New study finds there are no real cures for hangovers

• No compelling evidence exists to suggest that any complementary or conventional intervention is effective for treating or preventing alcohol hangover, say researchers in this week's BMJ.
• In Britain, alcohol hangovers account for about £2bn in lost wages each year, mostly due to sickness absence, and a plethora of "hangover cures" is on offer.
• The team searched medical databases and the internet, and contacted experts and manufacturers for randomised controlled trials of any medical intervention for preventing or treating alcohol hangover.
• They found eight trials testing eight different agents: propranolol (beta-blocking drug), tropisetron (drug for nausea and vertigo), tolfenamic acid (painkiller), fructose or glucose, and the dietary supplements borage, artichoke, prickly pear, and a yeast based preparation.
• Most trials reported no beneficial effects, although encouraging findings existed for borage, a yeast based preparation, and tolfenamic acid.
• "We are confident that our search strategy located all published trials on the subject," say the authors.
• "Our findings show no compelling evidence to suggest that any complementary or conventional intervention is effective for treating or preventing the alcohol hangover."
• The most effective way to avoid the symptoms of alcohol induced hangover is thus to practise abstinence or moderation, they conclude.