My Favorite Hangover Cure Is Disguised as a Drug for PMS

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Men, women, and people who don’t identify as either have one thing in common: We all get hangovers, and Midol, I have found, will cure them. I am not a doctor, so I discovered this the hard way—by having PMS. But what I’ve learned from that hideous, God-given ailment has weirdly paid off when it comes to the distress of a standard-issue hangover. As we careen full-tilt into New Year’s Eve, it might be a good time to stock up on this remedy. (Though perhaps consult your doctor before you do.)

Let’s cover some basics. A person with PMS may feel achy, bloated, and tired. A person with a hangover may also feel achy, bloated, and tired. The cause of the symptoms is different, of course: One is caused by some cyclical hormonal bullshit, and the other is caused by drinking too much. The suffering, however, is the same. From what my (not at all professional) research suggests, Midol Complete takes a three-pronged approach to making you feel better, and it works regardless of your menstrual status. Each dose contains 500 mg of acetaminophen (equivalent to Extra Strength Tylenol), 60 mg of caffeine (which delivers the buzz you’d get from a small cup of coffee), and 15 of mg pyrilamine maleate (technically an antihistamine but also helps with water retention). (Midol also has a caffeine-free formula and a long-lasting formula in case you need a little variety in your life.) In my experience, Midol puts the kibosh to my headaches, malaise, and puffiness like no other cure.

The reason non-PMS people don’t take Midol is because they think it’s for people with periods. By doing so, they are not only missing out on pain relief, but they are basically gender-discriminating against themselves. Taking Midol will not cause you to grow a uterus. It will not give you PMS. It will not suddenly result in you earning 79 cents for every dollar a cisgender man makes. (Though it may contribute to some liver damage, so, well, be careful with that.) It will—simply put—help make your hangover go away. I’m sorry that the physical suffering of women had to happen for us to figure this out, but glad we can all benefit. And if that isn’t equalizing, I don’t know what is.

Buy it: Midol Complete, $7 on Amazon

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Originally Appeared on Bon Appétit