That throbbing head and nauseous feeling is punishment for a big night out. But is the hangover about to be a thing of the past?
Some people swear by Berocca, for others a dip in the ocean clears their head. Some people’s go-to is Vegemite toast, others guzzle sports drinks or make a trip to Maccas. One thing is for sure, though – everyone would like a simple, effective and fast cure for a hangover.
Well, prayers may have been answered in the form of the new Hangover Clinic, which is designed to cure a hangover by regulating body fluid levels through an IV drip.
With pop-up locations coming to Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs this month, the clinic claims to cure the hangover in either 30, 40 or 60 minutes.
Max Petro, co-founder of The Hangover Clinic, envisioned this idea when he needed it the most.
“While I was at university, I had a part-time job as a ski instructor, and would spend the Australian summer vacation working in the US winter,” he says. “I found out that after a big night the ski patrollers (who were all qualified paramedics) would hook each other up to IV drips and oxygen to recover. One day when I’d had a few too many schnapps, I asked if I could try it and it worked amazingly.”
There are three packages to choose from which are called Jump Start (eliminates hangovers in 30 minutes), Energise (40 minutes) and Resurrection (one hour). Packages are also available for certain “life hangovers” such as colds, jet lag or just exhaustion.
“With IV treatment, the bioavailability (absorption) of fluids and medications is 100 per cent, meaning it’s a much more efficient method of rehydration than drinking,” says Max.
“Our treatments relieve the crushing symptoms of the hangover, allowing clients to reclaim their leisure time and not waste their weekends on the couch or in bed.”
Is this really the best treatment out there to combat the sickening consequences of having a fun night on the town?
“This is the best treatment out there at the moment because it is the most effective,” Mr Petro says. “Once fluid levels and vitamin levels are back to normal and restored, coupled with our oxygen and pain medications, our clients feel back to their old selves.”
So here is a solution to the annoying after effects of alcohol, but will people be willing to pay up to $200 for the package?
Student Leah Smith from Western Sydney University told The Newsroom she wouldn’t try the treatment from The Hangover Clinic because she would prefer to wait it out. “Hangovers are not like cancer and they go away with time so I think rather than spending the money I would prefer to wait for my body to recover naturally.” — Ashleigh Stevenson
Top photo by Ben Atkinson-James
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