If you’re not keen on starting 2008 with the throbbing headache and nausea that tend to accompany ringing in the new year, armchair physicians are aflutter with surefire remedies.

“I’ve heard of mixing clam chowder and Tabasco sauce,” said Dominique Harris, 22, a bartender at Henry T’s Bar and Grill, 3520 W. Sixth St., as she described one stomach-churning solution. She also mentioned the gag-inducing supposed cure-all of chewing on charcoal.

But for those recovering revelers who would like nothing more than to awake with neither pain nor the promise to never drink again, there are some medically proven solutions to hangovers.

“The easiest way to avoid a hangover is not to drink alcohol, but for those that do, there are individual variations on (what) their tolerance for different types of alcohol is,” said Dr. Donald Hatton, an internal medicine specialist with the Reed Medical Group. He said some people may get hangovers from scotch or red wine, so they should steer clear of those libations.

The reason people wake up craving water after a night of boozing is simple: Alcohol dehydrates the body.

“The theory that a hangover is caused by dehydration is probably the most held theory,” Hatton said. “So the alcohol being a slight diuretic to the kidneys to make you dehydrated means you have to drink water to replace that. After having the alcohol, it’s important to drink a fair amount of water to re-hydrate yourself so you don’t get a headache.”

But what if, in a flurry of celebration, party-goers forget to re-hydrate?

Hatton suggested taking vitamin C, like orange juice, the next morning. He said he had no professional opinion on over-the-counter supplements that promise to reduce or eliminate hangovers, but that eating a hearty meal before beginning to drink can help.

“The importance of eating with alcohol is probably the only thing that could be helpful in decreasing that amount of their blood-alcohol level,” Hatton said. He said fatty foods, including meat and cheeses can absorb alcohol, delaying the effect of consumption.

He cautioned that too much alcohol can have adverse mental and physical effects. Hatton recommended that partygoers rely on taxi services like Tipsy Taxi, a free service run by Ground Transportation, to stay safe as they return home.

As for the lingering threat of a hangover on New Year’s Day, Hatton said a good cup of coffee and rest can help.

“Activity will aggravate it, so being quiet, re-hydrating, eating easily digested foods and taking some sort of pain medication” can ease hangovers, he said.

Harris, on the other hand, had another suggestion.

“Getting something to eat in the morning usually helps,” she said. “Or, have another drink.”