Next time your head is pounding, pop a non-prescription pill containing acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine. The combination works so well that the U.S. Headache Consortium, a group representing several medical organizations, now recommends trying it first for both tension and migraine headaches.
A study of 1,555 migraine patients recently found that the medication, sold as Excedrin Migraine and generic drugstore brands, started working an average of 20 minutes faster than ibuprofen, the medicine in Advil. Patients who took the combo also reported less pain. Another study last year found that the three ingredients relieved tension headaches better than any one alone or two together. Acetaminophen and aspirin work in different ways—sort of a one-two punch—and caffeine makes each one stronger, says Jerome Goldstein, MD, director of the San Francisco Clinical Research Center and Headache Clinic. Caffeine also has its own pain-relieving power.
Caveat: If the combo doesn’t help, or if you take it three or more times per week, you might need a prescription for something stronger.