So I usually take Excedrin Migraine for headaches but just found out that it has acetaminophen in it. So I’m wondering, is there a medicine that does not have acetaminophen in it that I can take for when my headaches occur?
ibuprofin. no acetaminophen. To my knowledge, neither does pure aspirin.
1 Like
I assume you’re worried about it’s contraindications with CGM. Ibuprofen is the OTC choice, Tramadol for when you need a prescription strength.
Excedrin Migraine is a combo of aspirin, acetaminophen, and caffeine. If it works well for you, you might try plain aspirin (e.g., Bayer etc), possibly with a small coffee.
I usually use either ibuprofen (i.e., Advil) or naproxen (i.e., Aleve; similar to ibuprofen, but lasts longer) for most things myself.
Tylenol is entirely acetaminophen. Vicodin is acetaminophen combined with a mild narcotic. Most of the other standard OTC analgesics–ibuprofen, naproxdn sodium (Alleve), and straight aspirin contain none. As with food, you gotta read the label.
Be careful with naproxen. In diabetics it can increase your creatine levels and damage your kidneys.
Considering that I only use it 4 or 5 times in a year, I think the risk is pretty minimal.
sounds like you may be using the Dexcom CGM. They say never to use acetaminophin, as it distorts glucose readings very much. I take ibuprofin and have very accurate CGM readings.
Note that the restriction on acetaminophen is completely lifted with the Dexcom G6 (not yet released).
Even in the absence of a CGM (or with the G6 - when it is released) it is important to know what contains acetaminophen. The SAFE dosage has been lowered by the FDA in recent years. One problem that can lead to accidental overdoses of acetaminophen (and resulting liver damage) is using multiple products where one or more contain acetaminophen that you were unaware of.
As noted above, the chief risk associated with acetaminophen is permanent liver damage. And the risk is sharpened by the fact that acetaminophen is one of those drugs for which the dividing line between a dosage that is safe (and one that isn’t) is very thin. It’s not a broad range but a rather narrow threshold; probably a factor in the FDA’s decision to change their recommendation. It’s a personal decision; I simply don’t use it. I stick with alternatives.