[gsandel]

I read recently that flushed face and itchy skin is a sign of allergy to tannins or something else in beer and red wine...something on grape skins and malt maybe?

I get headaches with certain beers and breweries as well, but I have more problems when I drink later in day or evening in quantities of 3-4 pints....the headache comes on fairly quickly and intensifies with sleep.  When I drink in mid day to mid afternoon, my body processes it better, and if any it is milder pain and subsides usually before bed.

I am thinking that as I age I am transitioning to being a "beer for breakfast only" kind of guy....and then dinner at 3:30p (and I am not that old).

[euge]

Please do not take Ibuprofen after drinking. Water and B-complex and something sugary before bed will work. Alcohol is already hard on the liver- you don't want to throw Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen or Aspirin on top of alcohol habitually or you may end up regretting it.

Basically gatorade/powerade, no?

I think that is a good start- especially as an emergency hang-over remedy. Also a shower and something fatty to eat right after you wake. I hear leftover Chinese food works even if you feel like you want to hurl.

[EHall]

If you aren't sure of the cause, you can try to preempt them by drinking lots of water and taking ibuprofin and mega vitamin B complex before you go to bed.  Many times headaches are simple dehydration.  Ibuprofin helps with the headaches and vitamin B helps your liver break down the alcohol.  This is basically my NHC Survival Guide.

Actually, you'll do better to replace the ibuprofin with vitamin C and lots of it. Ibuprofin is damaging to the liver. Niacin is the B vitamin you want the most of and vitamins D and E won't hurt either. Plenty of water too.

[Slowbrew]

Drinking a couple large glasses of water and eating a banana helps too.  I've heard the potassium helps out somehow but I make no claims to being a chemist (organic or not) so I won't try to explain why it might work.  It has saved me a few times though.

Paul

[Joe Sr.]

If you aren't sure of the cause, you can try to preempt them by drinking lots of water and taking ibuprofin and mega vitamin B complex before you go to bed.  Many times headaches are simple dehydration.  Ibuprofin helps with the headaches and vitamin B helps your liver break down the alcohol.  This is basically my NHC Survival Guide.

Actually, you'll do better to replace the ibuprofin with vitamin C and lots of it. Ibuprofin is damaging to the liver. Niacin is the B vitamin you want the most of and vitamins D and E won't hurt either. Plenty of water too.

It's always been my understanding that acetaminophen is damaging to the liver and ibuprofen is damaging to the stomach lining.  I am not a doctor, however.

[redbeerman]

If you aren't sure of the cause, you can try to preempt them by drinking lots of water and taking ibuprofin and mega vitamin B complex before you go to bed.  Many times headaches are simple dehydration.  Ibuprofin helps with the headaches and vitamin B helps your liver break down the alcohol.  This is basically my NHC Survival Guide.

Actually, you'll do better to replace the ibuprofin with vitamin C and lots of it. Ibuprofin is damaging to the liver. Niacin is the B vitamin you want the most of and vitamins D and E won't hurt either. Plenty of water too.

It's always been my understanding that acetaminophen is damaging to the liver and ibuprofen is damaging to the stomach lining and kidneys.  I am not a doctor, however.

[seajellie]

How sanitary are their lines? There could be all sorts of stuff growing in the lines that gives you the headache. Two of the worst "hangovers" I have ever had came after drinking just one pint, of a beer that I have had before at other venues. I can think only that the beer lines were improperly cleaned.

[majorvices]

ibuprofen is less toxic to the liver than acetomenophen (or however you spell it). I think as long as you don't take it every night and as long as you drink moderately mostly you will be perfectly fine, even if you get sloppy drunk every once in a while and take it.

And I am a doctor ... of love, baby.

[majorvices]

How sanitary are their lines? There could be all sorts of stuff growing in the lines that gives you the headache. Two of the worst "hangovers" I have ever had came after drinking just one pint, of a beer that I have had before at other venues. I can think only that the beer lines were improperly cleaned.

very good point!

[Joe Sr.]

How sanitary are their lines? There could be all sorts of stuff growing in the lines that gives you the headache. Two of the worst "hangovers" I have ever had came after drinking just one pint, of a beer that I have had before at other venues. I can think only that the beer lines were improperly cleaned.

very good point!

I agree completely.  The worst headaches I've ever gotten are from drinking a couple cups of Miller at a Blackhawk's game (yes, I've done this repeatedly).  The only thing I could think was that the weird backpacks the servers wear to give you draft beer in the stands were probably just filthy.

So, I started only buying beer at the concession stand.  Same deal.  I just don't think they clean their lines.

[Delo]

I agree completely.  The worst headaches I've ever gotten are from drinking a couple cups of Miller at a Blackhawk's game (yes, I've done this repeatedly). .

That's funny. The worst headaches I've ever gotten were from drinking beers at a Rangers game and realizing that I paid at least $60 for crappy beer. (and I've done this repeatedly too.)

[Slowbrew]

Dirty lines will cause this.  My own beers out of keg freezer were giving me killer headaches until last week.  I realized I had not cleaned the lines in, let's just say awhile.  I cleaned everything up and no more problems.  Even a sort of sour flavor I hadn't really noticed is now absent.  It's on my calendar now so I don't forget again.

Paul

[erockrph]

I agree completely.  The worst headaches I've ever gotten are from drinking a couple cups of Miller at a Blackhawk's game (yes, I've done this repeatedly). .

That's funny. The worst headaches I've ever gotten were from drinking beers at a Rangers game and realizing that I paid at least $60 for crappy beer. (and I've done this repeatedly too.)

I must just be lucky up here in New England. At all the stadiums around here the typical BMC swill averages about $8 a draft, but there's always decent craft beer available, and usually for just $0.25-$0.50 more than the garbage beer. Bud for $8.50 vs. Harpoon IPA for $8.75 - that's a no-brainer.

[DrewG]

How sanitary are their lines? There could be all sorts of stuff growing in the lines that gives you the headache.

A good question, and one I don't have an answer to. Certainly possible.

One other thing I noticed is they ferment in 55 gallon plastic barrels. No idea what effect (if any) that would have.

[nateo]

One other thing I noticed is they ferment in 55 gallon plastic barrels. No idea what effect (if any) that would have.

Plastic barrels are cheap and easy, but they're disposable. Plastic is more likely to harbor bacteria because it's harder to clean than stainless. On a short time-scale it doesn't really matter, but over a long enough period it could matter.

I've always thought fermenting in disposable/recyclable food-grade sanitary plastic bags would be a great idea. I think that's how they make insulin in pharma labs.