Sick of feeling awful after drinking

[Lottapianos]

I went to the pub last night and had 2.5 pints of ale, then went out for dinner and only had fizzy water. Today I feel tired, spaced out and have a faint headache. God its PATHETIC! This is a regular thing for me - I have 2 or 3 drinks, plus food, plus water, and yet can still really feel the booze the next day.

I'm 40 and this has been a thing for several years now. I dont want to go out on the lash, I just want to have 2-3 drinks, a couple of nights a week and not know about it the next day. I REALLY enjoy a drink and dont want to have to give it up. I eat really well and exercise, and drink plenty of water and I'm generally in good health. Can anyone relate, and does anyone have any advice? Thanks!

'Someone once told me that it is because I do not drink enough... as in only have a few a week.'

I get what they mean - by not drinking very much, your tolerance to alcohol remains fairly low. If you drank more, and more regularly, you could handle more. Not ideal from a health point of view of course!

I'm 25 and get horrific hangovers already!! All my friends can get up the next day but for some reason I get the worst headache or I'm sick. Its put me off drinking as much too, I enjoy a glass of wine or gin after work sometimes, but drinking all day or all night with friends is beginning to be off putting (and I'm not even 30 yet!!)

I feel the same and I’m only late 20s! A few years ago I had a job which was very heavy on client entertainment and I’d regularly be out partying until 5am, go home to shower and be back in work for 8 and not feel too terrible. In fact there were a lot of times that by 5pm I’d feel totally fine and go out another night as well!

Now I can barely cope with the hangover from a couple of glasses of prosecco. It’s so annoying because I never fully enjoy myself when drinking anymore knowing what’s to come the next day

27 and the same thing started happening to me around 6 months ago. 2 cans during the the evening and I have the mother of headaches the next morning. In fact it's a full on hangover. It's bloody annoying op, I feel you!

I think it gets worse as you get older and is linked to hormones.

It’s true if you don’t drink much in general then you have a low tolerance and even just a few drinks can make you ill.

I find I just can’t sleep. So I’ll wake up at 3am and that’s it for hours. I’m struggling to think It’s worth having g a few glasses of wine to then not sleep and feel awful the next day. I’d love there to be a solution other than not drinking!

I find on holiday if I am drinking every day then hangovers get less and I eventually sleep ok. That’s not the answer though!

I've been like this for about the last 5 years. I used to drink pretty heavily in my teens/twenties, but when I had my DC I cut right back. I don't know if it's age or a vicious cycle, but the less I drink, the less I can drink without feeling properly mashed the following day. I'd say half a bottle of wine, plus maybe one bottle of beer on top is my absolute limit, and that's only "safe" if I've spaced it out over a long very evening with plenty of food and water. Otherwise more than two drinks = raging hangover.

Happened to me!!

Now I treat myself to a glass of wine for the taste, but the only alcoholic drink I can have a couple of is a good quality vodka with fresh lime and soda water. All of the sulphites and sugars and everything else in other alcohol causes me a hangover despite drinking a small amount!

Drink more water while you drink.
Try clear spirits, like a pp said, vodka, lime and soda.
You need a really good night's sleep after a drink.
And a decent breakfast to soak up any left over.
And more water!

Same thing happened to me with age. I can’t tolerate even a small glass of wine now, and definitely not beer or cider. I can really only drink spirits with a mixer...but most of the time I just don’t bother.

Yes, it's an age thing, sadly. Things that help are drinking very slowly and hydrating yourself, but I've found there's nothing I can do to stop myself feeling slightly below par even if I only have a couple of drinks.

You will feel it even more as you get older.

'I find on holiday if I am drinking every day then hangovers get less and I eventually sleep ok.'

Same here. And no it's not the answer!

I have zero interest in drinking vodka lime and soda, watery gin and tonic, or white wine spritzer. I just want to enjoy the drinks that I actually like, in moderation

I also love a pint or three of ale. The issue here could be that many modern beers are around 5.0%, which is quite strong and 2.5 pints adds up to 7.1 units, equivalent to 7 shots of vodka. Most of us would expect to feel a bit hung over after that!

Anyone had any success with taking milk thistle tablets before drinking?

I'm 42 & find that wine & beer gets me immediately drunk & feeling appalling afterwards. I stick with decent Russian vodka with soda water & fresh lemon which works well

I also drink a shit tonne of water every day & a glass between every other booze drink

IT's sad but it happens with age. But two and a half pints sounds a lot - not in alcohol, but in volume. Couldn't you make one pint last?

Always had hangovers no matter what I drank, thank god I’m sober now I don’t miss the hangovers, the money wasted.

'But two and a half pints sounds a lot - not in alcohol, but in volume. Couldn't you make one pint last?'

I'm the same as you OP but I feel loads better the following day if I have a rehydration sachet before bed. Something like Dioralyte. If you get the blackcurrant one it doesn't taste too bad!

Good call Kracken, thanks. Will give it a go!

I find organic wine or at least not cheap wine helps with this.

I stopped having a beloved glass or two of red wine as it made me feel so bad.

Now I stay away from the special offers I don’t have that hazy feeling the next day.

7 units of ale would probably make me feel hazy the next day tbh.

I'm 48 and don't drink at all, OP. I mean, I may have a glass of fizz at a birthday party, but even then, I usually give it the swerve. I found drinking impossible in my 40s. Once in a very blue moon- like once a year- I have a small bottle of Peroni and I'm fine. But I can't do anything else. I was quite the drinker in my day. It's amazing that I don't miss it at all. Sparkling water is my friend.

It's the lethargy that gets me the day after a few drinks. Two glasses of wine and I can barely move off the sofa the next day. It's only been the last year or so. I'm 40.

Ive never suffered with hangovers before, even when I was much younger and drank a ridiculous amount I was fine the next day. I'm 40 next year and feel horrendous the next day after I've had red wine, awful headache and nauseous. Other alcohol seems to be fine but red wine makes me feel awful.