There is only one way to stop a hangover headache, but we'll get to that later. First lets look at some things that allegedly cause hangovers:
Sulphites. So many people think that it's the sulphites that cause a bad hangover headache, I can assure you it is not. Not using Campden tablets or sodium metabisulphite or using grapes that have not bee sprayed with a sulphur compound to prevent rot will not help reduce the hangover headache. Sulphites occur naturally in wine. Yeast actually make sulphites as they ferment the sugars. And your body creates sulphites as it digests food. The smelly farts are hydrogen sulphide, made in your body. So the small amounts of extra sulphites used in the brewing process is highly unlikely to cause your hangover headache.
There is one exception though. There are some people in the world who are lacking an enzyme in their liver / kidneys that helps break down sulphites to harmless sulphates. Those people lack the enzyme sulfite oxidase. If you think this affects you, again, this is highly unlikely as its less than 1% of the population, and this is a life threatening condition.
Yes, there are some people that are sensitive to sulphites, but if you don't get a headache after eating a punnet of grapes , it's highly unlikely its the sulphites causing the headache.
Ethanol. Ethanol is the main ingredient in alcoholic drinks that gets you drunk. This is a diuretic and so makes you loose water. However, with drinks like beer and cider, which are 95% water and 5% alcohol, the diuretic effect is not big enough to make you loose excess water to make you dehydrated. Wine can have a stronger diuretic effect and so can spirits if drank solely, but usually a mixer with the spirits helps dilute the ABV to levels the body can tolerate and break down.
Ethanol is a drug, and once the body has been on an ethanol high, it wants to get back there once the ethanol is wearing off. So yes, you may suffer withdraw symptoms, which may include a headache.
Methanol, is another alcohol that is created by the yeast during the fermentation, however this is in small quantities. However, even in small quantities, methanol can make you ill if you drank it on its own. However, the good news is the antidote to methanol is ethanol, so it's kind of cancelled out. But the stories are true, drinking pure methanol will make you go blind.
Methanol is a drug, and once the body has been on an Methanol high, it wants to get back there once the Methanol wears off. So yes, you may suffer withdraw symptoms, which may include a headache.
So what else is in alcohol that can give you a hangover headache?
Sugar. In lots of drinks, especially beer and cider, there is a lot of sugar. Giving you not only an alcohol high, but a sugar rush too. The body has to work hard to rid it of excess sugar and this can make the body feel tired. No only has your body had to work hard to break down the sulphites, it has had to break down the ethanol, it has had to break down the methanol, and now its had to work hard to break down the sugar too.
But will a sugar low give you a headache? Yes, low sugar levels can give you a banging headache. But so can high sugar levels.
Your body is usually great at managing sugar levels, unless you have diabetes, so again, it may give you a headache, but it's unlikely, and more likely a feeling of fatigue.
Other Ingredients. You might be surprised, but alcoholic drinks do not have to list all the ingredients, with the exception of allergens. So an alcoholic drink may include sweeteners, chemicals, additives, enhancers, preservatives, but they do not need to be listed on the ingredients.
So if you know of an ingredient that sets off a headache and you take a sip of a drink and you get a headache, it may well be that ingredient is in the alcoholic drink.
Studies. There have been a lot of studies into alcohol and headaches and the main culprit causing the headaches is YOU!
Well, your body. In breaking down the ethanol, you body creates many substances, one being acetaldehyde. This is very toxic to humans, but its the first step in the body breaking it down, It then breaks the acetaldehyde into acetic acid (vinegar).
Everybody metabolises these compounds differently, so for some people, they may be slower to break down these compounds, causing a build up of acetaldehyde, before it can be broken down, potentially causing worse hangovers.
Acetaldehyde causes banging headaches as it affects the brains membranes, the meninges, by causing inflammation and damage to cells which can cause further inflammation.
Now there is another factor at play too, the type of drink. Some people can get a banging headache after just a glass of red wine, well that's because of a compound in the grape skins - quercetin - that blocks the body from breaking down acetaldehyde. So you get this big build up of this toxin that the body cant handle.
This acetaldehyde takes time to build up, as the body breaks down alcohol pretty quickly, but the process to break down acetaldehyde takes much longer. This is why you have a headache the morning after.
So, how do you stop hangover headaches? Simply drink less.
Sorry, currently, there is no magic cure. You can try these miracle herb pills, you can try drinking a pint of water before bed, you can try drinking a glass of water between drinks, you can try standing on your head with hands in buckets of cold water, you can try eating a kebab just before bed, but if you have has a skin full, expect a hangover.
Oh, and one extra thing, the older you get, the slower the body works to get rid of these toxins. So when you were 18 you were able to get up the next day with no ill affects, well those hangovers only get longer to get over.
However, there is one thing that I think helps with a hangover, sun. Go on a holiday and see how the sun seems to help you feel so much better the next day.
Cheers & happy brewing & happy drinking, just remember have some paracetamol to hand when you wake up.