There's bad news for migraine sufferers. Two popular pain medications have been temporally discontinued: Excedrin Extra Strength and Excedrin Migraine.
Many of my patients rely on Excedrin, it’s their number one “go-to” for migraine relief. So I’m already seeing that a shortage of these two pain-relieving medications is causing some distress for regular users.
But I do have some good news.
The makers of Excedrin,GlaxoSmithKline believe that this will be a short term issue. And that production will start up back up again in the near future. Although no date has been set.
Now the reason why they halted production was due to inconsistencies in how ingredients were transferred and weighed. And this was discovered through internal quality control measures. So because of this, they voluntarily suspended production as a precautionary measure.
The company says that the product does not pose a safety risk. But they are pointing consumers to other available Excedrin products and are suggesting users speak with their pharmacist about a suitable alternative.
I would likely recommend Acetaminophen, however, what works for one person may not work for another.
So if you’re suffering from regular migraines, it’s really important that you see your doctor. Because there are other medications that can relieve migraine pain like Triptans, Dihydroergotamines, Lasmiditan and Ubrogepant.
There are also preventive medications that may help those who experience frequent migraines.
Also, if you’re regularly taking Excedrin or aspirin or ibuprofen, I want you to be aware of what’s called medication-overuse headaches. It happens when you take these drugs for long periods of time. The medication can actually stop working, and instead, you’ll end up with headaches because of it.
Lastly, besides medication, you can also try lifestyle changes to help prevent future attacks. So watch your stress, exercise and try relaxation techniques. It’s also important to keep a headache diary to learn your triggers. This may help you avoid possible migraines in the future.
