The Pros and Cons of Using Excedrin As A Migraine Preventative
This post is going to focus on caffeine withdrawal migraines, since I know them so intimately. Hopefully, it will have some bearings on your migraines, but if not, I apologize. There are days like today where I pop and Excedrin Migraine pill in order to avoid a migraine (Panadol Extra in the UK). Sometimes it works and sometimes it backfires.
As always, please don’t use this article in the place of your doctor’s advice.
The Pros
If you know that lack of caffeine triggers a migraine, then taking a pill loaded with caffeine when you can’t have a cup of tea or coffee can help head a migraine off at the pass. I had to rush and do errands this morning and only had time for one cup of tea. I didn’t know when I was coming home, so I took one Excedrin migraine before heading out. I do not have amigraine now (knock on wood).
The Cons
Lots of caffeine isn’t good for you. Some people can’t tolerate it at all. I’m embarrassed to be caffeine-dependent, but at least I’m down from three liters of Pepsi a day. Ideally, the best way to get rid of caffeine withdrawla migraines is to cut out caffeine from your life.
However, this requires an excrutiatingly painful cold turkey period that I am not strong enough to go through. So, I’ve gradually been cutting down on caffeine consumption instead.
In conclusion, I’d say that you really have to know your migraine’s triggers before you rely on taking Excedrin as a preventative. If you know that events A, B and C have always resulted in a migraine in the past and now you have to do evnts A, B and C, you better take some medicine. Otherwise, you should only take it after an aura or a migraine starts. You don’t want to get rid of one type of migraine only to develop rebound migraines.
Hope this helps.
September 2nd, 2008 at 9:18 am
You also run a huge risk of Medication Overuse Headache using Excedrin in this way.
September 2nd, 2008 at 12:43 pm
That’s what I meant by “rebound migraines” — but I like your description better! Do you mind if I start calling them medication overuse migraines?
September 7th, 2008 at 1:40 am
Hi Rena, the generally accepted term is Medication Overuse Headache. They’re not Migraines, even though they can be as painful as or more so than Migraines.
Teri Robert has an excellent overview of MOH here: http://www.healthcentral.com/migraine/medications-32544-5.html
Be well,
MJ
October 13th, 2008 at 10:04 am
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