After the Party

By Christine Gorman

Whether you think the world's coming to an end in the next two weeks or the Y2K bug is a bust, one thing is certain. Come Jan. 1, millions of millennium-happy revelers will be nursing Apocalypse-size hangovers. Despite thousands of years of experience with the effects of overindulging, however, there are no perfect remedies to heal their headaches or tame their tummies. In fact, most scientists won't even consider searching for a hangover cure for fear of what might happen if they succeed. But there are a few things you can do--and one or two things you should absolutely avoid--to soften the worst effects of too much alcohol.

First, some background. By the time you start experiencing a hangover, most of the alcohol is already gone from your system. That's one reason doctors speculate that hangovers are actually a mild form of withdrawal. Other factors that influence just how bad you feel range from the amount of sleep you got to whatever else you ate or drank during your night's carousing.

Drinking moderately or not at all is of course your best bet for a problem-free New Year's Day. And we'll just assume you know better than to drink and drive. But if you do get plastered, be sure to quaff plenty of water, since alcohol acts like a diuretic, flushing fluids out of your system. A good rule of thumb is to drink a glass of water for every glass of wine or beer you have, and more for hard liquor.

In general, carbohydrates are your friends. Alcohol affects the way your body metabolizes nutrients, causing many people's blood sugar to drop. You may not fancy the idea of eating solid food the morning after, but nibbling on some crackers or a piece of bread should help overcome your sugar blues. And you shouldn't drink on an empty stomach. Imbibing during a meal slows absorption of alcohol and gives your body more time to detoxify it.

Although it may not be possible on New Year's Eve, it's usually a good idea to go to bed at a decent hour. Even teetotalers tend to feel a bit hung over if they stay up all night. Don't be surprised, however, if you wake up a couple of hours after you fall asleep. Your brain counteracts alcohol's sedative effects by becoming more excited.

Whatever you do, don't make yourself throw up. "Vomiting on an empty stomach--which is usually the case with a hangover--can create potentially dangerous tears in the esophagus," says Dr. Robert Swift, an alcohol researcher at Brown University. He recommends Pepto-Bismol if you're feeling nauseated.

Don't take Tylenol or other acetaminophen-based drugs for your headache, since they can prove toxic in combination with alcohol (or if you already have liver damage). Avoid taking other pain relievers, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, that will irritate the stomach lining even more, or at the very least, make sure they're buffered.

Most hangovers are pretty much done in a day, but be alert to the possibility of life-threatening complications. Many people fall and injure themselves after drinking too much. Blows to the head in particular can be very dangerous and may lead to internal bleeding in the brain. Persistent stomach pain or uncontrolled vomiting is another sign that you need emergency care.

Hmm. A quiet New Year's Eve at home is starting to sound better and better.

For more information on hangovers, visit time.com/personal You can send e-mail for Christine to gorman@time.com