Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
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Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 2005; 10: 43–4
To assess the clinical evidence regarding the effectiveness of any medical intervention for preventing or treating alcohol hangover.
Systematic searches were conducted on Medline, Embase, Amed, Cochrane Central, the National Research Register (UK) and ClinicalTrials.gov (US). Hand-searches included conference proceedings, bibliographies, contact with manufacturers and experts. There were no restrictions regarding the language of publication. All RCTs of any medical intervention for preventing or treating alcohol hangover were included. Trials were considered if placebo-controlled or controlled against a comparator intervention. Titles and abstracts of identified articles were read and hard copies were obtained. The selection of studies, data extraction and validation were performed independently by two reviewers. Methodological quality was evaluated using the Jadad score.
Fifteen potentially relevant trials were identified. Seven publications failed to meet all inclusion criteria. Eight RCTs assessing eight different interventions were reviewed. The tested agents were propanolol, tropisetron, tolfenamic acid and fructose or glucose and the dietary supplements Borago officinalis (borage), Cynara scolymus (artichoke), Opuntia ficus-indica (prickly pear) and a yeast-based preparation. All studies were conducted double-blind. Significant intergroup differences for overall symptom scores and individual symptoms were reported only for tolfenamic acid, gamma-linolenic acid from B. officinalis and a yeast-based preparation.
Our findings show that there is no compelling evidence to suggest that any conventional or complementary intervention is effective for preventing or treating alcohol hangover. The most effective way to avoid the symptoms of alcohol-induced hangover is to practice abstinence or moderation.
