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OT: What do you take for headaches?

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Posted 5/13/2011 10:37 AM (GMT 0)
Good Morning all! I have had a terrible sinus headache/migraine for 2 days now. I broke down and took ibuprofen yesterday (w/ little relief). I typically only take tylenol b/c I know the ibuprofen is bad for the belly. Has anyone taken excederin migraine? I've got to figure something out b/c regular tylenol doesn't touch it! Oh and yes I'm flaring currently.

Thanks and Happy Friday!
Posted 5/13/2011 11:02 AM (GMT 0)
When migraine hits me I usually take excedrin migraine, two pills and it helps. But I don't know how it can effect the flare up. Anyway, knowing the migraine pain, I would give it a try,
Hope you'll be better!
Posted 5/13/2011 11:55 AM (GMT 0)
When I get migraines (thankfully they are far and few in between!), I take Exederin Migraine. I don't seem to have an issue with it as long as I don't take it long term. It contains aspirin and caffeine which you might be sensitive to but sometimes you have to compromise. Head pain is the WORST!
Posted 5/13/2011 11:56 AM (GMT 0)
Hi, sorry for the headache.
When I have one that tylenol won't touch, I take an aspirin-based pain med, just one dose. I end up doing that 2 or 3 times a year. I wouldn't take any NSAID every several hours as the label suggests; years ago doing that with ibuprofen put me into a horribly bloody flare.
Posted 5/13/2011 12:16 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks guys! We had excedrin migraine in the cabinet. I took 2. I was stuck in the bed yesterday....I get the worst nausea when I get those really bad headaches. Hopefully this will help! I swear I get these headaches when we have weird weather....I live in the South and it has been humid, muggy and sticky hot for 48 straight hours.
Posted 5/13/2011 8:14 PM (GMT 0)
If you want to avoid the aspirin (also bad for the stomach) I take Excedrin Tension Headache. It's acetometaphin plus caffeine, which restricts blood vessels and can really help headaches. It works really well for me, but I can also tolerate the caffeine okay--not everyone can.
Posted 5/13/2011 11:05 PM (GMT 0)
I take 2 Moltrin. Works well for me even when I used to get sufasalazine migraines.
Posted 5/13/2011 11:10 PM (GMT 0)
I have tried a lot of stuff for my headaches but nothing seems to help. Mine are migraines and they are pretty resistent to standard treatment it seems. I've tried Butalbital/acetometaphin (dolgic) and I've tried a few triptans and not too much luck controlling them. The pain can last a few days. I hope I can find a solution. It's debilitating and it ruins 3 days a month for me. Tylenol does nothing. I've tried the tension headache meds with no luck. The only thing that helps are NSAIDS and I don't want to take them because my UC is so diffcult to control. If it flares up, who knows when it will relent.

Does anyone else get a lot of back stiffness and neck and shoulder tightness with a headache? I feel like my whole jaw, back and neck are tensed up. It's awful.

Posted 5/14/2011 1:30 AM (GMT 0)
Excedrin is the best for me! I haven't ever had any problems with the aspirin in there. Generally I only need one pill for even the worst of headaches, so I don't think the amount of NSAIDs in that dose would have much chance of doing bad things -- just makes my head feel worlds better.

By the way, Excedrin Migraine is EXACTLY the SAME as regular Excedrin. Sometimes they just charge more for it ;-).
Posted 5/14/2011 11:55 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks everyone! The caffeine definitely bothered me. However my headache went away!
Posted 5/14/2011 1:54 PM (GMT 0)
Pink, I'm glad the headache went away. I get frequent headaches and they are no fun! Btw, it might've been the combination of both the caffeine and aspirin that bothered you. Aspirin is a blood thinner and like Nsaids, it can promote bleeding while the caffeine can cause looser stools.

Nososicklygirl, do you know if you clench your teeth at night? I was getting the same thing that you are experiencing but since getting a night guard, I hardly ever get that pain anymore.
Posted 5/14/2011 2:53 PM (GMT 0)
I always clench when I get the migraines but I don't think I clench until I am starting to get it. My Dentist did recommend a nightguard for my clenching and TMJ but they are very expensive and my insurance does not cover it. Plus, I am the type of person to get it and not use it if it's not comfortable. I have trouble breathing at night, it may be worsse with a nightguard. I did get an inhaler for my asthma. I hope it helps.
Posted 5/14/2011 5:34 PM (GMT 0)
If it's a sinus infection, then I take Sudafed, which is for relieving nasal discomfort. If it's a headache, then Tylenol. I try not to take anything unless the pain is really bad, because I get rebound headaches from the meds.
Posted 5/14/2011 5:36 PM (GMT 0)
I came across this yesterday

http://sumaveldosepro.com/

and it looks interesting. how can it be needle free if you inject it into the thigh?

I may ask my Nuerologist about it but hopefully there is a pill that acts quickly to erridicate the pain.

Posted 5/14/2011 6:09 PM (GMT 0)
Sorry to hear you have headaches...be careful with Excedrin. It works , but for me also created rebound headaches, and a caffeine addiction I am dealing with years later. Also mak sure you get the Aspirin FREE version. Right now I take 1/2 pill caffeine daily to combat morning headaches(down from 1 pill/daily for past year!), Goal is to taper to 0. I do add an Excedrin migraine aspirin free or two when it's bad.

Dr Rx'd me Imitrex for my migraines which is great as there are no UC side affects(Caffeine causes instant BM for me), and doesn't make me jittery or keep me awake.

good luck..I've also found exercise helps, and sometimes cold/hot water therapy cures headaches.. either an Ocean Dip(if you happen to leave nearby the Ocean), or putting my head under the shower and going from HOT for a few seconds to COLD for a few seconds, repeat. I think it does the same as the drugs which relieve tension in the brain(?)

best
Posted 5/14/2011 6:51 PM (GMT 0)
I'm sure everyone is different, but I've never experienced anything like a rebound headache or caffeine addiction. Yes, I can feel the affect of the caffeine (my heart rate speeds up a bit) but I think it's also essential in the delivery of the aspirin and acetaminophen (= Tylenol), the other active ingredients in Excedrin. Taking those two together, without the caffeine component, doesn't work as well for me.

Furthermore, the amount of caffeine in 1 Excedrin (65 mg), is about half of the amount in a single 8 oz. cup of freshly brewed coffee.

Also, I've never found the caffeine in an Excedrin to cause me to have any urgency, which I certainly have felt when drinking brewed coffee ;)...
Posted 5/14/2011 6:56 PM (GMT 0)
By the way, I've seen a number of posts in this forum cautioning against taking NSAIDs if one has UC. OK, one doesn't want to overdo it if there's a fair amount of active hemorrhaging as is sometimes associated with UC, I can understand that.

But there isn't any research linking NSAID consumption and the onset of a flare, is there?

My doctor certainly hasn't made any mention of this at all. The only time it came up was when I was prepping for my colonoscopy, since you don't want to be taking blood thinners before surgery.
Posted 5/14/2011 9:21 PM (GMT 0)
I drink caffeinated beverages. For some reason the excedrin made my super jittery and shaky. I am flaring w/ some bleeding. I feel like I noticed an increase bleeding wise today. Did not cause any D.

Sorry for those that suffer headaches regularly. I was downright pitiful and I only get them a couple of times a year!
Posted 5/14/2011 10:39 PM (GMT 0)
I take Aleve because it's the only thing that works for me. I've tried Tylenol countless times and it does absolutely nothing for my headaches. My GI doctor okayed occassional use (e.g. a few times a month) of Aleve since I don't notice it affecting my gut at all. He said if it was harming me, I would probably notice right away after taking it.

NovaGal -- No, no research that I'm aware of.
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