taking excedrin

[mharris]

I get bad migraines and the other day my zomig didn't help and I also took tylenol 3 because my pcp said he would rather I take that for headaches than excedrin. Well nothing would help so I took 3 extra strength excedrin which finally did the trick, thank god!! But I have my warfarin check in a week, would the excedrin make a difference in the level after a week? Has anyone else had to take aspirin for headaches and if so have you noticed any big difference?
Michelle

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Michelle,

Excedrin is a form of aspirin which interferes with blood clotting.

THREE doses of EXTRA STRENGTH Excedrin sounds pretty potent to me. I suggest you advise your Coumadin Clinic Nurse ASAP and / or your doctor. They may want you to come for a test before next week. In the mean time, watch for signs of bleeding or excessive bruising.

'AL'

 

[Nancy]

Michelle-

I agree with Al. Please let the person monitoring your anticoagulation know about the Excedrin.

Joe can only take Tylenol, and that has been the case for 25 years. And he can't take too much of that either because he has to be careful of his liver due to one of his medications which can compromise the liver.

It is very important to stay with your doctor's guidelines on what you can and cannot take. It's too important.

Take care,

 

[LUVMyBirman]

My PCP informed that I could safely take one single dose of Excedrin. Just once. Not a daily, weekly, etc. As the others are correct...... it could cause complications. Since my migraines progressed and OTC did not help. I take one Darvocet at onset Not thirlled about taking a narcotic. But as needed which is at least 8 times a month........ is better than suffering. Tried to without..... was miserable and could not function.

If I can head them off.....it works well. The other half of it is being on a beta blocker. Cannot get rid of the darn mirgraines fully...but at least cut them in half.

I would be debilitated without the meds. With a young child....plainly do not have time to sit on the couch or in bed until is passes.

All the best to you.

 

[Gnusgal]

I think that not being able to take anything other than tylenol is one of my biggest complaints. I get headaches quite frequently, and rarely does tylenol do much good. Gina, I also get migraines, but have yet to find anything that works, other than sleep. Unfortunately, that's not always an option. Before I started on coumadin I used Ibuprophin. That stuff worked on my headaches. I miss it so! I mention my headaches to my card all the time, but she hasn't reccommended anything else I can do about them. It stinks. Maybe I should ask her directly...

 

[LUVMyBirman]

My dream pill!

My dream pill!

"Before I started on coumadin I used Ibuprophin"

Hi Niki,

I wish! Ibuprophin worked like a charm! Have read your posts about the female issues. Truly beleive this plays a major role! Don't want to sound like a pill pusher......but the Darvocet does work for the migraines and severe menstral cramps! Before Coumadin....the issues were not as strong. Was offered a hysterectomy. Just not ready for another surgery at this point.

Hang in there.

 

[ccrawford]

Gina - I'm curious. What time of day to you take your beta blocker and what time of day do you typically get the migraines? I take Toprol at bedtime, and my headaches normally begin as I wake up while lying in bed. Hellofa way to start the day.

 

[ccrawford]

Checking Drug Interactions on-line

Checking Drug Interactions on-line

It occured to me that for those who have not bought al's book that deals with coumadin (its a good book by the way) that there is another site that you can use to check drug interactions. Try the following: HTTP://www.drugdigest.org/do/interactions/chosedrugs If this doesn't work, try doin...f herbal supplements that can cause problems.

 

[RobThatsMe]

Hi,

I was also advised not to take Excedrin or aspirin for headaches. I was told to only take Tylenol, and to drink some coffee with it. The caffine interacts with the Tylenol and is supposed to work just like Excedrin with this combination.

Now, I take Coumadin and I also take a 325 mg coated aspirin daily. I am one of those that is on both a Coumadin / Aspirin combination.

My thought about the warning not to take Aspirin or Excedrin is not that it effects our INR, as much as the fact that taking Excedrin or plain Aspirin could cause stomach bleeding. This would be rather dangerous to have a stomach bleed for those of us on Coumadin.

Just my 2 cents...

Rob

 

[Rain]

Toprol is part of my morning cocktail...

Toprol is part of my morning cocktail...

But I think it?s the coumadin that makes my eyes hurt so bad that I get a headache. It happens when I?m out in the bright sun for long periods of time with no sunglasses. The first time it happened was the weekend after I started taking all the meds.

Hey Rob, someone asked me one time why I take baby aspirin... I really don?t know the answer. Do you know what it does for us? And is it 'baby' aspirin you take? If so, what brand is it... I don't remember ever seeing a 'coated' baby aspirin. I'm really bad about taking my hand full of pills in the morning and then not eating anything until noon. I gotta stop doing that... it really makes my stomach hurt sometimes. But a coated pill may help.

 

[LUVMyBirman]

Take all of my meds at 6pm each evening. Easy to remember as that's usually dinner. My headaches are early to mid afternoon as the day wears on. More frequent during hormonal changes in my body.

 

[Kim]

Are you guys saying that beta blockers increase the frequency of migrines? Since my surgery I have had a great increase in migraines. I was perplexed as to why. Since surgery I have been on metoporol (beta blocker).

 

[ALCapshaw2]

COATED BABY ASPIRIN

COATED BABY ASPIRIN

Rain,

I take EQUATE brand "enteric coated aspirin regimen" tablets, labeled "adult low strength aspirin" (81 mg) which are purchased at my local Wallmart.

'AL'

 

[Birky]

excedrin

excedrin

I take a baby aspirin along with the Coumadin. Surgeon put me on this. I have also been having a lot of bad headaches and the last 2 sent me home from work. The Cardizem and Lanoxin could be causing them but the Dr. didn't think so. I called yesterday to see if I could take something else and was told no. I am supposed to call my family Dr. but when I did with the last headache I was told to take Tylenol sinus. The headaches are really hard to deal with.

 

[Johnny Stephens]

Rain: I also take baby aspirin, and it was explained to me by my cardio that the low-dose aspirin diminishes the "stickiness" of the blood platelets. This is thought by some to provide another avenue of protection if clots form. I gather that there a wide variety of opinion on this....

 

[LUVMyBirman]

Hi Kim,

They actually put me on the Beta Blocker to cut down on the migraines. Has helped drastically. Was having them almost daily!

 

[Kim]

Thanks Gina for sharing! I guess I was confused!

 

[Gnusgal]

I'm pretty sure that the increase in frequency for my headaches stems from the hormonal probs I've been having lately. I know it was the culprit back in May/June. I really wish I could take something other than tylenol. My mother uses viox (I think that's it) on her really tough headaches, but I don't know if I would even be allowed to take that (though I'm pretty sure it doesn't have asprin in it).

Rain, i also take a "baby" asprin that is coated. It's actually by Bayor and is the "low dose" 81mg tab, like Al mentioned. I used to do the actual "baby" asprins, that you had to chew, but discovered the "adult" version and like it much better.

 

[RobThatsMe]

Hi Ya'll,

Johnny has the correct answer. Aspirin diminishes the "stickiness" of the blood platelets.

Again, my doctors have me on a 325 mg coated, (Enteric), aspirin and coumadin routine. I've been on it for 3 years and have not had any problems.

I asked about the baby aspirin, 85 mg, as apposed to the 325 mg. My doctor told me that in my case he still recommended the 325 mg dose.

This whole thing about aspirin and doctors recommending that everyone take one, was to help prevent clots and blockage. Well, since I, we, are already on Coumadin, that takes care of that issue. The aspirin I take is just another weapon to help prevent clotting around the valve due to the platelets being alittle more slick.

Rain, hope this helps explain.
By the way, I take all my meds in the morning except for my Coumadin. I f I test during the day, holding off to evening allows me to adjust my dose quicker. I take my beta blocker in the morning, since it is during the daytime hours that I want that pill to do it's job, mainly lower my blood pressure and heart rate. I don't need that at night when I sleep. It is during the day that all the stress and daytime activities need more regulation than at night when I sleep.

My best to all, summer ends way too quick!

Rob

 

[ccrawford]

Gina is correct, Kim. Beta Blockers are sometimes prescribed for headaches. Some of the other medications for blood pressure, however, like the ace inhibitors, can cause headaches.