Introduction
The morning after excessive alcohol consumption can be unpleasant. Headaches, nausea and general malaise are signs of mild to severe alcohol poisoning, commonly known as hangover. This is caused by intermediate substances that are produced in the liver during the breakdown of alcohol.
The next morning, many people then take painkillers to get rid of the unpleasant feeling. It is widely known that alcohol and medication do not mix well and can be harmful. In the following, the risks of taking painkillers after alcohol consumption will be explained and recommendations will be given for the case that the taking of painkillers after alcohol becomes necessary after all.
Which pain reliever works best?
The benefits and risks should be carefully weighed up. Painkillers such as ibuprofen or paracetamol can be taken in high doses and are also very effective against mild to moderate pain, but both substances are harmful to the liver. This harmfulness increases with the amount of the dose.
The most common way to take Aspirin® is with plenty of water. Alcohol withdraws water from the body, i.e. fluid that can also cause headaches. Therefore, a lot of water should be drunk first. Aspirin slightly inhibits clotting, thus making the blood somewhat more fluid, which is also a positive side effect of aspirin after drinking alcohol. In general, however, it is not advisable to take painkillers after alcohol consumption because it can be harmful to the liver.
Risks and problems
The central problem or risk of taking painkillers after alcohol consumption is the liver-toxic potential of both substances. Alcohol consumption not only kills individual brain cells, but also damages the cells in the liver, which are involved in many degradation and transformation processes in the body. Alcohol is also broken down in the liver.
First, the alcohol (ethanol) is broken down into acetaldehyde by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). This intermediate substance is responsible for the hangover the next morning and the most toxic metabolic product, even more harmful than alcohol itself. This step takes some time because the body has only a limited number of enzymes available to break down ethanol.
As the process continues, the body converts this metabolic product into acetic acid, a harmless intermediate product, which is then released into the body fluid where it is converted into other enzymes in carbon dioxide and water. The dangerous potential of alcohol unfolds particularly with constant and excessive consumption. Acetaldehyde in particular damages the liver cells and inhibits their function because too many fatty acids are produced and the liver converts them into fats and stores them.
The fats are stored in the liver cells, resulting in fatty liver. This fatty degeneration of the liver is reversible at first, but over time it is converted into cirrhosis, an irreparable damage to the liver. The liver is thus damaged after alcohol consumption, the liver cells are busy breaking down the metabolites, a process that can take several hours.
Painkillers are also broken down by the liver and also stress it. In addition, painkillers are broken down more slowly because the liver is already “busy” breaking down alcohol. There is therefore a risk that the liver will suffer permanent damage if both substances are taken one after the other. For this reason, painkillers should not be taken after alcohol consumption if possible, for example to combat the headache of a hangover the next morning.
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