Hi, we're Mat and Rob. We're housemates, we work for BuzzFeed, and we love to drink.
And you know what the worst part of being an alcohol enthusiast is? The hangovers. But the good news is that a new Hangover Clinic has opened up in Sydney to (hopefully) cure all of our ills.
But first, we had to get drunk. (For science!)
We also had a chat to Dr Brad McKay, a local GP and the host of Embarrassing Bodies Down Under, and he was pretty skeptical about the whole thing.
"I don't see much value for money," he told us. "Hartmann's solution (which the clinic uses to re-hydrate you) is commonly used to rehydrate patients and only costs a few cents a bag. It's cheap because it's basically salty water. Packets of anti-nausea and headache medication can be bought at your local pharmacy for a few bucks. Scientific evidence hasn't found that intravenous vitamins or oxygen therapy can help cure a hangover."
McKay also said that a hangover "cure" can't beat the real thing, which is not drinking at all.
"There's a risk you'll feel a false sense of security, like you're cheating the bad health effects of alcohol. Even though you may feel better, your liver will still hate you in the morning."
So, there's only one way to test this thing out.
We drank whatever we could get our grubby mitts on. Malibu rum, vodka, beer, a bottle of wine each. We even stopped off to slam two Jägerbombs. All in the name of ~research~.
And who woulda thunk it? We got pretty damn hungover.
So we headed off to the Hangover Clinic in Darlinghurst to see if we could just make the pain stop. Please.
The clinic opened in December and, depending on how much you want to spend, you can get everything from a couple of painkillers to an IV bag full of fluids and electrolytes, "medical grade" oxygen, a delicious vitamin smoothie, and powerful anti-nausea medication.
We decided to take the lot.
After filling out a bunch of forms to confirm we're not pregnant, it was time.
We took a few ibuprofen and we were hooked up to an IV where anti-nausea meds (Ondansetron) were injected.
The Hangover Clinic also provides a cocktail full of vitamins B and C to get you back in the groove. It was like a cold-pressed juice but a doctor gave it to you so it felt even MORE healthy.
As two very thirsty men, we needed a shitload of fluid, so we went through that 1.5 litres pretty quickly.
For the next 30 minutes we sat in a quiet, warmly lit room listening to some pretty chill music and waiting (hoping) to feel better.
The verdict:
Mat: Waking up I thought, I've had hangovers far worse than this. Then I had to WALK TO A CLINIC? By the time we got there my hangover was at a solid eight. During the treatment all I could think about was how much better it would be if I was still in bed. Post-treatment I still felt a little shit, but I was definitely back down to about a three on the official Hangover Scale. It's never a good feeling when you have to walk into work with a cracking hangover, but after getting a little treatment things weren't nearly as terrible as they could have been.
Rob: The biggest problem with a hangover clinic is that you have to drag your hungover ass out of bed to get to it (although the clinic says it has plans for a home service). Other than that it seemed to really work. I'd say my hangover was a six or a seven, and by the time I walked out it was at zero. But at $200 for the full "Resurrection" package, I think I'd rather stay in bed until midday then smash a greasy burger.
Disclaimer: The Hangover Clinic provided its services for free for the purposes of this review.