Fioricet, Excedrin or Advil for Headaches
How to Choose the Best Headache Medicine for Frequent Head Pain
Oct 13, 2009
The brand name drugs Fioricet, Excedrin and Advil are some of the choices for relief of headaches. Anyone who gets headaches often knows how paralyzing a headache can be. It may be difficult to go to work, care for children or socialize with family and friends. Fortunately, those with frequent headaches have many treatment options.
Which medication is appropriate for one's individual needs? Anyone who is pregnant, nursing, taking another medication or has any medical condition should consult his or her doctor before taking any headache medicine. Listed here is general information regarding the advantages and disadvantages of taking various headache medicines, but is not meant to replace a doctor's advice.
Fioricet for Headaches
Fioricet is a prescription medication that combines acetaminophen, butalbital, and caffeine.
- Advantages: The main advantage of Fioricet is that it combines three drugs for optimum headache relief results. The acetaminophen acts as a pain killer, relieving the pain of the headache. Butalbital is used to ease the muscle contractions at the root of the headache. Finally, the caffeine component also relaxes the contractions of muscles that contribute to the headache.
- Disadvantages: Aside from needing a prescription for Fioricet, this medication has other disadvantages. Butalbital and caffeine can both be addictive and can also cause side effects such as dizziness or insomnia. Fioricet can interact with other medications and may not be appropriate for those with some medical problems. Pregnant and nursing women should consult their doctor before taking Fioricet.
Excedrin for Headaches
Excedrin is an over the counter medication that combines acetaminophen, aspirin and caffeine.
- Advantages: The main advantage of Excedrin is that it also combines three drugs for headache relief. Aspirin is added to the acetaminophen and caffeine as an additional pain reliever. Excedrin does not contain butalbital, which means it may be less addictive and cause less negative drug interactions than Fioricet. Finally, a prescription is not needed for Excedrin.
- Disadvantages: Because of the aspirin in Excedrin, pregnant women should not take it. Alcohol use should be avoided due to the danger of stomach bleeding from the aspirin and damage to the liver due to the acetaminophen. The caffeine in Excedrin can cause also insomnia.
Advil for Headaches
Advil is an over the counter medication also known as a ibuprofen.
- Advantages: Advil relieves a headache by decreasing hormones in the body that are the cause of pain. Advil contains no addictive substances and has less negative drug interactions than Fioricet. This medication contains no caffeine, so it can be taken at any time of the day. Many doctors will give permission for nursing women to use Advil, although each woman should check with her doctor first. A prescription is also not needed for Advil.
- Disadvantages: Along with Excedrin and Fioricet, Advil should not be used by pregnant women or people who frequently consume alcohol. Those who take Advil are at a higher risk for heart problems, stroke and stomach and intestine problems.
Deciding on the right choice for headache treatment can be challenging. Fioricet, Excedrin and Advil each have advantages and disadvantages that should be weighed before a decision is made.
This information is for comparison purposes only and is in no way a substitute for a physician's advice. Medication should only be taken in consultation with a physician. Read all information provided with each medication and follow all dosing instructions.
Reference:
Drugs.Com: Drug Information Online
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