New Year: why using dolipran in case of a “hangover” is a bad idea

A difficult awakening this Wednesday, January 1? New Year’s Eve is sometimes synonymous with excess for partygoers, who can wake up with severe headaches and a small complexion: the famous “hangover”.

Alcohol, tiredness, loud music… A headache when you wake up can be caused by several factors, the main one being alcohol-induced dehydration. But to remedy this, some may be tempted to reach for the box of Doliprane (paracetamol) or ibuprofen to try to relieve themselves. A bad idea.

As the medication’s package insert reminds us, “the consumption of alcoholic beverages is not recommended during treatment.” But how to explain it? To eliminate alcohol, a toxin, our body makes the liver work at full capacity.

However, it is also this organ that is used during the ingestion of paracetamol. Therefore, the liver runs the risk of overworking and having to process both elements at the same time, all with an already tired body.

“Recently, doctors have shown that this risk of acute hepatitis increases in people who consume excessive amounts of alcoholic beverages in 41 cases of severe acute hepatitis caused by a paracetamol overdose,” Vidal writes, citing a 2010 study, which focuses further. on alcoholism than one-time excessive consumption.

Also avoid ibuprofen

Furthermore, paracetamol is not the only molecule whose cocktail with alcohol is harmful. This is also the case with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen.

In fact, concomitant use carries an “increased risk of digestive adverse effects,” such as ulcers or digestive bleeding.

The best solution is therefore… Hydration and rest. Dehydration caused by alcohol and fatigue from long evenings are the main causes of the famous “hangover”. There is also no “magic potion” like charcoal or vinegar, as researchers showed in 2021. Therefore, it is best to avoid excesses, upstream.