FTFA: "The generic version at CVS isn't quite the same," he said. "Like comparing a steak from T.G.I. Friday's to Peter Luger's."

No, the generic version is exactly the same. If somebody out the generic pills in the name brand package, you would never know the difference. 800mg of ibuprofen and a cup of coffee would probably work better still.

adenosine: FTFA: "The generic version at CVS isn't quite the same," he said. "Like comparing a steak from T.G.I. Friday's to Peter Luger's."

No, the generic version is exactly the same. If somebody out the generic pills in the name brand package, you would never know the difference. 800mg of ibuprofen and a cup of coffee would probably work better still.

It is fair to say a generic and a name brand may not function the same. 800mg of Ibu is not functionally the same in every DDS formulatable. If the materials in the generic have a longer, delayed release time, the consumer could notice a much slower response to their headache.

/Pharmaceutical formulation chemist, so i'm getting a kick out of this...

Thankful that the generic brands work for me. Three extra strength "Excedrins" and two hours later I'm good to go.

Why did they do a recall anyway? I'd be ecstatic if I got a bonus opana, oxy, or vicodin in my excedrin!

I thought I was going crazy when I couldnt find it anywhere. Just became more pissed with every store I went too that didn't have it.

JokerMattly: adenosine: FTFA: "The generic version at CVS isn't quite the same," he said. "Like comparing a steak from T.G.I. Friday's to Peter Luger's."

No, the generic version is exactly the same. If somebody out the generic pills in the name brand package, you would never know the difference. 800mg of ibuprofen and a cup of coffee would probably work better still.

It is fair to say a generic and a name brand may not function the same. 800mg of Ibu is not functionally the same in every DDS formulatable. If the materials in the generic have a longer, delayed release time, the consumer could notice a much slower response to their headache.

/Pharmaceutical formulation chemist, so i'm getting a kick out of this...

Oooh great! Maybe you can answer me a question about Excedrin and similar products. I have always wondered what the difference is between the Extra Strength and Migraine versions of their products. They both have the same amount of the active ingredients in them (Acetaminophen 250 mg, Aspirin 250 mg, Caffeine 65 mg), but they're different products. It sounds like to me there are inactive ingredients that would control how the active ingredients are released. Is that what might make these two different? Or am I way off?

/Migraine sufferer :-/

JokerMattly: adenosine: FTFA: "The generic version at CVS isn't quite the same," he said. "Like comparing a steak from T.G.I. Friday's to Peter Luger's."

No, the generic version is exactly the same. If somebody out the generic pills in the name brand package, you would never know the difference. 800mg of ibuprofen and a cup of coffee would probably work better still.

It is fair to say a generic and a name brand may not function the same. 800mg of Ibu is not functionally the same in every DDS formulatable. If the materials in the generic have a longer, delayed release time, the consumer could notice a much slower response to their headache.

/Pharmaceutical formulation chemist, so i'm getting a kick out of this...

You should be taking most OTC meds with water though. This greatly increases the absorption time of the drug.

Didn't know about this. I've got a large unopened bottle of excedrine migraine at home. Might have to ebay that sucker.

rmcooper4: JokerMattly: adenosine: FTFA: "The generic version at CVS isn't quite the same," he said. "Like comparing a steak from T.G.I. Friday's to Peter Luger's."

No, the generic version is exactly the same. If somebody out the generic pills in the name brand package, you would never know the difference. 800mg of ibuprofen and a cup of coffee would probably work better still.

It is fair to say a generic and a name brand may not function the same. 800mg of Ibu is not functionally the same in every DDS formulatable. If the materials in the generic have a longer, delayed release time, the consumer could notice a much slower response to their headache.

/Pharmaceutical formulation chemist, so i'm getting a kick out of this...

Oooh great! Maybe you can answer me a question about Excedrin and similar products. I have always wondered what the difference is between the Extra Strength and Migraine versions of their products. They both have the same amount of the active ingredients in them (Acetaminophen 250 mg, Aspirin 250 mg, Caffeine 65 mg), but they're different products. It sounds like to me there are inactive ingredients that would control how the active ingredients are released. Is that what might make these two different? Or am I way off?

/Migraine sufferer :-/

if you're an honest to goodness migraineur, get thee to a doctor, they have stuff that actually works and won't cause rebound headaches like caffeine.

EnderWiggnz: rmcooper4: JokerMattly: adenosine: FTFA: "The generic version at CVS isn't quite the same," he said. "Like comparing a steak from T.G.I. Friday's to Peter Luger's."

No, the generic version is exactly the same. If somebody out the generic pills in the name brand package, you would never know the difference. 800mg of ibuprofen and a cup of coffee would probably work better still.

It is fair to say a generic and a name brand may not function the same. 800mg of Ibu is not functionally the same in every DDS formulatable. If the materials in the generic have a longer, delayed release time, the consumer could notice a much slower response to their headache.

/Pharmaceutical formulation chemist, so i'm getting a kick out of this...

Oooh great! Maybe you can answer me a question about Excedrin and similar products. I have always wondered what the difference is between the Extra Strength and Migraine versions of their products. They both have the same amount of the active ingredients in them (Acetaminophen 250 mg, Aspirin 250 mg, Caffeine 65 mg), but they're different products. It sounds like to me there are inactive ingredients that would control how the active ingredients are released. Is that what might make these two different? Or am I way off?

/Migraine sufferer :-/

if you're an honest to goodness migraineur, get thee to a doctor, they have stuff that actually works and won't cause rebound headaches like caffeine.

Yeah, I really need to. I used to take Imitrex, which was incredible, but went a spell without insurance and haven't been to the doctor in quite a while.

chemrebel: Thankful that the generic brands work for me. Three extra strength "Excedrins" and two hours later I'm good to go.

If the generics DON'T work for you, you don't have what you think you have. It's the exact same damn ingredients.

My fiance and I will pop a couple Nyquil every now and then to help us sleep (we've since switched to the non-medicinal stuff, so yay for us), and I once got the generic, Kroger brand stuff because it was cheaper. She swore it didn't work nearly as well. So I said okay, and promised to get the real Nyquil instead. The next time she asked for some, I gave her the Kroger brand, and she later claimed it knocked her right out, and thanked me for not going the cheapo route. I had to actually show her the box for her to believe I'd just given her a couple generics again, and the only thing that changed was what she thought she was taking.

Most likely extra strength and migraine vary in the Inactives involved - my knowledge of migraine pain is pretty limited, but it would be my initial guess that ES is an immediate release mechanism to confront the pain quickly, and get it numbed off and relieved fast. Migraines tend to last longer than normal headaches, so its likely they use an extended relief system similar to an allergy medicine so that it holds on longer.

The tablet ingredients are the same for each - is the dose the same as well? 2 tablets or whatever?

Also, don't take -more- of anything because you think it will work faster/better. What a lot of people don't know is that things like Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen actually -cause- headaches as a reaction to overmedication. You may end up accomplishing nothing by intaking too much at once.

As for taking OTCs with water, you're right on. Don't take it with anyting but water. Many drugs and Drug Delivery Systems are formulated to a compendial pH (whether its Moth Saliva pH, Stomach pH, lower GI pH, or upper GI pH), and as such are built around the idea of you having a neutral pH on dosage - drinking 1.4 pH coke with your medicine formulated to dose at 1.2 (Stomach acid) may cause you to lose potency before release.

YAY IM HELPING.

mouth* >.>

There are workarounds and alternatives to Excedrin.

The lack of Interceptor -- a heartworm preventative for dogs -- is a real problem. Some breeds are allergic to the HeartGard "alternative." It screws up my dog (and, apparently, could kill others), so he's on a stack of various treatments at added expense, ass pain and increased risk.

Let's prioritize that, shall we? In the meantime, people can take a handful of Advil with a pot of coffee!

CalvinMorallis: she later claimed it knocked her right out, and thanked me for not going the cheapo route.

The only thing this really supports is the power of perception and self-delusion -- and, thus, the reason studies need to have well-designed placebo- and blinding protocols.

SFSailor: the power of perception and self-delusion

It's what allows me to snort powdered sugar off my wife's ass, it's as close as I'll ever get to the real things
/sniff sniff

JokerMattly: Most likely extra strength and migraine vary in the Inactives involved - my knowledge of migraine pain is pretty limited, but it would be my initial guess that ES is an immediate release mechanism to confront the pain quickly, and get it numbed off and relieved fast. Migraines tend to last longer than normal headaches, so its likely they use an extended relief system similar to an allergy medicine so that it holds on longer.

The tablet ingredients are the same for each - is the dose the same as well? 2 tablets or whatever?

Also, don't take -more- of anything because you think it will work faster/better. What a lot of people don't know is that things like Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen actually -cause- headaches as a reaction to overmedication. You may end up accomplishing nothing by intaking too much at once.

As for taking OTCs with water, you're right on. Don't take it with anyting but water. Many drugs and Drug Delivery Systems are formulated to a compendial pH (whether its Moth Saliva pH, Stomach pH, lower GI pH, or upper GI pH), and as such are built around the idea of you having a neutral pH on dosage - drinking 1.4 pH coke with your medicine formulated to dose at 1.2 (Stomach acid) may cause you to lose potency before release.

YAY IM HELPING.

That was very enlightening. Thanks!

angry_scientist: It's what allows me to snort powdered sugar off my wife's ass, it's as close as I'll ever get to the real things

What? You too good for NoDoze and foobies.com like the rest of us?!

JokerMattly: whether its Moth Saliva pH, Stomach pH

must.resist.temptation.to.post.Mothra.pic.

JokerMattly: a lot of people don't know is that things like Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen actually -cause- headaches can wreck your liver and/or kidneys.

Lots of teen-angst "I'm'a kill myself! See!" followed by swallowing a bottle of Tylenol......... welcome to the liver-transplant waiting list, kids! Enjoy your medically-induced coma and bankrupting your parents!

I can only imagine things were -real- bad if it's taking them this long to get the line restarted. I just hope they prioritize the restart in terms of how many alternatives there are. Aww, who am I kidding? They'll crank out the highest volume and/or highest revenue products first, for a long time.

JokerMattly: As for taking OTCs with water, you're right on. Don't take it with anyting but water. Many drugs and Drug Delivery Systems are formulated to a compendial pH (whether its Moth Saliva pH, Stomach pH, lower GI pH, or upper GI pH), and as such are built around the idea of you having a neutral pH on dosage - drinking 1.4 pH coke with your medicine formulated to dose at 1.2 (Stomach acid) may cause you to lose potency before release.

Interesting; I did not know that.

As a long-time migraine sufferer (33 years +), I completely agree with you re: rebound headaches. When I was a little girl (prior to the invention of Imitrex & other triptans), the doctors used to prescribe acetaminophen mixed with codeine (Fiorinal). When I developed a tolerance to that, they told me to switch to Excedrin & follow it with an espresso chaser. After a while on that regimen, I started to get rebounds worse than the original migraines. Finally quit caffeine altogether (withdrawal sucked...)

Most doctors are clueless about treating chronic pain. Looking back, I'm amazed my liver is still functioning.

/Amerge (naratriptan) FTW!

Excedrin Migraine is different.

The generics don't have prescription-strength painkillers mixed in.

/also accounts for the price difference

If you suffer from Cluster Headaches as I used to, the only relief I ever found was inhaling pure oxygen from a tank/mask combo or taking powdered Kudzu root in capsules. The Kudzu actually worked better - cursed headaches went away and haven't come back (knock on wood).

/Green Menace FTW!
//(not a grower or dealer)

JokerMattly: Most likely extra strength and migraine vary in the Inactives involved - my knowledge of migraine pain is pretty limited, but it would be my initial guess that ES is an immediate release mechanism to confront the pain quickly, and get it numbed off and relieved fast. Migraines tend to last longer than normal headaches, so its likely they use an extended relief system similar to an allergy medicine so that it holds on longer.

The tablet ingredients are the same for each - is the dose the same as well? 2 tablets or whatever?

Also, don't take -more- of anything because you think it will work faster/better. What a lot of people don't know is that things like Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen actually -cause- headaches as a reaction to overmedication. You may end up accomplishing nothing by intaking too much at once.

As for taking OTCs with water, you're right on. Don't take it with anyting but water. Many drugs and Drug Delivery Systems are formulated to a compendial pH (whether its Moth Saliva pH, Stomach pH, lower GI pH, or upper GI pH), and as such are built around the idea of you having a neutral pH on dosage - drinking 1.4 pH coke with your medicine formulated to dose at 1.2 (Stomach acid) may cause you to lose potency before release.

YAY IM HELPING.

Thanks that is actually useful info. I just thought they said take meds with water to help people swallow the pill.

Excedrin, Excedrin Migrane and every generic out there are all the same. The difference is that some people want there to be a difference. I've helped my wife with her severe migraines for 20 years. If it isn't severe, she prefers straight aspirin these days anyway. Your reactions to medicines change over time.

rmcooper4: Yeah, I really need to. I used to take Imitrex, which was incredible, but went a spell without insurance and haven't been to the doctor in quite a while.

There are generics, like sumatriptan, which cost like $4 for 20 pills... just saying.

Why is it so hard for people to take one normal aspirin, one normal tylenol, and wash it down with a can of cola? That's all excedrin is...

Ecliptic: rmcooper4: Yeah, I really need to. I used to take Imitrex, which was incredible, but went a spell without insurance and haven't been to the doctor in quite a while.

There are generics, like sumatriptan, which cost like $4 for 20 pills... just saying.

Why is it so hard for people to take one normal aspirin, one normal tylenol, and wash it down with a can of cola? That's all excedrin is...

Yeah, I've just not been very proactive on this. I have an irrational displeasure for going to the doctor. At any rate, it's clear relying on Excedrin and similar products is, for many reasons that have been alluded to here, a poor and potentially dangerous way of dealing with this. Thanks for the lead on the sumatriptan. I'll have to look into this for sure!

Migraine? Why not butterbur 75mg twice daily for prevention? Make sure to buy a brand where the bottle has the "USP" logo...and never pay the full sticker price for vitamins and herbals. Handy chart in the pdf.

http://www.neurology.org/content/78/17/1346.full.pdf+html

Here are the prescription drug recommendations:

http://www.neurology.org/content/78/17/1337.full.pdf+html

Lothar IB:
Thanks that is actually useful info. I just thought they said take meds with water to help people swallow the pill.

Late to coming back to the conversation, but this is often true anyhow - Most DDS have an inactive which creates a slippery layer on the tablet, allowing it to slide effortlessly down the throat. That layer is also what controls the release profile of the drug, and in some cases causes said drug to lodge in various body sphincters to ensure full drug release in the targetted area.

/learned a lot about pharmaceutical chemistry in my first job, didn't learn -anything- about it in college. real shame.

BKITU: chemrebel: Thankful that the generic brands work for me. Three extra strength "Excedrins" and two hours later I'm good to go.

Same here. And, as a bonus, my workplace stocks the Zee Medical knock-off stuff for free for employees. It has come in handy on multiple occasions. =P

Pain Aid is a Godsend of a drug. Best hangover cure ever.

uvamargo: BKITU: chemrebel: Thankful that the generic brands work for me. Three extra strength "Excedrins" and two hours later I'm good to go.

Same here. And, as a bonus, my workplace stocks the Zee Medical knock-off stuff for free for employees. It has come in handy on multiple occasions. =P

Pain Aid is a Godsend of a drug. Best hangover cure ever.

Drink 16oz of water, take 2 aspirin, go to bed and stop drinking cheap swill will do wonders for your hangovers.

0/10?

You're in the wrong place to be making fun of a hangover?

/Also suffer from migraines - Zee Medical stuff doesn't help those.