How to party headache-free Bonn's medical experts give advice on how to put a stop to a carnival hangover

Bonn · First it's carnival, then it's the hangover. That’s not news to many carnival revellers. Two Bonn doctors know what really helps prevent post-drinking headaches.

For many revellers, a beer is an integral part of their carnival experience.

For many revellers, a beer is an integral part of their carnival experience.

Foto: dpa/Rolf Vennenbernd

It took a while for pharmacist Uta Freieck to figure out what was going on last summer. An abnormally large number of people were buying the drug Elotrans. The powder can be used to prepare an electrolyte solution (see Infobox: Electrolytes), which is said to help compensate for the loss of salt and fluids that may occur, amongst others, if you have severe diarrhoea. Later, she learned from a colleague why the remedy was in such demand.

People had been touting it on TikTok and Instagram as a hangover cure. "You'll never have a hangover again if you take this before you go to bed, trust me!" was one of the messages. There was a real hype. Pictures of the packaging and instructions for using it were printed on T-shirts, which were apparently available for sale at the Mallorca Ballermann clubbing area.

"All of a sudden, the compound was not available anymore," says Freieck. "It wasn't funny." She could not help mothers who wanted to buy it when their children had diarrhoea. The same applied to elderly people who needed the drug more often. And how do things look at the moment? Does demand increase before carnival? So far, Freieck has not observed this. But it is still difficult to get hold of - just like many other medicines for which there have been supply bottlenecks for some time.

Pharmacist Gabriele Niehüsener agrees, adding that the situation is difficult for children and the elderly. She has also noticed that a hype like that surrounding Elotrans is developing in the social networks for another drug. TikTok users recently reported that they had lost weight with the help of Ozempic, a diabetes drug. One of them was tech billionaire and Twitter CEO Elon Musk. The consequences were the same as with Elotrans: the drug became hard to get for those who really needed it.

Make your own hangover mix

"A hangover is a lifestyle problem," says Niehüsener. She understands the need for people to do something about it, but thinks it is irresponsible to use Elotrans or similar medications. Elotrans contains glucose, sodium chloride, sodium citrate and potassium chloride. There are other ways of supplying the body with these substances, says Niehüsener, and recommends bananas, which contain a lot of potassium, or simply pretzel sticks.

And she has another tip: you can mix your own electrolyte solution at home. You simply mix non-carbonated mineral water, one teaspoon of table salt and seven to eight teaspoons of dextrose (or household sugar). Drink two litres of the solution over the course of the day. If you prefer, you can also use herbal or fruit tea instead of water. "It costs next to nothing, and you don't even have to run to the pharmacy," says Niehüsener.

Matthias Seidel, a senior physician at the emergency centre of the university hospital, also has to deal with the aftermath of excessive alcohol consumption. He expects that some carnival revellers will turn up at the hospital. But he and his colleagues are prepared to deal with them. "The last three years weren't that busy, and there's bound to be a bit more happening now," says the doctor. But there is certainly no comparison to the city of Cologne, where he also used to work. "It's extreme there," says Seidel.

Not only does he take care of people who have overdone it while partying, but he also knows how a hangover develops the following morning. " It's mainly a result of the loss of fluids," says Seidel. If you've been partying, he recommends drinking one and a half litres of water before sleeping to do tackle the hangover.

A Zwiwa can help

His colleague Hans-Peter Reuters, who is head doctor of the emergency room at the St. Josef Hospital in Beuel, has another tip. It’s called having a Zwisa, which is having a glass of water between drinks. The word is derived from the German Zwischen Water which means In-between water. He recently heard the term for the first time, and it’s something he warmly recommends for preventing a hangover. "It stops the body from dehydrating," he says.

According to Reuters, the odd Coke or other soft drink can also help against a hangover. Prezel sticks or salted nuts can compensate for salt loss. For breakfast the day after the party, Reuters recommends something light, muesli or fruit - not least because of the vitamins. "If you feel sick, you should avoid painkillers and coffee, which upset the stomach even more," says Reuters.

The two doctors agree on two other points: fresh air and a little exercise can help against a hangover. And having the traditional hair of the dog the next day is rubbish. "It doesn't taste good and only postpones the hangover," says Seidel. Both also agree advice like the German " Bier auf Wein, das lass sein" (Don't drink beer after wine) can safely be ignored. It doesn't matter what order you drink things in, they say. The severity of your hangover depends more on how much alcohol you drink.

According to Reuters, it is not clear whether drinks with a lot of aromatic substances - such as whiskey – tend to cause headaches.

Incidentally, the two doctors like to celebrate carnival themselves and, by their own admission, have never dressed up as a doctor. Pharmacist Peter Piel can add one more tip to their advice: drink less. Because, says Piel, "binge drinking is just not healthy anyway."

Original text: Dennis Scherer; Translation: Jean Lennox

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