One minute you’re sloshing a whiskey sour about as you dance, enjoying the perfect light buzz of alcohol. The next, somebody’s yelling, “Shots!”, and before you know it, you’re in the taxi heading home, having left your cellphone and dignity behind at the club.
We’ve all been there, waking up the next morning with a pounding headache and the indescribable sensation that the sun is “too loud” as light streams through the blinds.
After enough nights out, we develop our own ways of dealing with a hangover.
Here are some favourites:
Picture: Flickr
“After a night out, I have to eat something spicy, hot wings or a shawarma doused in hot sauce is usually my go-to. I don’t normally crave spicy food, this only happens after I’ve had a few drinks. Also lots and lots of ice cold water the morning after,” a 26-year-old from Durban said.
A 36-year-old, also from Durban, begs to differ, saying alcohol and spicy foods don’t mix well for her. “The burn of alcohol paired with spicy food is enough to induce an ulcer. For me, good old fashioned cereal with milk and a sweet cup of Milo (I add a few extra spoons) always helps to settle my stomach.”
Taking to Instagram to find more crazy cures, a medical student from Cape Town said an egg with avocado on toast is just what he needs after a rough night out. “It’s rich in fat and protein and goes down a treat.”
If the thought of ingesting solids makes your stomach turn, a medical intern from Cape Town has just the solution for you: “Berocca with 1L of oral rehydration solution, it’s similar to how we treat dehydrated babies in paediatrics and works like a charm.”
Picture: Pixabay
Grease is the way to go for a personal trainer, 23, from Johannesburg: “Greasy bar food, preferably anything sold in a basket - fried chicken and chips - just unhealthy, deep fried stuff.
The morning after however, the first thing I put in my system is water, with a pinch of pink salt. Then, after a run and sweating it all out, I have a few slices of cold watermelon.”
If none of the above suits your hangover needs, try hitting the gym. An audit clerk, 24, from Durban said: “I had a heavy night of drinking with a friend. The next morning, he dragged my a** to gym. I really didn’t want to go, but went inside, started training and began to feel good. I then spent 20 minutes in the sauna and felt like a completely different man. This is the cure and the people of South Africa need to know it. It’s better than anything else I’ve ever tried.”
But, as always, the best cure for a hangover is not to over do it. A dermatologist, 26, from Pietermaritzburg said: “My cure is to avoid drinking in the first place. But, if you do drink, just stay away from tequila, it’ll give you the worst hangover you’ve ever had.”