So, tonight's the big night.

And if you're anything like the more than 85 percent of Americans who, according to a Quinnipiac University poll, plan on celebrating New Year's Eve, there's a chance you'll lift a glass (or two) to usher in 2008.

Which means there's also a chance that tomorrow you'll wake up feeling the New Year's Eve aftermath - queasy, with a headache and a mouth as dry as cotton balls.

"That's your body's way of telling you that it's feeling the effects of alcohol," said Dr. Ken Bachrach, clinical director of Tarzana Treatment Centers, the largest provider of substance abuse treatment services in Los Angeles. "Drinking any alcoholic beverage by itself isn't the problem; the problem is overdoing it."

Nonetheless, anyone who has had a drink or two too many has likely suffered the post-party consequences, ills for which the remedies run the gamut from home-brewed elixirs to herbal supplements.

But scientists have yet to find a quick fix for the hangover.

In 2005, a team of medical researchers at the universities of Exeter and Plymouth, in the U.K., tested potential remedies ranging from prickly pear to prescription antivomiting drugs before concluding they could find no actual "cure" for a hangover.

The only proven hangover cure, they found, is patience. In other words, waiting for the body to metabolize ingested alcohol (which can take from a few hours to, in some cases, a few days).

"No compelling evidence exists to suggest that any conventional or complementary intervention is effective for preventing or treating alcohol hangover," researcher Max H. Pittler wrote in an article published in the British Medical Journal.

The team's final answer as to how to avoid alcohol's morning-after malaise?

"Moderation or abstinence."

Well, there's something to toast.

HANGOVER REMEDIES

While perhaps nothing really "cures" a hangover, there are several steps you can take to prevent and treat the symptoms (which include headache, nausea and dry mouth).

>Replenish your fluids.
Alcohol has a dehydrating effect on the body, so it's important to drink a lot of water or electrolyte-enhanced drinks (such as Gatorade) before, during and after a night of drinking. A glass of water between each drink, for instance, keeps you hydrated and helps pace your alcohol consumption.

>Don't drink on an empty stomach.
Having food in the stomach before you drink - particularly proteins, fats and dense carbohydrates - slows the absorption of alcohol, which decreases the chances of alcohol intoxication (i.e., a hangover). Keep in mind, though, no amount of food will protect against drinking too much alcohol.

>Take two aspirin before you go to bed after a night of drinking and again when you wake up.
Aspirin helps prevent and relieve a headache due to alcohol-related dehydration. Note: do not take products with acetaminophen (Tylenol), which can be toxic when mixed with alcohol.

>Choose your drinks wisely
According to the online health information site WebMD, studies show alcoholic beverages consisting of only clear alcohol and water (such as vodka or gin and tonic) produce less severe hangovers, while drinks that contain congeners - darker alcohol such as brandy, whisky or red wine - produce more severe hangovers. As for champagne and wine, their evils are in their sugar. It's very hard for the liver to metabolize a lot of sugar and alcohol at the same time.

>Try supplements
While prickly pear may sound like something out of a witch's brew, derivatives of this cactus plant have shown some promise in treating hangover symptoms. Found in some over-the-counter supplements (including Hangover Prevention Formula, or HPF), prickly pear is believed to work by reducing the body's inflammatory response caused by alcohol. Studies also have shown that vitamin B6 can help to reduce the severity of a hangover.

Melissa Heckscher (310) 540-5511, Ext. 329; melissa.heckscher@dailybreeze.com