Answers Book · Prepare

Can You Prevent a Hangover?

The 10-second answer

No trick can promise you won't have a hangover. To avoid one completely, don't drink or keep drinking to a minimum.

The simple answer

Here's the straight answer: no pill, patch, food, or routine can promise you won't have a hangover. The only way to avoid one completely is not to drink or to keep drinking to a minimum. Eating first, having water, and pacing yourself may make the night easier, but they cannot promise an easy morning.

Myth vs Fact

Myth

There's a pill, patch, probiotic or routine that prevents hangovers.

Fact

NIH says there is no cure for a hangover other than time, and none of the many remedies shared online have been scientifically proven to work. Cleveland Clinic says many hangover remedies lack scientific evidence.

The science

  1. NIH"The only way to completely avoid a hangover is to not drink alcohol at all or to keep alcohol intake to a minimum."
  2. NIHBecause people are so different, it is difficult to predict how many drinks will cause a hangover. Any time people drink to intoxication, a hangover is possible.
  3. NIHIn general, the more alcohol a person drinks, the worse the hangover, regardless of the order of drinks.
  4. NIHDarker drinks with more congeners, like bourbon, may make hangover symptoms worse for some people.
  5. Cleveland ClinicHow bad a hangover is depends on how much you drank, for how long, your health and your medications.

Medical sources

How often people ask: High

Keep reading

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This page is general information, not medical advice. Sources are linked above. If you're worried about yourself or someone else, contact a healthcare provider or call 911.
Last checked: September 25, 2026