low blood sugar level, vitamin B1 deficiency and possible acetaldehyde intoxication.

The duration may be up to three days depending on the type of alcoholic beverages consumed in the previous night.

Ethanol causes increased urine production and dehydration is the reason for headache, lethargy and dry mouth and this can be relieved by drinking water or soft drinks. Coffee is not a cure for hangover headache because it increases the production of urine and thus goes with only dehydration. A glass of milk or orange juice – calcium and vitamin C – can also combat the symptoms of a hangover if taken shortly after the consumption of alcohol.

It slows down the gluconeogenesis, the process of forming glucose in the liver from the non-carbohydrate substrates and this causes low blood sugar value. Glucose is the primary energy source of the brain and this causes the hangover symptoms, such as, fatigue, bad mood and poor concentration capabilities. Take fructose from honey or tomato juice which competes with the metabolism of alcohol, prevents the sudden fall of alcohol level in the blood which triggers the morning after headache.

The presence of higher alcohols and the by products of fermentation, causes hangover headache and they could be removed by distilling, particularly in the case of vodka. But it does not mean that you can drink vodka excessively. One drink for a woman, two drinks for a man or a glass of beer or wine or champagne is the gold standard for alcoholic beverages as a social drinking. But, it is better to avoid alcohol because it is not a food that plays a role in our metabolism and causes more problems for the family and society.

It is bad to drink any alcoholic beverage with empty stomach, it can reach the blood stream quickly, thus it reaches in the brain fast and the effects we experience immediately as well as in the next morning are serious.

Red wines have less congener than white wines and the hangover is less with white wine. There are persons who react very negatively with red wine and it can affect them within a short time of 15 minutes after drinking a glass; it is called the red wine headache. These persons must avoid the red wine.

Taking two aspirins before going to bed is not a cure for hangover headache. Aspirin and ibuprofen may irritate the stomach lining.

Caution: Paracetamol, the pain killer can cause severe liver problems when mixed with alcohol.

Exercise - a light jogging can help you to get over a hangover.

Excessive alcohol consumption can reduce the magnesium level in the blood and persons with low magnesium level may experience more severe hangover headache.

Vitamin B1 is mostly deficient in heavy drinkers.

Vitamin B6 can reduce the hangover symptoms.

Paracetamol, the painkiller

Paracetamol is the most commonly used painkiller in the world. Persons who are allergic or sensitive to aspirin could use paracetamol without any problem. Compared to aspirin or ibuprofen it is not effective against inflammation. It is primarily used to reduce fever and to relieve aches and pain associated with cold, flu, menstrual cramps, arthritis, body aches, toothaches and other pains. In right dose it is also tolerated by children.

The side effects of paracetamol include:

• Hives, skin rash and short breath. Stop taking the medicine and go to your doctor
• Nausea
• Prolonged and habitual use can lead to liver damage or failure

Persons with known liver diseases should not take paracetamol.

The combination of paracetamol and alcohol is deadly. It is caused by taking more than prescribed doses or by habitual or long term use of paracetamol. Every year more than 800,000 persons die because of this combination in USA.

If you take paracetamol the fever must go within three days and the pain within 10 days. If not, go to your doctor immediately.

If you are pregnant or breast feeding consult with your doctor before taking paracetamol.

Usage for a long period can damage kidneys

Painkillers can be taken if you have pain and stop it immediately if the pain is reduced. For each small pain do not take them and it is not good for our health in the long run. Sometimes fresh air is better than painkillers.

If you are taking any tablets drink enough water.

To know more about paracetamol and its combinations read Dr. K. Padmanaban's "Side Effects of Medicines". For further details visit www.aaronverlag.com

Drugs Abuse - Ketamine

Before I write an article about the designer drugs (party drugs) I would like to write about ketamine. The reason is it is abused in India, including in Chennai. In Europe it is not at all abused. It is like PCP which is also abused only in North America. It is mostly abused by young women and men.

What is ketamine?

Ketamine is a veterinary medicine for more than 30 years, but since 20 years we know the abuse and addiction potential of it. It is an anaesthetic pain relieving and has hallucinogenic properties. It is related to PCP which is also a veterinary medicine. It can produce the feeling of an out-of-body experience. The name ketamine must be known to you because I read this regularly in the newspapers that police has captured somebody who wanted to smuggle this to some other places or countries. It seems Chennai is one of the main places for this dirty business.


Can it make you an addict?

Less physical, but more psychological addiction is the result of prolonged abuse of this drug.

Is it a real painkiller?

It has got excellent painkilling properties and mostly used to control the most severe pain.

What are the effects of ketamine?

The effects often noticed include:

• Hallucinations
• Loss of memory
• Confusion
• Nausea
• Amnesic feeling

What are the side effects?

The side effects are:

• Delirium
• High blood pressure
• Increased heart beat
• Impaired attention and
• Numbness

People who have undergone ketamine anaesthesia report out-of-the-body experiences.

Is the effect like heroin?

No, it is not like heroin, here the addiction is not physical but psychological comparable with cocaine and it is mostly abused to experience the intense psychedelic effects, mostly the out-of-body-experiences.

Is there a possibility to die if I abuse this?

Mortalities only with abuse of ketamine are very rarely reported, if it is abused in combination with tranquilizers or alcohol or other CNS depressant drugs, it is possible.

What are the street names of ketamine?

The street names of ketamine include:

• K
• Special K
• Vitamin K
• Ket
• Green
• Super C
• Baby food
• Jet
• Gas
• Honey oil
• Super acid

It is better not to abuse any drug because it, not only destroys you, but also your whole family.