THE LIVING ROOM COUCH — You wake up, confused and hurting. It feels like a leprechaun clubbed you over the head with a sandbag, then poured it down your throat. And where are your pants?

It's called a hangover.

If this happened on a Saturday morning, you might spend some quality time in bed sipping Gatorade and nibbling on some saltine crackers.

This isn't Saturday morning, though. It's Tuesday, March 18 — the day after St. Patrick's Day.

Worse yet, work or class starts in an hour. This hangover needs to disappear now.

We asked Dr. Jeff Susman, chair of the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Cincinnati, for some advice to help you make one good decision this St. Patrick's Day.

"Imagine that you've been out in the desert because that's basically what the alcohol is doing to your body," said Dr. Susman.

He suggests drinking plenty of water or sports drink before hitting the hay, and then a dose of aspirin or ibuprofen in the morning. The morning after, avoid caffeine and other diuretics like alcohol.

And as always, if you choose to drink on St. Patrick's Day, please do it responsibly. Never drive while drunk. A designated driver is always the best idea, but if you don't have one, keep a list of taxi companies in your wallet or purse.