Friday evening, your buddies and you have finally decided to go on that pub crawl you’ve been planning for weeks. A number of local brewers were proposed. In addition to the tried-and-true establishments, a hip new pub was included.
More and more, as you anticipate the exciting evening tomorrow, you begin to worry that the following morning may bring with it a particularly nasty hangover. However, if you slap a hangover patch up on your forearm, would you be spared the hammering in your brain that usually follows?
To find out, we spoke with pharmacists Benjamin Witt, who has a PharmD, MBA, and BCPS so we could obtain an expert opinion.
Describe the hangover patch.
Products promising to alleviate the “struck by a truck” sensation that might accompany a night of heavy drinking are widely available. What mysterious process is at work here? Simply put, this is achieved by reintroducing lost nutrients to the body through the skin.
The “patches” are essentially large stickers loaded with various beneficial substances. Thiamine (B1), niacin (B3), and cobalamin (B12) are among the Vitamin b as well as other minerals included on the listing.
Applying the patch to your body an hour or so prior to actually drinking any alcohol is all it takes to obtain a hearty dosage of that goodies.
Clearly. The discussion is over.
According to the manufacturer, the patch will provide minerals to your skin throughout the event and for many hours afterward. This transdermal injection is aimed to mitigate some of the unfavorable physiological consequences of alcohol.
Consider the patch as leveling out all the obstacles that stand in the way of your full healing out of a hangover. This begs the crucial issue, though: is it effective?
Inspecting the Arguments
One thing we know for sure is that consuming alcohol, particularly in excess, causes your body to lose essential minerals. Drinking alcohol causes frequent urination because it acts as a diuretic. The act of metabolizing alcohol is quite energy-intensive for your body.
Witt thinks this is the “single solid grain of truth” underpinning the promises made for hangover patches. Nutritional deficiencies are a known risk of heavy alcohol usage. The exact nature of the improvements made by such patches is unclear.
As an example, there is no proof that applying a patch to your skin would absorb enough vitamins and minerals to prevent a hangover. “It’s not a theory that has been substantiated by research,” Witt says.
And it’s not only the patch administration technique: While there is no hard evidence that taking vitamins as well as mineral-rich multivitamins and supplementation may alleviate or avoid a hangover.
Dehydration is a significant concern after consuming alcohol, and nutrient-dense patches and pills don’t help with that. Neither of these will reduce your BAC.
In that case, how can businesses claim that their products “treat” a disease? After all, as Witt points out, hangover patches cannot come in the category of a controlled substance. In the end, as Witt explains, hangover patches really aren’t categorized as a restricted drug. Also, since they are not medicines, there is no need that them to prove their effectiveness.
That explains why the composition and quantity of ingredients and nutrients may vary so much across different areas. Witt discovered, for instance, that such patches had roughly ten times the quantity of a given vitamin as other patches. That’s a big dissimilarity.
Another item recommended using a patch prior to actually drinking, however, two or three patches might be used if the consumer intended to go out drinking heavily that evening.
Witt adds, “It all seems to trend in the direction of that this isn’t concrete proof.”
Do Hangover Pills Have Any Negative Effects?
While Witt reassures us that there isn’t a need for alarm, he does provide several caveats about applying the patches.
Some patches have a laundry list of substances that might potentially interact with your prescription. The patch’s active ingredient(s) may have dangerous drug interactions.
According to Witt, the glue that is utilized in the patch has the ability to irritate the skin of certain individuals.
How About The Testimonies For The Patch, Though?
The internet is rife with glowing reviews proclaiming the miraculous effects of hangover patches. Witt assumes the praise is due to the placebo effect, or the belief that one would experience great outcomes due to taking the medication.
As Witt puts it, “such patches have excellent advertising around them, however, there is not a significant amount of genuine proof behind the promises.”
If you truly care about avoiding a hangover, though, it’s important to make responsible choices and limit your alcohol intake.
The 2023 Hangover Cure That Actually Works
The hangover patch is a novel type of dietary supplement that was developed to lessen the unpleasant consequences of consuming alcohol.
The nutrients are delivered via the epidermis and into the underlying capillaries, where they are quickly absorbed.
The market for hangover patches has expanded greatly in recent years, so we figured now would be a great opportunity to examine some of the top products available.
We evaluated these products according to a variety of criteria, including consumer feedback, the products’ relative cost-effectiveness, and the quality of the substances used.
In the vast majority part, we find that tablet and beverage remedies for hangovers are more helpful than other methods since they provide more active substances.
Rebound Hangover Patch
Components
In contrast to the competition, only the Rebound patch has more than 15 components. DHM, prickly pears, ginger, turmeric, B-complex, and numerous others fall under this category.
It offers the most comprehensive composition, on par with other leading hangover remedies, of all of the patches discussed in this review.
Pricing
It costs $9 to purchase all six patches through their online store, which works out to about $1.50 per event.
Conclusion
We found that the formulation in the Rebound patch was the most all-encompassing of any hangover patch now available, hence we recommend it highly. Plus, it’s the most inexpensive option, making it a terrific bargain.
Bytox Hangover Patch
Ingredients
Among available hangover remedies, Bytox is likely to be among the most well enough and widely used. Antioxidants including acai berry as well as vitamin E are included, as are B vitamins. Several of the components, such as vitamin D, are unlikely to alleviate hangover symptoms.
It’s encouraging to note that Bytox doesn’t really utilize a secret formula.
Pricing
It will cost you $15 for 5 patches, or around $3 every time you go out. As a result, its pricing is about in the middle of the market.
Conclusion
The Bytox patch is an old-fashioned hangover remedy, however, it has a solid reputation and name recognition thanks to its long history in the industry.
Rally Hangover Patch
Ingredients
It’s encouraging to discover that Rally patch shares some of Bytox’s components while also including milk thistle. Artichoke supplement is also available, and it functions similarly to milk thistle. One research indicated that artichoke did not alleviate hangover symptoms.
Pricing
Rally Patches come in a 5-pack for $20, or $4 each. This means it costs the most of the items we’ve included.
Conclusion
Not everyone’s money will allow them to afford the Rally patch, despite its great ingredient variety.
Party Patch for Hangovers
Ingredients
The price for 4 patches of Party Patch, which contains a few high-quality substances, is close to $20. That works out to around $5 per patch. Because of this, the price is rather expensive.
Conclusion
We also include a party patch in our selection of the most effective hangover cures because it works well.
What Makes A Hangover Patch Effective?
In order to comprehend how hangover patches function, it is necessary to first examine the root of the problem.
To begin, alcoholic beverages act as a diuretic, causing you to lose even more water than you take in. As a direct consequence of this, you run the risk of general fluid loss and being exhausted.
Furthermore, acetaldehyde and other harmful byproducts are produced during alcohol metabolism.
By reacting using your cells, the oxidative stress produced when acetaldehyde is broken down causes inflammation.
Muscle pains, headaches, and overall listlessness are just some of the hangover symptoms that may be related to this mechanism.
The liver is important for the production of antioxidants, which are accountable for providing protection against free radicals. Antioxidants may also be obtained via dietary means.
Whenever you drink alcohol, you produce a significant number of free radicals, much more than the antioxidants in your body can effectively destroy.
In an effort to restore normal hepatic functionality, hangover patches include antioxidants that are intended to combat free radicals that have been produced as a result of drinking.
Since we’ve covered the science of hangovers, let’s move on to the most crucial indicators to search for when experiencing a hangover patch.
Where Can I Get A Hangover Patch That Really Works?
The best hangover patches often include a blend of antioxidant-rich vitamins, amino acids, as well as botanical supplements.
Dihydromyricetin (DHM)
Research showing that DHM might boost alcohol digestion and lessen drunkenness in mice has generated considerable excitement in the compound. This factor is an essential component in the composition of the vast number of the greatest hangover cures available on the market today.
Since ginger has been shown to reduce nausea and vomiting, its inclusion in hangover patches is always welcome.
L-Theanine
Green tea has a high proportion of this amino acid. It’s been hypothesized that doing so raises the calming alpha brainwave activity.
The B-Complex Vitamins
The B-Vitamins play a crucial role in the breakdown of ethanol. Several of them may be included in over-the-counter treatments for hangovers.
Cactus fruit
Polyphenols, found in abundance in prickly pear, are among the most potent antioxidants known. In addition, it has been proven in certain studies to greatly mitigate the negative effects of a night out on the town.
The milk thistle seed
Milk thistle is a popular vitamin for liver function and is also often utilized in the treatment of hangovers. Milk thistle has an active component known as silymarin, and research suggests that this component may be able to detoxify some of the potentially dangerous substances that impact your liver. Moreover, it contains antioxidant qualities that may neutralize harmful free radicals. In light of this, there haven’t been a lot of studies done to justify the usage of milk thistle as a medication to treat hangovers.
Physalis Spinosa
The prickly pear cactus is indigenous to Latin America and is known for its high levels of protein, antioxidants, and carotene content. Prickly pear cactus essence might lessen the debilitating symptoms of a hangover, probably owing to the anti-inflammatory properties that the extract has. This is suggested by some studies.
Ginseng
In accordance with the findings of a study that was published in the Journal of Translational Medicine, the component of ginseng known as ginsenosides is the active component of the plant. Ginsenosides have been hypothesized to have anti-inflammatory effects. According to the findings of one research, ingesting red ginseng lowered blood alcohol levels and made hangover symptoms less severe.
Ginger
Ginger has been demonstrated to be useful as a natural cure for sickness in a number of trials. Extensive study has been conducted on it in pregnant women who suffer from stomach pain as well as in chemotherapy patients who experience nausea. Ginger is widely recognized as an effective and risk-free natural cure for nausea, despite the fact that its effectiveness in treating hangovers has not been investigated.
Black pepper extract
Piperine, a chemical that cannot accomplish anything by itself but may boost the intake of other substances, could be found in black pepper. Black pepper is a supplier of piperine. Research has demonstrated that it enhances the amount of turmeric and vitamin B that is absorbed from the stomach by many times. As a result, it is often used in dietary supplements containing both of these nutrients. That being said, using a hangover medication in conjunction with goods including piperine may provide you with the best possible results.
Alpha-lipoic acid
Over the last several years, alpha-lipoic acid has received a significant amount of focus. Because of its potent antioxidant properties, this chemical molecule is often used in hangover remedies. It is also widely available as a standalone product.
Stuff Should Stay Away From
Caffeine
Caffeine is an ingredient in several hangover patches. Unfortunately, this will just serve to raise your heart rate needlessly and lead you to have less faith in the quality of your slumber.
Formulations Kept Secret
These days, it’s unusual to come across a dietary supplement that doesn’t use some kind of secret formula. Cost-cutting measures like this are often used by manufacturers. The bad news is that they can hide the precise amounts of each element in the recipe by labeling it as a “blend.”
How Should The Hangover Patches Be Applied?
Applying each of the patches for something like a hangover to your skin right before you begin consuming is recommended for each and every one of the products described in this post.
The rationale for this is that the components of the patch have to begin their healing process as quickly as the harmful consequences of alcohol are created.
It is much too late to use it the day after you have already woken up with a hangover, so if you do wind up utilizing it then, it is too late.
Unfortunately, at this point, the harm has already been done, and the only thing that can cure you at this point in time.
Therefore, now that we’ve covered the fundamentals, I’d like to go right into our selection of the top hangover patches that are available on the market today.
It bears repeating that hangover patches, on average, do not compare well to other hangover remedies, such as medications and beverages.
The Last Words
This concludes our investigation on the most effective hangover patch currently available on the market. Whether these adhesive bandages function depends on the individual, their physical condition, and their attitude toward the treatment. Getting adequate nutrition and water across the night is the proven and tested method for curing (or preventing) a hangover. And don’t go crazy.