Good champagne encapsulates a celebration like no other. But the hangover that follows is no joke. And it’s not like a regular hangover. It can make you feel all kinds of things like a throbbing headache, nausea, and fatigue.
A champagne hangover happens when your body gets dehydrated due to the diuretic effects of alcohol. This fizzy drink has bubbles that increase alcohol absorption into your body. And next thing you know, you’re drunk and your head hurts and you can’t function properly. You’re hungover.
Fortunately, there are several ways to counter the effects of the aftermath.
Below, we’ll explore the different remedies for champagne hangover, what causes it, and what you can do to keep it at bay.
Why Does Champagne Give You a Bad Hangover?
Everyone experiences hangovers differently. But if there’s to blame as to why champagne hangovers are worse, it’s the bubbles in your alcoholic drink.
Champagne is notorious for giving you worse headaches and hangovers than other types of alcoholic beverages. The bubbles in our favorite wine contain carbon dioxide. It naturally occurs during the fermentation stage, where yeast eats the sugar molecules in grapes.
These bubbles increase the pressure in your stomach and open up your pyloric valve. The alcohol then goes into the bloodstream through the stomach lining. This is why champagne is said to make you drunk faster and give you the worst headaches.
The carbon dioxide also competes with the oxygen in your blood stream, making you feel nauseous and dizzy after drinking.
Another reason why champagne gives you a bad hangover is due to dehydration. Alcohol is a diuretic, which causes your body to expel more fluid. Drinking champagne also lowers the hormone that balances your internal hydration, so you’ll pee more frequently.
All these factors can make you dehydrated. This results in a loss of vitamins and electrolytes, which also leads to hangovers.
Common Symptoms of Champagne Hangover
Sparkling wines can raise your blood alcohol concentration faster than any other alcoholic beverage. The higher blood alcohol levels can result in a range of problems like a bad champagne headache and hangover.
It can easily ruin your day, but understanding common champagne hangover symptoms can help you better prepare for and cope with it.
Dehydration
Remember, alcoholic beverages like champagne are diuretic, which causes your body to expel more fluids through urine. When you drink champagne, there’s a reduced hormone (vasopressin) to balance your body’s internal hydration. This hormone is responsible for reabsorbing water in the bloodstream.
So, when vasopressin isn’t doing its job, you’ll have excess water loss. This can dehydrate you and can make you feel nauseous, tired, and dizzy. It can also give you the worst headache ever.
Inflammation
Our liver plays a vital role in eliminating toxins in the body. It breaks down most of the alcohol you consume, which produces substances such as acetaldehyde. It is a highly volatile substance and can be more toxic than the alcohol itself.
When you consume too much alcohol, your liver creates acetaldehyde in large quantities. It can react with your cells, causing inflammation or oxidative damage.
Lack of Restful Sleep
Sleep disturbance is a common symptom of hangovers. Many wine lovers take a few sips to induce sleep, but in hindsight, it can actually impact the quality of sleep. The alcohol in your sparkling wine interferes with the REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which is essential for a restorative rest.
And when you don’t get enough sleep, you’ll feel tired in the morning. It affects your whole day. The lack of restorative sleep can also trigger anxiety, nausea, and body or muscle aches.
How To Get Rid of a Champagne Hangover
If you find yourself dealing with the effects of overindulging in champagne, don’t worry, there are ways to help you get over your champagne hangover.
Drink Plenty of Water
One of the best ways to cure hangovers is rehydration. Drinking water restores your body’s fluid balance and helps flush out alcohol. No need to chug an entire jug, just keep a few glasses of water on the side. Just take a sip throughout your drinking session.
Take a Rest
Got work the next morning? See, that’s why you lay off the booze until the weekend. And it can be tempting to power through your day despite your hangover, your body will need to rest and relax.
Remember that alcohol interferes with your sleep cycle and can leave you feeling groggy and tired the next day. So, let your mind and body rest, or take a nap.
Have Anything Ginger
Ginger has amazing soothing powers. It does wonders in calming upset stomachs and alleviating nausea, which is one of the worst champagne hangover symptoms you can experience. You can have ginger in the form of tea, candy, or supplements.
Take Tylenol or Advil
The painkillers can help ease painful muscles and headaches associated with alcohol. However, you should use caution when taking any pain reliever containing acetaminophen and ibuprofen. These drugs do have side effects, so make sure to consult a doctor or read leaflets before taking them.
How To Prevent a Champagne Hangover
The best way to avoid champagne hangovers is to avoid heavy alcohol consumption. You can also pace yourself and sip slowly. However, the champagne headaches and hangovers you get from sipping on some good bubbly are almost always a part of the experience.
The good news is that there are ways you can avoid or at least minimize the effects of a champagne hangover.
Avoid Caffeine
For some people, a jolt of caffeine seems to help with anything, especially when you’re feeling lethargic. But not when you have a hangover. It’s a different type of tiredness and drinking coffee will only do more harm than good.
While it can give you a power boost, you need to consider that coffee, just like alcohol, is a diuretic too. Caffeine causes your body to flush out more water, which can dehydrate you. It can leave you feeling shaky and can make anxiety worse.
Eat Before You Drink
One of the most effective ways to reduce the effects of alcohol is to put something in your belly. A light meal before you start sipping champagne will do. That said, you’ll want to avoid foods containing tyramine and histamine. These are naturally occurring substances found in fizzy drinks that contribute to the hangover.
Avoid pairing your wine with canned fish (mackerel), sausages, fermented foods, cheese, and tofu. You’ll also take certain vegetables out of your meal such as potatoes and spinach, and fruits like bananas, avocados, plums, and oranges.
Don’t Exercise
Because no, you can’t sweat out the hangover. When you exercise, you are putting more stress on your body, which could make you feel worse. Keep in mind that alcohol can dehydrate your body, exercising will make you sweat, and can dehydrate you even more.
What you need to do instead of stepping into the gym after a heavy drinking session is to just rest and relax. Your body will thank you later!
Don’t Drink More Alcohol
Obviously, more alcohol can make the situation worse. Instead, drink your water. Staying hydrated can keep a champagne hangover at bay.
How Long Does a Champagne Hangover Last?
A champagne hangover can last for anywhere from several hours up to more than 24 hours. If you consume a lot of champagne in one sitting, the effects of a hangover can be severe. You may experience a headache or migraine. The effect of a hangover is also worse if you consume champagne on an empty stomach.
Key Takeaway
We all love the nuances of champagne, but the hangovers that come with it? We don’t. It’s not the best feeling in the world, but if you understand why champagne gives you a bad hangover, it can help you better deal with the effects of hangover in your body.
Make sure to have a good meal before you drink, keep yourself hydrated, and prioritize sleep. Pace yourself and drink slowly, and make sure to not overindulge—give your liver a break!
We hope you find this post helpful and feel free to share around. If you have more questions regarding champagne hangovers, don’t hesitate to reach out and we’ll be happy to help. Cheers!
