Hangovers, altitude and hydration: what actually helps

Time is the only thing that reliably ends a hangover, and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism says exactly that. Fluids, food and rest may make the hours easier, but research suggests dehydration is only part of the picture, so rehydration alone rarely resolves how you feel.

What a hangover is

A hangover is the set of symptoms that follows drinking too much. Mayo Clinic lists fatigue and weakness, thirst and dry mouth, headache and muscle aches, and nausea, vomiting or stomach pain. Dizziness, shakiness, poor concentration and a fast heartbeat are common too.

The NIAAA describes several causes working at once:

• Alcohol suppresses vasopressin, a hormone that signals the kidneys to hold on to water, so you lose more fluid.
• Sleep after drinking is fragmented, and people tend to wake earlier.
• Alcohol irritates the stomach lining and increases acid release.
• Alcohol increases inflammation in the body.
• Breaking alcohol down produces acetaldehyde, a toxic, short-lived byproduct.

Dehydration is one line on that list. It is not the whole list.

Is it just dehydration?

Probably not. A 2024 review in the journal Alcohol looked at 13 studies and concluded that hangover and dehydration are two co-occurring but independent consequences of drinking. Dehydration accounts for thirst and a dry mouth. It does not appear to drive the headache, fatigue and nausea that make a hangover what it is.

The same review found that drinking water during or after alcohol had only a modest effect on preventing a next-day hangover, and was not effective at relieving one once it had started. That is worth knowing before you spend money on any remedy built only on fluids.

What the evidence says about remedies

A systematic review in the journal Addiction, summarized by King's College London, examined 21 placebo-controlled trials covering more than 20 substances, from ginseng to probiotics. All of the evidence was rated very low quality. The lead author's conclusion: the surest way to avoid hangover symptoms is not to drink, or to drink in moderation.

The evidence is limited, and individual results vary.

Altitude makes it harder to read

In the mountains, a hangover and early altitude illness can look alike. The CDC describes acute mountain sickness as a headache with loss of appetite, dizziness, fatigue or nausea, and names both alcohol hangover and dehydration among the conditions clinicians consider alongside it. The CDC advises avoiding alcohol for the first 48 hours at high altitude, meaning sleeping altitudes of about 8,000 feet or more.

Park City sits at about 7,000 feet, and the upper mountain is higher. Visit Utah notes that altitude brings lower humidity, more urination and less thirst, and that alcohol dehydrates, disrupts sleep and inflames the gut. A first night in the mountains with drinks stacks several of these effects together.

If symptoms worsen instead of easing through the day, or you feel breathless at rest, do not assume it is the night before.

What helps

Most of what works happens before and during the evening. Mayo Clinic suggests:

• eat before and while drinking;
• drink water between alcoholic drinks;
• have no more than one drink an hour;
• choose drinks with fewer congeners, since darker liquors carry more;
• keep to moderate limits of one drink a day for women and two for men.

The morning after is simpler. Drink water, eat something, rest, and give it time. Mayo Clinic notes that a hangover after a single night usually goes away on its own.

Where IV hydration fits

IV fluids replace water and electrolytes faster than drinking. Cleveland Clinic notes this may support recovery for someone who is dehydrated, including after a night out. It also notes that evidence for a broader wellness benefit from IV vitamins is limited.

Put the two findings together and this is where we land. An IV may help with the dehydration part of a hangover, such as thirst and dry mouth. It should not be expected to end the rest.

At RESRV, Reset is the drip most often booked the morning after. Like every first visit, it begins with a clearance by a licensed nurse practitioner, described on how it works, who decides whether it suits you. The full menu lists the other options.

When it is not a hangover

Alcohol overdose is an emergency. The NIAAA lists the signs: confusion or stupor, difficulty staying conscious or inability to wake, vomiting, seizures, slow breathing of fewer than 8 breaths a minute, slow heart rate, clammy skin, no gag reflex, and very low body temperature, bluish skin or paleness. If you see these, call 911.

Cold showers, coffee and walking do not reverse an overdose and may make it worse. A person who has passed out can die.

If hangovers are frequent, Mayo Clinic suggests talking with a healthcare provider about your drinking.

This article is general education, not medical advice. Talk to a qualified clinician about your own health.