Two over-the-counter medicines that many headache and migraine sufferers rely on, Excedrin Extra Strength and Excedrin Migraine were temporarily discontinued.
Excedrin Extra Strength is used for temporary pain relief due to headaches, arthritis, and muscle aches; and Excedrin Migraine claims to help relieve pain in as little as 30 minutes.
According to a statement from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the company that makes these drugs, production and distribution have been temporarily halted because of “inconsistencies in how we transfer and weigh ingredients.” These inconsistencies were uncovered during routine quality control and assurance measures.
GSK has voluntarily taken the measures to suspend production and distribution as a precaution. The company views this halt as a “short-term issue,” and production is expected to begin again shortly.
Other Excedrin products are still available. These include Excedrin Tension Headache and Excedrin PM.
Migraines
The World Health Organization (WHO) named migraine as one of the 10 most disabling illnesses. Along with the pain of a migraine, many patients live in fear of the next attack, known as cephalalgiaphobia.
There are different types of drugs available to help treat migraines. Some examples include:
- Triptans, which work by constricting specific blood vessels that help block pain pathways in the brain
- Dihydroergotamine (DHE), which helps narrow the blood vessels around the brain and is typically used to treat migraine pain that persists for two or more days
- Gepants, which inhibit the protein calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). Ubrelvy (ubrogepant), the first gepant approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), should be available later this year.
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