How long does a hangover last?

It’s the morning after. You feel horrible. When will your hangover end?

Hangovers are simply caused by drinking too much alcohol. It might make you feel better to know that some people report hangovers after drinking one to three drinks. But on the other hand, there are heavy drinkers out there that don’t get hung over at all. Although experts still don’t know officially what causes alcohol hangovers exactly, ten possible explanations for why you feel the hair of the dog include:

acetaldehydealcohol withdrawaldehydration and imbalance of electrolytesdrug usegastrointestinal problemsgeneticslow blood sugarmethanolpsychological traitssleep disturbance

OK. Now a little wake up call. Hangovers exist for a reason: the hangover experience may deter us from future episodes of heavy drinking or intoxication. They are our body’s way of asking that we avoid binge drinking and a call for homeostasis, or balance. But when will they end?

Typically, a hangover will end within 24 hours.  Hangovers begin within several hours after you stop drinking, when blood alcohol concentration (BAC) falls. Symptoms of a hangover usually peak about the time BAC is zero and may continue for up to 24 hours thereafter. Most cases of hangover end several hours after 0 level BAC, though. This is for somewhat “normal” cases of over drinking, and a typical average. But hangovers can continue for a couple of days in more severe cases or in times when alcohol withdrawal occurs.

Generally, the greater the quantity and length of time drinking, the more prevalent is the hangover. Some hangovers go on and on and can last for 72 hours, especially if you are mixing drinks, drinking low quality and less refined alcohol or drinking certain types of alcohol (brandy, red wine or whiskey can all create methanol).

Hangovers suck. But time will ease the symptoms of illness and discomfort. There are also a few hangover remedies that you might want to try to help reduce the severity of symptoms or shorten its duration. But keep in mind that most folk remedies for hangovers have not undergone clinical tests, and experts believe that conservative management of symptoms combined with time are your best bet for feeling better.

Please leave your hangover story below, or questions about hangovers. We are happy to answer and respond to all of your comments personally.

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How long does marijuana, weed, pot (THC) stay in your system?

Got a drug test coming up?  Will THC be present in the body?  We review the basic pharmacology of how marijuana stays in the system, and when you should be worried about potential marijuana addiction, or not.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is a chemical experts think causes the psychoactive effects of cannabis. THC is found in products that contain cannabis such as:

Dronabinol (synthetic THC)hash (resin from the hemp plant cannabis sativa)hashish oilmarijuana budsmarijuana flowersmarijuana leaves

THC works by binding to cannabinoid receptors in the brain and causes physiological, psycho-motor and cognitive effects. In other words, THC is the chemical that gets you high. But there are other reasons why do people use marijuana?

Peak levels of THC depend on how it enters the body. Although marijuana is usually smoked, marijuana can also be eaten. Marijuana is very infrequently injected intravenously. When cannabis is ingested by mouth, THC levels peak after 1 to 6 hours. When inhaled, cannabinoids such as THC are rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream with a peak concentration in 2 to 10 minutes. On average, the effects of marijuana last 3 – 4 hours.

The half life of a drug is the amount of time it takes for measured amounts in the bloodstream or urine to decrease by half. The half life for THC is long, because THC is stored in the body’s fat cells (THC is highly lipid and not easily dissolved in water). Therefore, the blood plasma and urinary half-life of THC are best estimated at 3 – 4 days after ingestion. But depending on the quantity of THC ingested and frequency of use, half life may even extend to 10-12 days after ingestion.

People who smoke once per week will increase the level of THC in their bodies over time because THC has never been fully eliminated. For these people, the baseline THC levels rise based on metabolism and fat content in the body. Furthermore, people who smoke or eat marijuana 3-5 times a week, have both higher baseline levels of THC in their systems and longer half lives of THC. In other words, regular users of marijuana are continually drug effected. So regular users of marijuana must realize that THC is generally more detectable in their systems than in the bodies of periodic/episodic users of marijuana.

Marijuana can be detected in urine, blood and saliva using methods such as:

enzyme immunoassaygas chromatographyhigh pressure liquid chromatographyradio immunoassaythin layer chromatography

THC concentrations in the blood of occasional marijuana users quickly fall below limits of drug testing within 8 to 12 hours of use. However, most drug tests for marijuana compounds are made through urinalysis. And urinalysis for THC is highly precise, and measured in nanograms (n-9), or one billionth of a gram. So in this way, THC can be detected in urine several weeks or months after initial administration with precision. Positive urine based marijuana test results generally indicate use within 1-3 days; however, the detection window could be significantly longer following heavy, chronic, use. So in general, the amount of time marijuana/THC can be detected depends on quantity, potency, duration and frequency of ingestion, and the method used to detect THC or its metabolites.

Tolerance to the marijuana develops after time and regular use (3-5 times per week). You will know if you are addicted to marijuana if you experience withdrawal symptoms when use is terminated abruptly (physiological addiction) and if you begin to crave marijuana (psychological addiction). There is help for people who are addicted to marijuana, but it is only useful when you are ready to stop. Treatment generally includes some form of psychotherapy combined with support groups. However, there are also alternatives to inpatient drug treatment centers. Please leave your questions and comments here. We’ll be happy to help.

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Are inpatient drug and alcohol treatment centers always necessary?

The short answer is yes and the longer answer is yes.

Now, please don’t get me wrong, thousands have received help through treatment facilities and 9 times this number or more have not. How is this?

Well, believe it or not, I work with clients who have never gone to a 12 step meeting let alone a treatment facility. On the other hand, I have worked with many who had gone to numerous addiction treatment facilities but didn’t get sober there for numerous reasons. That they relapsed quickly after treatment says it all.  Most of my clients succeed through one-on-one coaching. Why?

Firstly, I screen people thoroughly before the client and I decide to work together. They have to convince me they want it and are prepared to work hard, be honest and do home work. I’ve been around and screen well!

Next, my clients pay money. I am always shocked at how much greater the success rate is when people have skin in the game. I coached many for free and sponsored in 12 step fellowships. It always shocks me how much more serious addicts take things when they are paying.

I’m not saying that addiction treatment cannot help an addict looking for recovery. I am simply stating that treatment centers may not be necessary for every person. Following are some tips for evaluating whether or not inpatient drug or alcohol treatment can work for you.

1. Enter a treatment center for the right reasons

If you go to a treatment facility seeking a start to recovery, you must enter the facility (or any other recovery program) for the right reasons. YOU MUST WANT RECOVERY JUST FOR YOU.

If it is to please your wife, keep someone off your back (like the courts) of keep your job, nothing has much chance of working. Plain and simple. You have to want clean/sober just for you!

2. Research your options

All treatment centers are NOT created equal. Really do due diligence if you are considering a treatment facility. Personally, I believe facilities that over a holistic program that addresses cause and has a significant professionally lead therapy program; including group; are the way to go.

3. Skip treatment centers that are 12 step driven

If you go to a treatment facility that is 12 step driven, skip the time and expense and just go to lots of 12 step meetings; it is much cheaper.

In the end, if you really want recovery for yourself, you’ll likely find it. A trip to treatment is not neccessary but good centers have certainly helped many!

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Does OxyContin have Tylenol, acetaminophen or aspirin in it?

If you have been prescribed OxyContin, you want to be sure that medication does not interact with other medications. So you want to know what’s in it. That’s normal.

But you should be warned that repeated doses of OxyContin over a period of as little as a week can lead to physical dependence. In fact, this risk of dependence is moderate to high, so talk with you prescribing doctor about the risk and be sure to take OxyContin only as prescribed. Physical dependence on Oxycontin does require a period of withdrawal in order for the drug to leave your system. More on symptoms of OxyContin withdrawal here.  But what is in OxyContin? And can the drug interact with other prescription pills?

OxyContin contains oxycodone hydrochloride in all strengths as its main active ingredient. Currently OxyContin contains oxycodone as a single ingredient product and is NOT compounded with other products such as Tylenol (acetaminophen/paracetamol), aspirin or ibuprofen. However, other brands do contain such combinations. These include:

Oxycodone + acetaminophen

EndocetLynoxMagnacetNarvoxPercocetPerloxxPrimlevRoxicetTaxadoneTyloxXolox

Oxycodone + aspirin

Oxycodone + ibuprofen

OxyContin alsoe contain the following inactive ingredients: ammonio methacrylate copolymer, butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), hypromellose, lactose, magnesium stearate, polyethylene glycol 400, polyethylene oxide,, povidone, sodium hydroxide, sorbic acid, stearyl alcohol, talc, titanium dioxide, and triacetin.

You don’t need to buy a brand name drug if you are prescribed doses of oxycodone for pain relief. This is true of OxyContin other formulations. In fact, if you are looking for oxycodone mixed with aspirin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen these types of medications are also available as generics. Ask your pharmacist for more information.

OxyContin is generally prescribed for chronic and moderate to severe pain. But it is also a strong opioid pain medicine that can be misused and taken for non medical reasons. You should only swallow OxyContin tablets to allow for the time release to work. If you cut, break, chew, crush, or dissolve OxyContin before swallowing, this is a sign that you are seeking the euphoric effect of OxyContin, and may develop mental dependence on the drug.

How to know if you have a problem with OxyContin? Review the symptoms of pain medication addiction so that you can evaluate your addiction potential now.

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