How to Get Rid of a Hangover Fast: A Realistic Morning-After Plan

Nothing makes a hangover disappear instantly, because your liver clears alcohol at a roughly fixed pace, but sipping water, eating bland carbohydrates, taking an appropriate pain reliever and getting more sleep can make the next few hours more bearable.1, 2 If you're looking for how to get rid of a hangover fast, this is the realistic version: what to do in the first hour, how to get through a workday, and which quick fixes backfire. None of these steps has been shown to shorten a hangover, so we've marked which are comfort and which have evidence.

Key takeaways

  • Blood alcohol falls at a fairly steady rate, about 0.015% per hour on average in moderate drinkers, so a peak of 0.15% takes roughly 10 hours to reach zero.1
  • NIAAA says coffee, a shower or a morning drink won't cure a hangover, and that only time does.2
  • In a randomized Japanese trial of 150 people with hangovers, the NSAID loxoprofen eased hangover headache better than placebo but didn't help fatigue or nausea.3
  • Acetaminophen (Tylenol) combined with alcohol can be toxic to the liver, so skip it while alcohol may still be in your system.2
  • FDA cites 400 mg of caffeine a day, about two to three 12-ounce cups of coffee, as an amount most healthy adults can have without negative effects.4

Can you get rid of a hangover in minutes?

No. A hangover peaks as your blood alcohol returns to about zero and can last 24 hours or longer, and NIAAA says there's no cure other than time.2

The pace is set by your body. About 90% of alcohol is broken down by oxidation, mostly in the liver; less than 10% leaves in breath, sweat and urine.5 After the first few drinks, the main enzyme is saturated and works at a roughly constant rate: blood alcohol drops about 0.010% to 0.015% an hour on an empty stomach and 0.015% to 0.020% after food.1 Coffee, water and cold showers don't change that.2

So "fast" really means feeling less awful sooner.

How to get rid of a hangover fast: the first hour

Do these in order.

  1. Check for danger first. If you or someone with you has the warning signs in the safety box below, call 911 instead. If you may still have alcohol in your blood, don't drive.6
  2. Sip a glass of water. Thirst is one of the most common hangover symptoms, reported by 89% of students in one large survey.7 Take small sips if you're queasy. Water eases thirst, though studies haven't found that it shortens a hangover.8
  3. Save electrolyte drinks for real fluid loss. Oral rehydration solution is the standard treatment for fluid lost to diarrhea.9 For an ordinary hangover, electrolyte shifts don't track how bad you feel, and added electrolytes haven't been shown to help.2 Our guide to the best electrolyte drinks for a hangover compares the options.
  4. Eat something bland. Toast or crackers are the classic choice, recommended to settle the stomach.10 It's comfort, not a cure. More ideas in our list of the best foods for a hangover.
  5. Have your usual coffee, not extra. If you drink coffee daily, skipping it can add a caffeine-withdrawal headache; in experimental studies, about half of people got one.11 If you don't usually drink it, don't start now.
  6. Go back to bed if you can. Alcohol fragments the second half of the night and suppresses REM sleep, so you're probably short on real rest.12

What pain relief is reasonable after drinking?

For a hangover headache, an NSAID is the type of pain reliever with some trial support, as long as your stomach tolerates it. Acetaminophen is the one to skip while alcohol may still be in your system.3, 2

In a nationwide Japanese trial (229 people randomized, 150 analyzed once they had a hangover), the NSAID loxoprofen relieved hangover headache better than placebo but didn't help fatigue, the main outcome, or nausea.3 Cleveland Clinic suggests NSAIDs such as ibuprofen or naproxen, used sparingly because they can upset your digestive system, and advises avoiding acetaminophen after drinking.10

If your stomach is already sore, ask a pharmacist what suits you, since NSAIDs can add to the irritation alcohol causes.2 For a full comparison, see pain relievers and alcohol.

How do you get through a workday hungover?

Lower the stakes where you can, keep water and a snack nearby, and skip driving and safety-critical work until you're sure you're clear. A hangover can impair attention, decision-making and coordination.2

  • Get there safely. After a late, heavy night, alcohol may still be in your blood in the morning: at the average clearance rate, a 0.15% peak at 2 a.m. wouldn't reach zero until around noon.1 Take a ride, transit or a later start.
  • Front-load the easy tasks. In a lab study of 95 young adults, people did worse on tests of sustained attention and speed the morning after drinking, and worse still with a bad hangover.14 Save big decisions for later.
  • Keep caffeine at your usual level. Too much can cause anxiety, jitters, a racing heart, nausea and headache, which you already have enough of.4

If you're planning ahead for a big night, our hangover kit lists what to have ready.

Which quick fixes backfire?

The fixes that feel fastest tend to postpone symptoms, add new ones, or carry real risk.

Quick hangover fixes, checked against the evidence
Quick fix What the evidence says Verdict
"Hair of the dog" (a morning drink) May temporarily ease some symptoms but can prolong the hangover.2 Needing a morning drink after heavy drinking is a question on the WHO's screening test for hazardous drinking.15 Skip it
Energy drinks Caffeine won't cure a hangover, and too much can cause jitters, anxiety, a racing heart and nausea.2, 4 Usual caffeine only
Cold shower A shower won't cure a hangover.2 If someone may have alcohol poisoning, cold showers don't help and could make things worse.6 Fine for comfort, never for someone who's very drunk
Sweating it out (sauna, hard workout) Less than 10% of alcohol leaves through breath, sweat and urine.5 Sweating mainly adds fluid loss. Skip it
Greasy breakfast Food can't soak up alcohol you've already absorbed.5 Eat what you can keep down
Making yourself vomit In a trial of 90 adults, vomiting was one of the strongest predictors of a worse hangover.16 It's a sign of how drunk you got, not a way to undo it. Don't
IV drip We found no randomized trial for hangover, and a severe reaction to an IV glutathione-and-vitamin infusion has been reported.17 Costly and unproven

How long until you feel normal?

Most hangovers ease within about a day. Symptoms peak as blood alcohol nears zero and can last 24 hours or longer.2 In general, the more you drank, the worse the hangover.2

That timing explains a common surprise: you can feel fine at 1 a.m. and terrible at 10 a.m., because the hangover starts as the alcohol leaves. It can even start the same day if you drank into the morning.20 For the full timeline, including two-day hangovers, see how long a hangover lasts.

When should you stop self-treating and get help?

Get medical help if symptoms are getting worse instead of better, if you can't keep fluids down, or if anything looks like alcohol poisoning. Blood alcohol can keep rising after drinking stops, even in someone who's asleep.6

For people who drink heavily or daily, morning shakiness, sweating, anxiety, nausea and a racing heart can be alcohol withdrawal rather than a hangover. Withdrawal can become dangerous: seizures, fever, severe confusion, hallucinations or an irregular heartbeat mean call 911 or go to the emergency room.19

Current US guidance is simple: "Consume less alcohol for better overall health." Some people shouldn't drink at all, including anyone pregnant, recovering from alcohol use disorder or unable to control their drinking, or taking medicines that interact with alcohol.21 For remedies rated by the evidence and how to prevent the next one, see our main guide on how to cure a hangover.

What we don't know yet

No remedy has good evidence for shortening a hangover: a 2022 review of 21 placebo-controlled trials rated all of it as very low quality, and acetaminophen and aspirin haven't been tested in placebo-controlled hangover trials.22, 23 Whether the steps above, combined, get you to "normal" sooner hasn't been studied.

Frequently asked questions

What gets rid of a hangover in 5 minutes?

Nothing does. Your body clears alcohol at a roughly fixed pace, and NIAAA says only time cures a hangover. In the first few minutes, the most useful things are a glass of water, a check for warning signs, and a plan to eat and rest.

Does a cold shower help a hangover?

A shower can make you feel fresher, but it won't cure a hangover. Never use a cold shower to bring someone around who may have alcohol poisoning: it doesn't help and could make things worse. Call 911 instead.

Is it better to sleep off a hangover?

For an ordinary hangover, rest is sensible: alcohol disrupts the second half of the night, so you're probably short on sleep, and time is the only real cure. That's different from letting someone who is very drunk or hard to wake "sleep it off," which is dangerous. If someone can't be woken or is breathing slowly, call 911.

Do energy drinks help a hangover?

We found no study showing they do. Caffeine doesn't cure a hangover, and too much can cause jitters, anxiety, a racing heart and nausea. If you drink coffee daily, your usual amount is enough to avoid a withdrawal headache.

How do I survive work with a hangover?

Don't drive if you might still have alcohol in your blood, and avoid safety-critical tasks. Keep water and a bland snack nearby, have your usual caffeine, do the easy work first and save big decisions for later. If symptoms get worse instead of better, get medical advice.

Sources

  1. Jones AW. Evidence-based survey of the elimination rates of ethanol from blood with applications in forensic casework. Forensic Sci Int. 2010;200(1-3):1-20. PubMed
  2. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Hangovers (fact sheet, updated December 2025). NIH. NIAAA
  3. Hara M, et al. A nationwide randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled physicians' trial of loxoprofen for the treatment of fatigue, headache, and nausea after hangovers. Alcohol. 2020;84:21-25. PubMed
  4. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Spilling the beans: how much caffeine is too much? (content current as of August 28, 2024). FDA. FDA
  5. Cederbaum AI. Alcohol metabolism. Clin Liver Dis. 2012;16(4):667-685. PubMed
  6. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Understanding the Dangers of Alcohol Overdose (updated December 2025). NIH. NIAAA
  7. Penning R, et al. Alcohol hangover symptoms and their contribution to the overall hangover severity. Alcohol Alcohol. 2012;47(3):248-252. PubMed
  8. Mackus M, et al. Alcohol hangover versus dehydration revisited: the effect of drinking water to prevent or alleviate the alcohol hangover. Alcohol. 2024;121:9-18. PubMed
  9. World Health Organization. Oral rehydration salts: production of the new ORS (WHO/FCH/CAH/06.1). WHO. WHO
  10. Cleveland Clinic. Hangover (medically reviewed, last updated April 6, 2026). Cleveland Clinic. Cleveland Clinic
  11. Juliano LM, Griffiths RR. A critical review of caffeine withdrawal: empirical validation of symptoms and signs, incidence, severity, and associated features. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2004;176(1):1-29. PubMed
  12. Ebrahim IO, et al. Alcohol and sleep I: effects on normal sleep. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2013;37(4):539-549. PubMed
  13. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 21 CFR 201.326: Over-the-counter drug products containing internal analgesic/antipyretic active ingredients; required warnings. eCFR. eCFR
  14. Rohsenow DJ, et al. Intoxication with bourbon versus vodka: effects on hangover, sleep, and next-day neurocognitive performance in young adults. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2010;34(3):509-518. PubMed
  15. Babor TF, Higgins-Biddle JC, Saunders JB, Monteiro MG. AUDIT: The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Guidelines for use in primary care, 2nd ed. (WHO/MSD/MSB/01.6a). World Health Organization. WHO
  16. Köchling J, et al. Grape or grain but never the twain? A randomized controlled multiarm matched-triplet crossover trial of beer and wine. Am J Clin Nutr. 2019;109(2):345-352. PubMed
  17. Johnson JS, et al. Intravenous glutathione and vitamin supplementation causing Stevens-Johnson syndrome: a case report. J Burn Care Res. 2025;46(3):652-655. PubMed
  18. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. SAMHSA's National Helpline. HHS. SAMHSA
  19. MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Alcohol withdrawal (reviewed January 1, 2025). NIH. MedlinePlus
  20. Verster JC, et al. Updating the definition of the alcohol hangover. J Clin Med. 2020;9(3):823. PubMed
  21. U.S. Department of Agriculture; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030 (released January 7, 2026). USDA/HHS. PDF
  22. Roberts E, et al. The efficacy and tolerability of pharmacologically active interventions for alcohol-induced hangover symptomatology: a systematic review of the evidence from randomised placebo-controlled trials. Addiction. 2022;117(8):2157-2167. PubMed
  23. King's College London. No convincing scientific evidence that hangover cures work (press release). January 5, 2022. King's College London

Published by Fuller Health, which makes After Party. This article is general information, not medical advice: talk to a doctor or pharmacist about your own health, medicines and drinking. Last reviewed October 9, 2026. How we research and write.

Back to blog