A friend in need...
Written: Jun 07 '06 (Updated Jun 07 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: FAST relief of headache pain
Cons: Nasty drug cocktail with many dangerous side effects
The Bottom Line: A mixture of three powerful drugs in a gelatin-coated tablet kills even the worst headaches fast, but be careful or it might just kill you.
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| WulfsDen's Full Review: Excedrin Extra Strength 100 Geltabs |
After yesterday's short story, I figured my regular readers would appreciate something to kill the pain. :))
* * *
It was late one afternoon, just about the time for the lunchtime cocktail crowd to be heading home. My car was pulled over on the hard shoulder near a popular watering hole and parked askew. I was sitting slumped over the steering wheel with the top of it pressing into my forehead and my eyes closed. There can be little doubt what the police officer was thinking as he walked toward my car.
"Could you step out of the car please?" When he spoke was the first time that I realized he was there. His voice was harsh, but polite. To me it sounded as loud as Krakatoa.
"No." I said as loudly as I could. "I'm sorry, I can't."
"Step out of the car please, Sir." He was polite but insistent.
In my mind I saw him reaching for his gun. It was unlikely, but I was not thinking straight. I searched my fragmented brain for the shortest thing to say. Sentences were impossible for me now. I looked up, opened my eyes and said the only thing I could.
"Migraine!"
I think that was the first time he saw my face. I couldn't of course, but I know from experience how I looked. The right side of my face was red, swollen and puffy from nostril to forehead. My right eye was swollen almost closed. From it, the blue pupil gleamed in a bright-red bloody sea. Tears streamed down my cheek. In stark contrast, the left side of my face was completely normal.
"Are you okay?" His tone had changed. My status had gone from drunk to medical emergency. It was going to be okay.
"Five minutes," I managed. "I need five minutes."
He waited with me in blessed silence. I had taken the pills at the first sign of trouble. Already I could feel them cutting in. In five minutes I could talk. In ten, I could drive again. He was a good guy. These headaches frighten me. I hate to be alone with them. I was glad he was there.
Of course, I was lying to him, though at the time I could not explain. I do not get migraines. What I had was an episode in a cluster.
The ironic thing is that I was on my way home from the doctors. He had given me a sample bottle of pills to try. Excedrin Extra Strength Geltabs. The bottle did not even get home. This was the first time I had tried the geltabs, although Excedrin and I were old, old friends. The doctor had told me they started working really fast, much faster than a tablet. They did. For that I was exceedingly glad that day, and on many days since.
While migraines are an almost exclusively female phenomenon, clusters are primarily male. They are similar to migraines in that they affect only half the head, and they always occur in the same place.
For me, the pattern repeats. First I get a mild attack and then another a few days later. The headaches repeat becoming more frequent and more severe. At the peak, I will get one, sometimes two a day, and the pain is mind numbing. I would describe it as a sinus headache, not the throbbing tension type. In articles I have read about the problem, they compare the pain to that of terminal cancer. I don't know about that, and I really don't want to find out. The headaches will continue like this for a while, and then they become less frequent and less severe. Soon, I will get a day without a headache, then two or three. Days will pass. Then it will stop completely, the headaches disappearing as mysteriously as they came. Until the next time -- there is always a next time.
I have had these clusters since late childhood. Sometimes, I go years between episodes, sometimes I get them twice a year. They last for varying lengths of time. I have had them pass in seven days. The worst episode I remember took 10 weeks, with five weeks in the middle of the twice-a-day killer headaches. I almost didn't survive that one. Luckily, I do not own a gun.
Doctors, you ask? Oh yes, I have seen them by the dozen. They know about as much as I do. Maybe less, because I know what these headaches feel like and they don't. I wish I didn't too. Visiting the chiropractors seems to lessen the duration and frequency of the attacks, but it is impossible to be sure. A healthy lifestyle seems to cut their frequency too.
As you might imagine, I take a lot of painkillers. My bathroom cabinet looks like a shelf in a drug store. I have just about every known over-the-counter painkiller and sinus tablet. I have loads of prescription narcotics too: codeine, percoset, percodan and so on... I don't like to use them. They are dangerous and addictive. The problem is that the headaches are frequent and they are intense. Most of these narcotics take forever to start working. Sometimes an hour seems like a week. It is very, very easy to lose track of what painkiller you took and when you took it. It would be very easy to accidentally OD. That’s just one reason I don't like to be alone.
Mostly I use aspirin -- plain, simple, with the least severe undesirable side effects.
However, when the going gets rough, I grab the Excedrin. It has a big dose of aspirin, a big dose of acetaminophen and caffeine too. It works better than any of the others. The geltabs are very easy to swallow, and they take effect quicker than anything else I have tried. Excedrin stops all but the very worst of my headaches, even the ones that the other OTC painkillers can't touch. It is really a miracle drug. With it, I can often get through a cycle without using a narcotic. I keep Excedrin in my home, office, briefcase and car. However, I only use it for these headaches. I save it for when I really need it, if you know what I mean. I would not want frequent use to weaken its effect.
For the very worst type of headache pain, how can I not recommend Excedrin, but my recommendation comes with a severe warning.
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Severe Warning:
Excedrin contains aspirin. It is connected to Reye syndrome, a rare but dangerous problem. It should not be used by children except when specifically recommended by a doctor. It is especially important not to use aspirin during the last 3 months of pregnancy.
Excedrin contains acetaminophen, the same main ingredient found in Tylenol. There is irrefutable evidence linking acetaminophen with liver disease. Acetaminophen misuse is the leading cause of liver failure and liver-related death in the USA. The toxic dose of acetaminophen is less than double the recommended dose. It is very easy to OD. Over 70,000 cases of acetaminophen toxicity are reported each year.
Alcohol use prevents the liver cleansing itself, which makes even the recommended dose of acetaminophen extremely dangerous. The government mandated warning on Excedrin, Tylenol and other acetaminophen containing products is a cop out in my opinion, being the minimum the FDA will allow. The drug companies pour untold millions into our government. If the FDA were truly representing our interests, this warning would be much more strongly worded. Something like:
Do not take acetaminophen within 24 hours of drinking alcohol.
Do not drink alcohol within 24 hours of taking acetaminophen.
If you have a problem with alcohol, do not use acetaminophen at all.
To learn more type "acetaminophen liver alcohol" into any search engine. Expect about one million hits. New evidence suggests that acetaminophen use is connected to kidney failure too.
Excedrin contains caffeine. My Starbucks habit not withstanding, caffeine is a toxic, addictive alkaloid linked to a whole host of nervous system problems, and credited with a wide range of miraculous properties too. Most of this evidence is anecdotal and controversial. However, there does seem to be a consensus of opinion that pregnant women should avoid caffeine.
Let me also note that geltabs contain gelatin -- that’s where they get the "gel-" in the name. Gelatin is an animal byproduct. Vegetarians, such as my wife, will not use this or any similar product.
* * *
From the bottle:
Excedrin - The Headache Medicine™.
Gel Coated Tablets.
* Easy to swallow. 80 Geltabs.
* Acetaminophen, Aspirin and Caffeine
Indications:
For the temporary relief of the pain of headache, sinusitis, colds, muscular aches, menstrual discomfort, toothache and minor arthritis pain.
Directions:
Adults: 2 geltabs with water every 6 hours while symptoms persist, not to exceed 8 geltabs in 24 hours, or as directed by a doctor.
Children under 12 years of age: Consult a doctor.
Store at Controlled Room Temperature, 20-25°C (68-77°F).
Ingredients:
Active Ingredients:
Each Geltab contains: Acetaminophen (250 mg), Aspirin (250 mg), Caffeine (65 mg)
Inactive Ingredients:
Benzoic Acid, D&C Yellow 10 Lake, Disodium EDTA, FD&C Blue 1 Lake, FD&C Red 40 Lake, Ferric Oxide, Gelatin, Glycerin, Hydroxypropylcellulose, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Maltitol Solution, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Mineral Oil, Polysorbate-20, Povidone, Propylene Glycol, Simethicone Emulsion, Sorbitan Monolaurate, Stearic Acid, Titanium Dioxide
Drug Interaction Precautions:
Precaution: Do not take this product if you are taking a prescription drug for anticoagulation (thinning the blood), diabetes, gout or arthritis unless directed by a doctor.
Warnings:
Warning: Children and teenagers should not use this medicine for chicken pox or flu symptoms before a doctor is consulted about Reye syndrome, a rare but serious illness reported to be associated with aspirin. Keep this and all drugs out of the reach of children. In case of accidental overdose, seek professional assistance or contact a poison control center immediately. Prompt medical attention is critical for adults as well as for children even if you do not notice any signs or symptoms. As with any drug, if you are pregnant or nursing a baby, seek the advice of a health professional before using this product. It is especially important not to use aspirin during the last 3 months of pregnancy unless specifically directed to do so by a doctor because it may cause problems in the unborn child or complications during delivery.
Do not take this product for pain for more than 10 days or for fever for more than 3 days unless directed by a doctor. If pain or fever persists or gets worse, if new symptoms occurs, or if redness or swelling is present, consult a doctor because these could be signs of a serious conditions. Consult a dentist promptly for toothache. Do not take this product if you are allergic to aspirin, have asthma, have stomach problems (such as heartburn, upset stomach or stomach pain) that persist or recur, or if you have ulcers or bleeding problems, unless directed by a doctor. If ringing in the ears or loss of hearing occurs, consult a doctor before taking any more of this product. If you generally consume 3 or more alcoholic drinks every day, you should consult your physician for advice on when and how you should take Excedrin geltabs and other pain relievers.
Tamper-evident bottle.
Do not use if printed "Bristol-Myers' seal around the bottle cap and neck is broken or missing.
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Recommended:
Yes
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