What if anything do you take for headaches?

I would prefer something more natural. Normally I don't take anything and just "struggle" through them.

My bf is always saying take advil it's safer than tylenol and well I feel one coming on so I thought I'd poll my best resources

By Ginny~moderator on Tuesday, January 24, 2006 - 07:56 pm:

Depends on the kind of headache. I take an antihistamine for a sinus headache, but otherwise aspirin. Advil - I might take it, but it is in many ways stronger than aspirin, and I tend to stick to the least necessary. Tylenol is better for children generally, but if you are an adult and tend to have wine or other alcohol in the evening, which I do, I tend to stay away from tylenol type meds. But any of the pain meds - Advil, aspirin, etc., don't really mix well with alcohol - it's just that alcohol in combination with tylenol type meds has been known to cause liver damage, even with not large quanitites of alchohol. I know when my son has a cold he takes Tylenol because he worries about Reyes disease (taking aspirin with flu can sometimes bring on Reyes disease, which I believe is a neurological disease), but he seldom drinks.

Read the labels, assess your personal habits, and take what works best for you, which may not be what works best for your bf.

By Crystal915 on Tuesday, January 24, 2006 - 09:41 pm:

Try a Gatorade, or an asprin and a soda. Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) used to be my medicine of choice, but I read the Physician's Desk Reference on it, and it's not exactly safe, IMO. I know Tylenol isn't totally safe either, but taken carefully you should be ok.

By Melanie on Tuesday, January 24, 2006 - 09:57 pm:

I get tension headaches. The only thing that will touch them is Excedrin.

By Reds9298 on Wednesday, January 25, 2006 - 07:45 am:

Aleve....sounds like I should try the Excedrin because every once in a while the Aleve just won't get rid of a very bad one.

By Juli4 on Wednesday, January 25, 2006 - 07:52 am:

For tension headaches which I tend to get in the evening or night I take tylenol with sleep aid. Asprin all the other times. I also drink about 32 oz of water in a bout an hour or less and you would be surprised as to how good that works. Being dehydrated can cause headaches.

By Jackie on Wednesday, January 25, 2006 - 08:24 am:

I nomrally get mild migraines. What I take is 2 motrin and 1 excedrin migraine pill... If that doesnt work, sometimes it does, sometimes it doesnt. I wait about 4 hrs and take the same again. Sometimes sleep makes it go away. Unfortunately with a baby at home, I dont get to sleep when I want to or need too. If they are expecially bad, I take a cold wash cloth and lay against my head in the spot it hurts.

By Tonya on Monday, April 3, 2006 - 12:51 pm:

Excedrine for everything, tension and migraines they help me something awesome. That is what the Dr told me was the safest when I was pregnant so if it is OK when I am pregnant it should be Ok when I am not.

I get a severe migraines allot (1x a week at minimum) and they are great for it. A dark room and an excedrine and I am good in 1-2 hrs.

By Reds9298 on Monday, April 3, 2006 - 01:26 pm:

I took the Excedrin advice on this board and:
*My headaches went away like never before and I couldn't believe the relief but...

**I felt like I was havinga panic attack for 2 days!! I finally figured out it was the caffeine in the Excedrin. NO MORE for me! It was an awful feeling.

If you're sensitive like I apparently am, stay away from Excedrin.