Excedrin

Excedrin

What is Excedrin?

Excedrin is used to treat pain caused by tension headaches, migraines, muscle pain, menstrual cramps, arthritis, toothache, cold, or nasal congestion.

Excedrin may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Warnings

Do not give Excedrin to children or teenagers who have fever, flu symptoms, or chickenpox. Aspirin can cause Reye's syndrome, a serious and sometimes fatal condition in children.

Do not take more Excedrin than recommended. An overdose of acetaminophen can damage your liver or cause death. Call your doctor immediately if you have nausea, upper abdominal pain, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, or jaundice (yellowing of your skin or eyes).

Aspirin can cause stomach or intestinal bleeding, which can be fatal. Call your doctor immediately if you notice symptoms such as bloody or tarry stools or coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds.

In rare cases, paracetamol can cause a serious skin reaction. Stop taking Excedrin and call your doctor immediately if you have skin redness or a rash that spreads and causes blistering and peeling.

Before you take this medicine

Do not give Excedrin to children or teenagers who have fever, flu symptoms, or chickenpox. Aspirin can cause Reye's syndrome, a serious and sometimes fatal condition in children.

You should not use Excedrin if you are allergic to acetaminophen (Tylenol), aspirin, caffeine, or other NSAIDs (Advil, Motrin, Aleve, Orudis, Indocin, Lodine, Voltaren, Toradol, Mobic, Relafen, Feldene, and others).

Aspirin can cause stomach or intestinal bleeding, which can be fatal. These conditions can occur without warning while taking Excedrin.

Ask a doctor or pharmacist if it is safe for you to take Excedrin if you have other medical conditions, especially:

• Liver disease, liver cirrhosis, history of alcoholism or if you drink more than 3 alcoholic drinks per day;

• asthma or seasonal allergies;

• fever with stiff neck;

• peptic ulcer, stomach or intestinal bleeding, ulcerative colitis;

• a bleeding or blood clotting disorder such as hemophilia;

• kidney disease; or

• if you are taking medicines to treat glaucoma or to prevent blood clots.

If you are taking Excedrin to treat headaches, see a doctor if you have:

• headache so severe that you have to lie down;

• headache causing vomiting;

• what feels like the worst headache you've ever had;

• Headache that is different from your usual headache;

• headache every day;

• Headache after coughing, bending, exercising, or a head injury;

• if you have never been diagnosed with migraines by a doctor; or

• if you have a headache for the first time after the age of 50.

Aspirin can be harmful to an unborn child's heart, reduce birth weight, or have other dangerous effects. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant while taking Excedrin.

Aspirin, acetaminophen, and caffeine can pass into breast milk and harm a breastfed baby. You should not breast-feed while using Excedrin.

How should I take Excedrin?

Use Excedrin exactly as directed on the label or as prescribed by your doctor. Do not take more of this medication than recommended. An overdose of acetaminophen can damage your liver or cause death.

Take Excedrin with food or milk if it causes stomach upset.

Call your doctor if your symptoms do not improve after 7 days of treatment, or if you have a fever for more than 3 days, or if swelling or pain persists for more than 10 days.

This medication may cause unusual results in certain laboratory tests for glucose (sugar) in the urine. Tell any doctor who treats you that you are using Excedrin.

If you need surgery, tell the surgeon in advance that you are using Excedrin. You may need to stop using the medicine for a short time.

Store Excedrin at room temperature, away from moisture and heat.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Because Excedrin is used as needed, you may not be on a dosing schedule. If you are on a schedule, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for the next scheduled dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up for a missed dose.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help hotline at 1-800-222-1222. An overdose of acetaminophen can damage your liver or cause death.

The first signs of an acetaminophen overdose include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, sweating, and confusion or weakness. Later symptoms may include upper abdominal pain, dark urine, and yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes.

Symptoms of overdose may also include ringing in the ears, headache, diarrhea, hallucinations, fast or slow heartbeat, or seizures.

What should I avoid?

Avoid alcohol while taking Excedrin. Alcohol can increase the risk of stomach bleeding while taking aspirin or liver damage while taking acetaminophen.

Consult a doctor or pharmacist before taking other medications for cough, cold, allergy, pain, menstrual cramps, or fever. Acetaminophen (sometimes abbreviated APAP) is found in many combination medications. Taking certain products at the same time may cause you to receive too much acetaminophen, which could result in a fatal overdose. Aspirin and caffeine are also contained in many combination preparations. Check the label to see if a medicine contains acetaminophen, APAP, aspirin, or caffeine.

Avoid taking another NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug) such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve), celecoxib, diclofenac, indomethacin, meloxicam, and others.

Avoid coffee, tea, cola, energy drinks, or other sources of caffeine while taking this medication. They can increase the side effects of the caffeine in the medication.

Side effects of Excedrin

Get medical help right away if you experience any of the following signs of an allergic reaction to Excedrin: hives; difficulty breathing; Swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

In rare cases, acetaminophen can cause a serious skin reaction that can be fatal. This can happen even if you have taken acetaminophen in the past and had no reaction. Stop taking Excedrin and call your doctor immediately if you have skin redness or a rash that spreads and causes blistering and peeling. If you experience such a reaction, you should never take medicines that contain paracetamol again.

Stop using Excedrin and call your doctor immediately if you have:

• severe fear, agitation, confusion, panic;

• easy bruising or bleeding;

• a light-headed feeling, as if you were going to faint;

• if you feel very thirsty or hot, cannot urinate, and have heavy sweating or hot and dry skin;

• Symptoms of stomach bleeding - bloody or tarry stools, coughing up blood, or vomit that looks like coffee grounds;

• high potassium levels – slow heartbeat, weak pulse, muscle weakness, tingling; or

• Liver problems - nausea, pain in the upper abdomen, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).

Common side effects of Excedrin may include:

• stomach problems, heartburn;

• depressed mood, feeling anxious or restless; or

• Sleep problems (insomnia).

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You can report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect Excedrin?

Other medications may interact with Excedrin, including prescription and over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and herbal products. Tell each of your healthcare providers about all medications you are taking now and any medications you are starting or stopping taking.

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More information

Remember to keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and only use Excedrin for the prescribed indication.