Hangovers can be a really painful experience for many people because of the agonizing symptoms. The discomfort of an aching head and body is especially difficult to deal with, and while some people don’t know of any proven remedies to try for the excruciating pain, others resort to pills.
Advil, or Ibuprofen, is one of the better-known cures for hangovers; why? Because it is more effective than many other painkillers available on the market. But it is not completely safe or free from hazards. This means that you need to be careful while taking it and make sure that if you do intend to take it, to stay strictly within the dosage that is safe for consumption. If you are not sure about how much to take, then you can talk about it with your healthcare provider.
What is Advil?
Hangovers cause inflammation in the body, which explains why the process has a negative impact on the body. People feel lethargic and tired and suffer from aches. Advil is an NSAID that stands for “Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug.” This drug helps to counter the effects of inflammation, thereby easing the symptoms. But, Advil is not always safe and therefore needs to be taken with caution.
How advil can be dangerous
It cannot be taken on an empty stomach
Advil is a stomach lining irritant, which means that it can be dangerous for the stomach lining if taken without eating any food first. While drugs like paracetamol are safe to be consumed on an empty stomach, NSAIDs need a bit more care before being swallowed. Alcohol also irritates the stomach lining, which means that if you take the two together or don’t space them apart too much, you might ruin your stomach. You must also remember to drink a lot of water to keep yourself hydrated.
A study shows the harms of Advil
A study conducted showed that a person taking Ibuprofen increased his chances of liver damage due to alcohol because of oxidative stress. NSAIDs are available at every pharmacy, and considering that we don’t need a doctor’s prescription to buy them, just about anyone can get access to them, even for minor or simple reasons. But overusing NSAIDs can have plenty of side effects, which include kidney and liver toxicity and stomach bleeding.
Why alcohol gives you a hangover in the first place
Your hangover will be directly linked to the amount of alcohol you drink. It occurs because your body is hard at work trying to eliminate all that alcohol from your system. A high amount of alcohol can be bad because it increases:
Free radicals
Free radicals are harmful to the body and can cause oxidative stress. When the body tries to eliminate these free radicals, it, in turn, causes you to experience a hangover.
Inflammation
Alcohol inflames the body, due to which your intestines and stomach can get irritated. Alcohol also makes your blood vessels enlarged, causing a host of issues such as flushing, headaches, nausea, vomiting, and pain in the stomach.
Sleep disruption
If you are drunk, you will not be getting a night of good-quality sleep. While you may assume that alcohol causes you to become sleepier, it actually ruins the continuity of your sleep. This is one of the main reasons why you wake up groggy and fatigued the next day.
Stomach problems
Alcohol damages the lining of the stomach and increases the quantity of stomach acid produced, thereby weakening the digestive tract. As a result, you experience the unpleasant hangover symptoms that we know so well, such as vomiting, nausea, heartburn, and pain.
Dehydration
Since alcohol causes dehydration due to an increase in urine production, if you go to bed without drinking a sufficient quantity of water, you are going to wake up completely drained. This can lead to the development of headaches.
How to take Advil safely
Don’t drink too much
Alcohol is toxic to the body, and thus too much isn’t good for it anyway. If you want to safely take Advil for a hangover without worrying about its potential side effects, make sure that you don’t make drinking alcohol a habit. Drinking every once in a while is fine, but addicts need to check how well their body is functioning before deciding the swallow an NSAID.
Talk to your doctor
Doctors provide the best advice when it comes to taking painkillers because they know how each one of them will affect different bodies and circumstances. Talk to a medical expert so that they can guide you and tell you about how a certain painkiller will react inside your body. This advice is priceless and will prevent you from making decisions that might be harmful to you in the long run.
Space the drug several hours from your alcohol intake
Never take Advil right when you’ve consumed alcohol because the two taken together can have a drastic effect. Rather, wait several hours before you take Advil so that some of the alcohol has had a chance to be processed in the body. Additionally, consider taking alcohol after you wake up the next morning. That is when the hangover symptoms will be the worst, which you can then attempt to treat with a painkiller.
Always respect the dosage
You should never cross the upper limit of your painkiller dosage. Overuse can cause harm not only to your stomach but also to the various other organs of your body.
Having the right information about painkillers is important so that you can make the right choice and not compromise your body in the process. It is also especially important to seek professionals who are experts in this field to guide you in a better manner.
I am a passionate beer connoisseur with a deep appreciation for the art and science of brewing. With years of experience tasting and evaluating various beers, I love to share my opinions and insights with others and I am always eager to engage in lively discussions about my favorite beverage.
