A hangover led to the discovery of ibuprofen | Hacker News Reader

A hangover led to the discovery of ibuprofen

bbc.com

64 pointstimthorn45 comments

Based on the other comments in this thread, it's becoming apparent that my experience with ibuprofen and any other OTC pain drug is not typical. Every time I've taken one for pain, the effect is minor. Like I'm not sure if it's doing anything or not. Mostly, I only take them anymore if someone insists.

I wonder if I feel pain less than normal, or pain killers less than normal.

I had similar experience, until I realized that my dosage was rather low. You might need 3 pills by 200mg to feel the effects.

That's over the recommended dose. Make sure you're comfortable with the long term side effects if you do that regularly.

Hard to say: http://www.drugs.com/dosage/ibuprofen.html#Usual_Adult_Dose_...

`Usual Adult Dose for Headache Study (n=34) - Prevention of Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)-induced headache: 600 mg orally 90 minutes prior to the initial ECT session`

Those sorts of megadoses are used for migraines as well. I've also taken 800 mg for very severe pain on the advice of a doctor. At higher doses on an empty stomach is can give you a buzz of a sort.

That's a medically supervised dose after a rare event. GP post spoke about long term use.

I take both ibuprofen and acetaminophen(generic tylenol) and it seems to be more effectiveness than either alone

Considering the topic, it should be noted that acetaminophen really should not be taken for a hangover or mixed with alcohol[1]. Acetaminophen is the most common cause for acute liver failure in both the US and the UK, and when combined with alcohol is linked to dramatic increases in the rate of kidney disease.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracetamol_toxicity

There's also dangers when mixing alcohol with ibuprofen or other NSAIDS such as Voltaren (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diclofenac)

It can lead to high blood pressure.

I'm like you, I've always been suspicious if it's an actual painkiller or a placebo. I've never noticed it doing anything for me.

Me too. I've never gotten any noticeable pain relief from any pain killers. Not even with opioid drugs.

Me too, and this applies to almost anything I put into my body like caffeine or sugar. When I hear people talk about what it does to them I really wonder if I just have a lowered sense of my own body or if I just react less than most.

It works very well on me. Since I have rarely headaches, and if yes, there is always a good reason for them. Usually either big hangover, or exhaustion from long and intense effort in mountains, ie climbing Matterhorn 6 hours straight no stops, or similar effort on Mont Blanc that took 11 hours, both coupled with drinking too little/sweating too much -> dehydratation. Just drinking plenty afterwards doesn't remove headache, just makes it a bit less intense. I pop the pill, and in 20 mins it's over.

Maybe if causes for your headache are different, the effect might not be so quick & effective.

It's foolish, but I still buy Advil instead of a generic brand because I like the tasty coating. I can't be the only one, right?

And I thought I was the only one! I always wondered if they had some kind of patent on the sugar coating. Why wouldn't the generics be coated too?

Price? The margin in generics is already pretty thin.

Random story: I remember the first time I had a real Advil. A girl I was interested in (when I was 12 or 13) gave me one. The flavor really struck me for whatever reason, probably enhanced by my youthful infatuation. She had a stash of various pills at school. Never found out what the rest of them were for. Probably for the best.

I too have appreciated the slightly sweet mild candy like coating of Advil.

I don't think that's foolish. You get what you pay for.

It would cost less to get the unbranded kind and a bag of skittles for the sugar and a can of coke for the caffeine they often add (to make it 'fast acting').

In the UK branded ones are often $5 where as unbranded could be as little as $0.35.

Caffiene isn't just for fast acting, it also helps efficacy.

http://www.evidentlycochrane.net/caffeine-and-health-evidenc...

The can of coke already has sugar, so you can skip the skittles. Unless you like skittles, of course.

Are you talking a single dose? At stores like Target or Walmart in the US, you're typically just paying a $2-$5 premium, and that's on 100-250 pills.

There is a limit on selling more than ~30 to a person per day or something. Most* packs are 16 or 32.

*Obviously you can get premium products where you get 6 or so because they are in a package with metallic pain and bright colors.

Being 33, it has essentially been OTC my whole life and I seriously took for granted how awesome this drug was until I could not take it (or any other NSAID) any longer. Now my choices seem to be generally in the camp of "this hurts so bad I need a narcotic" or "this is inflamed to the point we need to break out the prednisone" or both. It really, really sucks to be sore after something and not be able to down a couple.

You're probably talking about pain in general, however for hangovers specifically I find aspirin is much more effective than ibuprofen. After a trip to Osaka several years ago I was told by my GP that I can't touch NSAIDs any more - I'd stripped my stomach lining from taking them too regularly. Well, in conjunction with Japanese whisky.

Anyway, I discovered a very unusual treatment for hangovers in my desperation: Melatonin. Not just any Melatonin - slow-release low doses. My sinuses would relax, intraocular pressure would go down and headache would cease. It had an anti-inflammatory action. Having read that Melatonin reduces intraocular pressure was what made me try it in the first place.

It works best when combined with caffeine, chiefly because you'll fall asleep otherwise but also because caffeine tends to help with hangovers as well. If you're ever deathly hungover take a stack consisting of slow-release Melatonin, 1000mg aspirin and a few cups of coffee or some caffeine pills. Avoid regular Melatonin - it's too strong and is not safe to use when operating a vehicle.

EDIT: I should clarify that it's not effective for prophylaxis - you take it when you wake up. Also note that taking a sleeping-aid on the night of drinking might be a death-wish. Wait until morning.

Is slow release melatonin available in pharmacies OTC? I haven't heard of it. (I'm in Canada)

The 5mg slow-release tablets are available through pharmacies, whether they're OTC depends on the country/state you're in. Best bet: buy online. It was the only way I could experiment with oxytocin (the hormone released after orgasm/pair-bonding etc, not to be confused with oxycontin).

During a hangover, oxytocin levels are low -contributing to the bad mood. As a topper to finish off the hangover routine I listed above, having a oxytocin hit (by whatever means you have handy) can help wrap up a hangover recovery.

It is in the US. In my brief research I haven't found much in the way of negative effects. So, I would expect it to be pretty common. My only notes are that for sleeping, the dissolve under the tounge tablets work better than regular swallow pills. And, you don't need more than 1-2mg. I see 5mg doses sometimes. Don't know who needs those.

Never thought it would be good for hangovers though. I hangover easily, so I've had lots of opportunities to research treatments. My current routine is pepto&antacid for nausea (because not much point in taking other stuff if it won't stay down). Then water, NSAIDs (hangovers have lots of cold-like effects) and salt for the bulk effects (bonus points for potassium). Then get up and get moving and breathing to help your liver oxidize. Then sugar (lost with the salts during urination), b-vitamins (will also be low) and grease (unclog your gall bladder).

I have melatonin lying around. I'll have to test adding it to the routine next time I have too much fun and forget to stay hydrated.

I have melatonin lying around. I'll have to test adding it to the routine next time

I've tried regular Melatonin while hungover and though it helped with the head-pain it did what Melatonin is meant to do - it put me to sleep. The slow-release stuff is better if you need to go to work or have plans that day. It also has a lasting effect as a result of being slow-release. I found that taking it on the night of the drinking before bed didn't help - it's not an effective prophylactic.

> I'd stripped my stomach lining from taking them too regularly.

How regularly were you taking them?

This thread has me terrified over the possibility that one day I won't be able to take ibuprofen.

(For reference, on average I take around 2 a month, but the value I get from them is huge.)

As an aside, I also like whisky, and I've recently moved to Japan.

Are you me?

Are you me?

Yes. I am byzbor, your competing unit for this dimension.

How regularly were you taking them?

At the time on a daily basis. Taking two a month will be more than fine. I can take them now - thankfully stomach lining regenerates and gastro-intestinal issues, unless quite serious, will sort themselves out. But I avoid them where possible. Aspirin, which is an NSAID but has a different mechanism of action to ibuprofen and other NSAIDs, is my go-to pain killer these days.

I also like whisky, and I've recently moved to Japan.

1. You're in the right place for great yet reasonably priced whisky. 2. I hope you're enjoying Japan. I've been quite a few times, chiefly Tokyo, and found while it's a great place to visit, the social expectations and work expectations are soul-crushing. Time is valuable, and sitting in an office all day feels like a poor way to spend it.

As an aside, if you like beer try Tokyo Black. It's a porter that tastes like liquorish and coffee. Sounds terrible but it's delicious.

> At the time on a daily basis. Taking two a month will be more than fine.

Phew!

> 1. You're in the right place for great yet reasonably priced whisky.

I visited Hakushu distillery on the weekend, it was fantastic!

> 2. I hope you're enjoying Japan.

I am! If you are around sometime soon, random person, lets grab a beer/whisky.

> The social expectations and work expectations are soul-crushing.

That's a long complicated discussion ;)

I visited Hakushu distillery on the weekend, it was fantastic!

Good ol' Chuo Line. Enjoy Nagano?

If you are around sometime soon, random person, lets grab a beer/whisky.

Might be back late spring. I can see neither of us publish our email addresses so I might drop a reply to your most recent HN thread/post closer to the time. I prefer to keep my HN personality(ies) and AFK personality separated.

That's a long complicated discussion ;)

Best discussed over a good drink/s.

> Good ol' Chuo Line. Enjoy Nagano?

It was beautiful. More beautiful than the Yamazaki distillery that I visited in 2013 when I was (coincidentally) on vacation in Japan.

> Might be back late spring. I can see neither of us publish our email addresses so I might drop a reply to your most recent HN thread/post closer to the time. I prefer to keep my HN personality(ies) and AFK personality separated.

Alternatively my HN username at gmail.com :)

> Being 33, it has essentially been OTC my whole life and I seriously took for granted how awesome this drug was until I could not take it (or any other NSAID) any longer.

Wait. Why could you not take any NSAID any longer?

I am someone who gets a lot of value from the occasional ibuprofen, and you have me worried.

Allergic? I'm curious as well, but that's the only thing I can think of off the top of my head. :S

I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis at age 22. It's generally accepted that people suffering from Crohn's, colitis, IBD, etc should avoid NSAIDs and COX-2 inhibitors as they can lead to flare ups of their disease. So, it's not that I absolutely can't take them without dire consequences, I just can't take them regularly, or for very long (like a day or two MAX). When my doctor told me this, I shrugged it off and just avoided them until I sprained my ankle so bad they were afraid I tore ligaments. I took Ibuprofin for 4 days when I was trying to avoid narcotic use and get some work done and I wound up with the closest thing to a flare up I've had since I went on Remicade years ago. So yeah, I won't be doing that again, but I'd pop a couple once every so often if my back was extremely sore or something like that.

The upshot is that I am really aware of how Ibuprofin affects me and I can feel it kick in and relieve pain the same way someone who could take it regularly might feel about an opioid.

I also have UC and "abused" ibuprofen in my twenties. My body cannot tolerate them at all anymore. I try not to take any pain relief, but when I'm forced to, I've turned back to paracetamol.

What are you using for pain relief? BTW, out of interest, did your UC start after a course of antibiotics?

Not me personally, but I have heard that ibuprofen is avoided by people with various stages of kidney disease.

According to [1] it can cause "an increased risk of sudden kidney failure and even progressive kidney damage."

[1] https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/painMeds_Analgesics

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonsteroidal_anti-inflammatory...

Basically anyone with any sort of GI issue, kidney issues, or heart issues. As well as alcoholics.

I wish my hangovers were this productive.

You should try working really hard for a decade or so before getting your hangover. You might just have some experimental drug at hand that you can try.

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