A night of heavy drinking can have debilitating impacts on your body the next morning. According to scientific studies, smoking cigarettes can increase the severity of these effects by a significant percentage. Combining nicotine and alcohol can have you stuck in bed nursing a headache, upset stomach, and nausea, among other hangover symptoms.
That said, some people swear by the nicotine hangover cure. Can smoking alleviate your hangover? Or can it make it worse? In this article, we answer these and more related questions.
More Severe Hangover Symptoms
The Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies at Brown University conducted an 8-week study on the effect of smoking on hangover symptoms. The study involved 113 college students who were controlled for factors, such as:
- Smoking status
- Gender
- Frequency of drug use
Overall, the results found that heavy smoking increased the severity of hangover symptoms. The study found a direct relation between nicotine and hangover symptoms. People who smoked heavily on the same day they drank alcohol were more likely to wake up with a hangover than those who did not smoke.
Additionally, the symptoms were likely to be more intense, the more you smoked. Simply put, drinking and smoking cigarettes can increase the severity of your hangover.
Scientific Explanation
Despite the findings, the researchers did not find a conclusive explanation for the connection between nicotine and hangover symptoms. Students who consumed the same amount of alcohol developed more intense hangover symptoms, the more they smoked. The researchers suspect that the findings are related to how both drugs trigger dopamine release in the brain.
Some studies have supported this finding. According to researchers, alcohol and nicotine are somehow in how they affect the brain, the underlying factor being nicotine.
Conflicting Results
Despite the above research findings, some people experience positive feelings from the combined effect of nicotine and alcohol. The spike of dopamine release in the brain works to counteract the sedative effect of alcohol, creating a fuzzy, excited feeling. This keeps them active throughout the night.
However, this effect has no bearing on the earlier results. Smoking cigarettes while drinking still results in severe hangover symptoms.
Around 19% of smokers in the country are not regular smokers. Their nicotine intake is often limited to once a week, during weekends, or at parties. When asked, a good number of these social smokers did not see a connection between their occasional smoking and hangover symptoms.
Although these smokers do not consider their habit a health hazard, they still experienced more severe hangovers than non-smokers. They also suffered more intense symptoms the more they smoked.
Get Hangover Relief in Key West
Is the nicotine hangover cure effective? Generally, no. There is currently no scientific evidence that smoking can alleviate hangover symptoms.
In fact, nicotine is more likely to worsen them, leaving you with a nastier hangover. This is why you should rely on established remedies.
If last night’s celebrations have left you with a contemptible hangover, the Hangover Hospital in Key West is here for you. We offer a 45-minute IV hangover remedy that will have you up and running in no time. Contact us today to schedule your appointment.