East Indian food as potential cure for ethanol-induced hangover: A case report
ABSTRACT: Alcohol-induced hangover is a relatively common condition affecting nearly 30 million Canadians yearly. While affecting men and women equally, the prevalence is usually higher in university students and attendees of the Calgary Stampede and Kitchener-Waterloo’s Oktoberfest. Signs and symptoms typically include nausea, vomiting, headache, dizziness, fatigue, decreased concentration and regret about promiscuity. While many medical and traditional remedies have been suggested for hangover, few if any, have been shown to be effective. We present a case of hangover responsive to East Indian food in a 31 year old male who had over indulged the night before.
Our patient, RR, complained of feeling achy, fatigued, nauseated and generally unmotivated after drinking too much at Ming on 17th Ave the night before. The lead author of this paper suggested curry as a potential intervention and attempted to drive to Dalfan Café on the corner of 12th Ave and 14th Street SW to obtain a pharmaceutical grade curry. While Dalfan was probably an ideal place for obtaining supplies of other “pharmaceuticals”, other than samosas, they did not have curry. Three aromatic samosas were procured and placed into a standard brown paper bag for later sampling.
Keeping in mind the basal metabolic rates of average adult males, it was concluded that samosas would not sustain homeostasis and that more food was needed. The author then drove to Crown Grocery and Pizza in NW Calgary. While the proprietor was genetically of East Indian decent, the establishment was void of curry or curry-like items.
Acting on a tip, the author then drove to 140 Hawkmount Close NW in search of curry. The tip turned out to be a poor practical joke, as the address was not in fact a curry house but rather, a regular house. The authors would like to apologize to Mr. and Mrs. Dean Wilson for any adverse effect (namely, anxiety) sustained throughout this study. While our study lacked the statistical power to comment on the effectiveness of AlarmForce for use in theft and home entry deterrence, our experience with the Calgary Police Service’s K9 unit suggests this is an area that merits further research.
An arrangement was made for the patient to call in his own prescription for East Indian food at a local curry establishment; Taste of India in Beddington. We have had previous experience with this curry manufacturer and have found it to be a reliable source of East Indian food. The following items were obtained: lamb curry (1), chicken and almond dish (1), chole or chickpea dish (1), and some other poultry type curry (1). Patients were allowed 1 naan and a standard 240ml cup of rice PRN as rescue.
Results: Following treatment with curry, the patient generally improved, showing decreased malaise, fatigue and nausea. He required less stimulation but generally remained his apathetic self. Although the patient did not have any history of osteoarthritis, significant improvements were also noted in WOMAC pain scores. His PSA was measured, found to be normal and as such we were able cancel a previously scheduled TURP. With the exception of rhinorrhea and steatorrhea, curry was associated with few adverse effects. No patient discontinued therapy.
We conclude that Taste of India is a reasonable treatment for hangover.
We give it a score of:
7 (plus or minus one standard deviation).
The authors would like to thank the following people for not being at the restaurant:
Johnny Johnson
Tommy Thompson
Dave Davidson
Rating:
Extracts from the diary of our test subject from the relevant period of time
