UK Government drug Policy

[Humodour]

Gentlemen, please. WoD is clearly feeling pressured. I suggest we accord his youth some slack. Isn't it good for a young man to believe in self-control and achievement over indulgence?

I know you're joking, but I'm pretty sure I'm older than you are.

 

 

*Coughing with laughter*

 

I hope for your sake that you're not.

It's a common affliction, not much I can do about it.

 

Mushrooms are really good fried with potatoes, yummy. Why anyone would intentionally eat poisonous ones is beyond me.

 

They're not poisonous at all. In fact they're far less toxic than alcohol (or specifically acetaldehyde).

Edited November 4, 2009 by Krezack

[Walsingham]

I had a hangover for 48 hours once from drinking aftershock. I only started puking 12 hours in.

[Lare Kikkeli]

I had a hangover for 48 hours once from drinking aftershock. I only started puking 12 hours in.

 

Been there...

 

A joint helps

[Humodour]

It's actually amazing how much a joint helps a hangover. I always stayed clear because I figured it'd make it worse, make me puke. Quite the opposite.

 

And btw Wals, that's called alcohol poisoning.

[Walsingham]

Poisoning? It's a conspiracy I tells ya!

 

Hangovers are caused by (in order of significance):

 

1. Low blood sugar exacerbated by insulin/glucagon shenanigans. Simply eating a bag of candy won't help because your body doesn't release stored energy the way it normally does so when you spike then trough you'll just stay in a trough. You need slow release carbs like you get in porridge.

 

2. Dehydration. In fact you probably start out the night before as dehydrated so before going to bed drink a couple of pints of water. It sounds crazy but this makes a massive difference.

 

3. Direct poisoning by methanols and such.

[Humodour]

Um, ethanol is largely non-toxic, but what it always gets converted into in our stomachs is a highly toxic known carcinogen, so I suspect that is actually what causes hangovers.

 

Water likely just helps your liver process it faster. It sure does help though.

 

I'm pretty sure methanol is not involved in the process unless you're a metho drinker.

[Walsingham]

Um, ethanol is largely non-toxic, but what it always gets converted into in our stomachs is a highly toxic known carcinogen, so I suspect that is actually what causes hangovers.

 

Water likely just helps your liver process it faster. It sure does help though.

 

I'm pretty sure methanol is not involved in the process unless you're a metho drinker.

 

 

I trump you, sir, because I heard this direct from a professor who specialised in such matters. It was the best attended course in my entire time as a psych undergrad.

 

1. The exact behaviour of ethanol is not known/very diverse. Once it dives into the lipid membrane it declares shenanigans on the transmitter proteins.

 

2. Water is essential. You are dried out. This mainly hurts because the membranes in your CNS are trying to peel away. It's why a really stonking hangover is like sunstroke.

 

3. All alcoholic beverages contain a percentage of methanol [not in the lecture, just common knowledge]. Industrial alcohol, like that in the drink called aftershock, contains a higher percentage. Spend a night drinking malt whisky, and a night drinking an equivalent qualtity of aftershock or apple sourz. Tell me they're the same.

[Humodour]

But you're trying to tell me that acetaldehyde is not the main cause of hangovers. That's just absolutely silly. Sure, lack of water will make it worse - that's called dehydration (not hangover) and it impairs kidney and liver function. But even with full hydration you'll still get a damned hangover because what ethanol has to be converted into - acetaldehyde - is about 20 times more toxic than plain ethanol as well as carcinogenic and mutagenic.

 

Case in point: lots of Asians have acetaldehyde dehydrogenase mutations which cause them to process ethanol into acetaldehyde either slower or faster, with predictable results.

 

TBH it sounds like your professor wanted to emphasise the point that dehydration while drinking is a superbly bad idea.

 

Bah, whatever. We both think we're right and it's immaterial because both dehydration and toxins play large roles in the severity of a hangover.

 

Edit: Also, the small (and I do mean small) amounts of methanol in alcohol will be almost entirely passed out of the body as methanol rather than converted to the toxic formate because they compete for the same dehydrogenase enzymes.

Edited November 5, 2009 by Krezack

[Walsingham]

I am not trying to deny the role of acetaldehyde. I'm simply saying that the affective experience of hangover is in the CNS. I'm also saying that there's bugger all you can do about acetaldehyde but you can do something about these other features.

 

"The drinking strain falls mainly on the brain"

[Walsingham]

I seem to be in line to study this first hand today.

[Humodour]

I fully expect no less than 5 outrageously drunken posts.

[Walsingham]

Sorry, old boy. I drank two pints of water, ate three sausages, and went back to bed.