Head pounding, nausea, bad taste in the mouth and feeling as if you are dragging your body around…..these are some of the many hangover symptoms we are all familiar with. Even the most well intentioned amongst us can get caught out during the holiday season by over indulging – but fear not because homeopathic help is at hand!
There are many homeopathic medicines that may be appropriate for the symptoms caused by these holiday excesses, but one remedy in particular is king when it comes to hangovers……Nux Vomica. This homeopathic medicine can single handedly alleviate the symptoms of both a hangover and over eating. If this sounds like your Christmas experience then read on…..
Nux Vomica is the first remedy to think of with a hangover headaches, but it is also excellent for headaches from overwork, indigestion headaches and headaches accompanying constipation. Use it when your headache is worse when you cough or bend down, and headaches that aggravate when you move your eyes. If you have overeaten and drunk too much alcohol, you may also feel nauseous and want to vomit to make yourself feel better but find you cannot. If this describes your symptoms then Nux Vomica is the remedy for you. When you are hungover you are likely to feel irritable and grouchy (who wouldn’t?!). You may also be hypersensitive to noise, light and odors.
If this picture is familiar, take Nux Vomica 30c half hourly until the symptoms start to subside. If you have pillules drop them into a glass of water, stir it and take a generous sip each dose until you are feeling better. If you have your Nux Vomica in a liquid form, put a few drops into a glass of water and stir and take it as above.
As with all homeopathic dosing, it is important to stop taking the remedy as soon as an improvement is noted.
So what else can you do to help your hangover?
Hydration is very important as dehydration causes some of your symptoms. Alcohol effectively turns off a hormone that helps the body retain water. Drink 2 or 3 large glasses of water before getting into bed or better still stop drinking alcohol an hour before the end of your evening and move onto water to get your hydration levels up. Alternatively drink a glass of water between each alcoholic drink during your evening as the liver can only cope effectively with one drink an hour.
Overeating can make for a very disturbed night which won’t help your hangover in the morning. If you have eaten a large amount of food and are familiar with the experience of waking in the middle of the night feeling bilious and vaguely nauseous, then take a single drop or pillule of Nux Vomica before lying down for sleep. If you have eaten a lot of rich, fatty food and your stomach feels weighed down, then take Pulsatilla 30 instead before sleep.
Indigestion can really add to your woes. Ginger tea made from fresh ginger slices steeped in hot water can help; as can tea made from spearmint leaves available dried from your health food store.
Nutrients are used up when the body processes alcohol. Vitamin B3 is particularly important as it helps to transport alcohol out of the body. Take a multi Vitamin B supplement before going out as well as a zinc and vitamin C supplement. These will all help you to fight the effects of alcohol consumption. If you would like to support your liver function, the herb milk thistle, makes liver cells less permeable to alcohol, and helps to prevent damage and so can be taken during the party season.
All these things will help your hangover suffering but the most effective one of all is Nux Vomica. As it is always best to be prepared, buy some in and enjoy the holiday season and all its indulgences with the smug satisfaction that comes from knowing something that other people have yet to find out……. that the homeopathic medicine Nux Vomica can alleviate the symptoms of over eating and hangovers! Happy Christmas eating and drinking to you all! © Sam Adkins 2008 This article was brought to you by Sam Adkins The Homeopathic Coachwho teaches families about healthy living and natural remedies using homeopathic medicine. An internationally renowned expert, her helpful articles are regularly syndicated online. She publishes the ezine Homeopathy@Home to provide free Homeopathic tips, tools and resources to educate and inspire you to use Homeopathy at home.www.thehomeopathiccoach.com