Terrible Hangovers After Going Primal page

[moonpie]

Hello, all. I've been following a primal diet for 3 or 4 weeks now and absolutely love it! One thing, however, is now I get terrible headaches from even a small quantity of booze. 2 drinks is all it takes for me to feel terrible the next day This has happened on a number of occasions and I have decided to go back to the SAD diet so I can go back to drinking...Just kidding I have basically been forced to stop drinking, which isn't terrible, but damn, I sure would like to be able to have some nice wine or a good craft beer again.

Any suggestions? I don't drink cheap booze, and nothing else has changed...

[Owly]

So just have one. I have very little alcohol tolerance (and that's only gotten worse with primal), and I've simply accepted that I can have one drink generally, maybe two over the course of a longer evening. I've traded quantity for quality.

A lot of people find their alcohol tolerance goes down on primal, so you're not alone.

[FlyingPig]

I used to be able to drink 10 pints of beer/cider/Guinness and I was fine, but now only a few knock me out. I guess it's my body telling me this stuff is really toxic so I'm quite happy only indulging occasionally. It's worth it!

[ryanmercer]

What's your fluid intake like now compared to before, hangovers are generally largely dehydration symptoms.

[Sambo712]

I'm a pretty active college student who parties after things like finals, and I always had a pretty reasonable tolerance to booze, but since going primal it takes me exactly 4 drinks to have a good time. More than that and I start falling down. Lesson is, don't drink that stuff, but of course I still do.

I would try to make sure you have a good meal in you first, and to drink a glass of water after each glass of wine/beer. It might help, and if it doesn't, maybe you should listen to your body.

[ezk]

Hello, all. I've been following a primal diet for 3 or 4 weeks now and absolutely love it! One thing, however, is now I get terrible headaches from even a small quantity of booze. 2 drinks is all it takes for me to feel terrible the next day This has happened on a number of occasions and I have decided to go back to the SAD diet so I can go back to drinking...Just kidding I have basically been forced to stop drinking, which isn't terrible, but damn, I sure would like to be able to have some nice wine or a good craft beer again.

Any suggestions? I don't drink cheap booze, and nothing else has changed...

Alcohol contains sugars. your metabolism always use the sugar as a first source of energy.
So when you drink the alcohol is used as a fuel, which is a bit painful as you have remarked.
Have some carbs beforehand, potatoes or whatever you decide is good for you( i eat some bread, yeah, i know..)
and you will not have a problem. It works for me.

[ezk]

Oh, and the excessive water drinking seem to make for worst for me for some reasons.
I don't get headaches actually, i get migraines which is the grandmother of pain..

[tfarny]

I think it's because your "normal" feeling is so much better. I used to wake up feeling like death no matter if I drank or not.

[Kelmar]

I have this experience as well, if I drink more than 2 drinks it takes me most of the next day to recover, it definatley makes one reconsider drinking...gosh darn it, lol.

[RichMahogany]

I can't immediately find it, but I'm pretty sure I remember Mark positing the hypothesis that glycogen depletion makes the effects of alcohol more pronounced, and suggesting that you incorporate some carbohydrates the day of, as suggested by others above.

I've also been taking B1, NAC, Alpha Lipoic Acid, and Milk Thistle with every or every other drink on the rare occasion I'm having more than 1 or 2. A few activated charcoals before bed on top of all that seems to minimize the pain.

I think it's also partly what tfarny said.