FIGHTING YOUR FIRST HANGOVER OF '96\Doctors say only time will work, but others recommend herbs, butterscotch\and burgers.

Byline: Kevin Ainsfeld Daily News Writer

Feeling dizzy? Nauseous? Like a truck just ran over your head?

The party's over, pal. Time to suffer through your first hangover of 1996.

If you're like the millions of other revelers who filled the wee hours consuming spirits with wee bubbles, you're likely spending this New Year's Day in search of the ultimate cure for your aching skull.

Don't knock yourself out.

Sure, there are those who think a bowl of menudo or a swig of red eye - a witch's concoction of tomato juice, Tabasco sauce and a raw egg - can take away the pain. Others swear that a fatty meal of pizza or french fries dipped in butterscotch can take a load off that noggin.

Yet sadly, fast and effective remedies are few and far between.

After all, look at the damage alcohol does. Much like the effect of gastritis, alcohol breaks down the protective mucus layer that lines your stomach to aid in the destruction of acid, said Dr. Jerel Tilton of Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Woodland Hills.

Booze affects the brain by killing cells, prompting headaches and - in severe cases - dissolving the tissue lining in the brain, Tilton said. What's more, alcohol turns to fat in the liver because it's immediately recognized as poison.

That's not counting cirrhosis of the liver - heavy scarring from having to metabolize so much alcohol - or damage to the kidneys from having to constantly flush out the alcohol.

A hangover, then, is the least of your worries.

"There is no cure," said Brian A. Kim, a pharmacist at Tarzana Plaza Pharmacy. "The body just has to get it out of its system."

Don't tell that to Lisa Patton, 24, of Woodland Hills. She has a routine she practices every time she inadvertently ties one on.

"You know what I discovered works for a hangover? Before you drink all night long, you should have two large glasses of water and take four Tylenol," said Patton, who often chooses beer and shots of gold Schlatter for her reveling.

And Patton's routine continues the day after: "Get up in the morning, eat a good breakfast and then eat sushi for dinner."

Sandra Valdivia, 30, of Pasadena eats bread to settle her stomach after enjoying too many vodka gimlets, while Nanette Yawitz, 40, of North Hollywood makes herself a good, heavy meal.

"If I am really, really bad, the thing that I find works really well is a greasy hamburger," she said. "It seems to restore my balance."

There are ways to avoid the inevitable hangover from the get go.

Short of abstinence, revelers should set an alcohol limit before it's too late, Tilton said. Consume the spirits first - preferably one per hour only - before moving to nonalcoholic drinks such as soda, juice or water.

Above all, don't accelerate the drinking. It's like putting poison in your body, Tilton said.

Illegal blood-alcohol levels may provide a sobering reminder of what you can and can't consume. Remember, a person with a blood-alcohol level of .08 percent is considered legally drunk: that's two drinks for a person who weighs 90 to 129 pounds, three drinks for someone 130 to 189 pounds, and four drinks for someone 190 pounds or more, according to the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Choosiness when you belly up to the bar may help stave off a meaty headache later. While moderation is always the key, alcohols that are light in congeners - responsible for taste, color and aroma - are the least likely to contribute to hangovers, according to the "Mount Sinai School of Medicine Complete Book of Nutrition." Vodka has the least congeners while red wine and brandy contain the most.

Some even turn to holistic medicine before a night of bubbly libations.

"A couple goes to a party and they want something with herb power to reduce hangover symptoms," said Dr. Kim Lee of Herbacure in Tarzana. "I give them different herbs for different symptoms from a variety of 300 different herbs, and they work."

But if planning for your hangover wasn't in last night's party plans, there are a few remedies that doctors suggest - with caution.

For that raging headache, celebrants may want to take aspirin or an acetaminophen product such as Tylenol. For aching muscles, ibuprofen (such as Motrin or Advil) could make a dent.

Pull out the Mylanta for that nauseous stomach, but stay away from the Alka Seltzer if you already downed a painkiller - the antacid also contains aspirin, Tilton said.

After bouts of severe vomiting or diarrhea - not necessarily brought on by drinking - Patient Care magazine recommends avoiding milk or milk products, and carbonated, caffeinated, alcoholic or sugary beverages.

Instead, eat bland, easily digested foods, such as bananas, rice, applesauce, toast, boiled eggs, baked or mashed potatoes, plain pasta, crackers, oatmeal and boiled chicken or turkey. At least 8 to 16 ounces of water and a multivitamin also will restore some of the nutrients that were lost from your system.

Above all, most seem to agree the best defense is time.

"If I have a hangover and I have to work, I just have to suffer, but normally I would stay in bed all day," said Shirley Russell, 35, of Tarzana.

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Drawing no caption (Man with hangover) Tim Goheen/Knight-Ridder Tribune Graphics Network