Aa
Excedrin
My husband is addicted to Excedrin. He now gets diarrhea a few nights a week and when he doesn't take it he says he gets an unbearable headache/migraine. He says he can't quit because the headache is too unbearable. So instead he just pops immodium to help the diarrhea. How can he quit this?
I was addicted to Excedrin for many years and for a long time I thought it was probably only me, but as time went on I had a feeling I might find some stuff on the internet about it but I was too afraid to see any of it. I didn't want to be told the truth so I hid it from myself. Now I came across this and just as I suspected, there are many others who are having the same problem. I want to tell you what finally worked for me.
It was probably 15-20 years ago, I started taking excedrin when I would get a bad headache, then as time went on, I would take it when I just started to feel a headache come on, because I wanted to stave it off early. Then I realized I was taking it more and more, just for even the thought of a headache, and eventually like so many posts I see here, I took it every day because if I didn't, I would get a headache because my body needed it.
But I realized it was not only a physical addiction, but also a psychological addiction too. I realized how the drug begins to feel like a friend, how I just could not bring myself to go without it, just because of the fear of the headache I thought I would get.
Well after about 15 years, the excedrin was not working for me anymore; instead of the "energy boost" and happy feeling it had been giving me, I began to feel worse after taking it instead of better. I felt sick and energy drained. It didn't work as well on my headache anymore either. I am pretty sure that I got some health problems from it. I got the ringing in my ears that never would go away. I eventually lost my sense of smell. I would get sore throat and sensitive lymph glands in my neck. I was getting pain in my arms and muscles and weird prickly sensations on different parts of my skin. Something (I thought maybe some organ) inside of my lower right side in my back, was sore... sore to the touch and just constantly sore just to move around. I also had this feeling that the only way I could explain another thing I was feeling is my body felt like it was getting "crystalized".
Well I tried for two years to get myself off of the addiction; I tried bribing myself, tried doing it for different reasons' sake, tried praying, tried keeping a journal, tried telling myself that my "friend"(excedrin) had now become my enemy, tried everything I could, but had no success. I now totally understand the problem of drug addiction. If I was addicted to this "non addictive" over-the-counter drug, I could now understand the problem anyone would have getting off stronger addictive drugs.
Well I want to tell you I am now free of the addiction to excedrin and I guess I am addicted to something else in place of it, but it is at least not tearing down my health like the excedrin did. I am actually getting better as time goes on. I found Zipfizz. I take one in the morning and one or two more throughout the day. Sometimes if I really do have a headache when I wake up in the morning, I'll make a "double" right away. They say you should not drink more than three of them in a day, but there are a few times that I have taken four in a day. But there are days that only one does the trick and there are even some days I could go without any at all.
The hardest thing I think is really the psychological addiction. You have such a hard time forgetting about taking the thing that you think you need. It was like a security blanket. It was such a scary feeling not to be doing the thing (taking the drug) that you thought was the only thing that would work, the only way you could go on and function.
But there is good news...as you are successful to go days along without it, you slowly begin to loose the scared feeling and the security feeling about it. I've had many days now that I actually have not even thought about it anymore. That is such a good feeling, not to be so hooked to something. It is the hardest battle I have ever fought.
One other thing that I found that helped me was to keep my rectum cleaned out with water. I bought one of those suction things you get in the baby isle to suck out noses, and I squirt water into my anus after I go poop to clean it completely out of residue or poop left behind. I know this sounds really weird, but I would actually start to feel slightly headachy whenever I know there was some in there to be cleaned out. I have a feeling that I was so toxic from taking the excedrin all those years. Your anus absorbs the water from your poop so I think that by keeping it clean there was not any toxin to be absorbing into my body. Any feeling of headachiness would usually go away if I cleaned myself out.
It was probably 15-20 years ago, I started taking excedrin when I would get a bad headache, then as time went on, I would take it when I just started to feel a headache come on, because I wanted to stave it off early. Then I realized I was taking it more and more, just for even the thought of a headache, and eventually like so many posts I see here, I took it every day because if I didn't, I would get a headache because my body needed it.
But I realized it was not only a physical addiction, but also a psychological addiction too. I realized how the drug begins to feel like a friend, how I just could not bring myself to go without it, just because of the fear of the headache I thought I would get.
Well after about 15 years, the excedrin was not working for me anymore; instead of the "energy boost" and happy feeling it had been giving me, I began to feel worse after taking it instead of better. I felt sick and energy drained. It didn't work as well on my headache anymore either. I am pretty sure that I got some health problems from it. I got the ringing in my ears that never would go away. I eventually lost my sense of smell. I would get sore throat and sensitive lymph glands in my neck. I was getting pain in my arms and muscles and weird prickly sensations on different parts of my skin. Something (I thought maybe some organ) inside of my lower right side in my back, was sore... sore to the touch and just constantly sore just to move around. I also had this feeling that the only way I could explain another thing I was feeling is my body felt like it was getting "crystalized".
Well I tried for two years to get myself off of the addiction; I tried bribing myself, tried doing it for different reasons' sake, tried praying, tried keeping a journal, tried telling myself that my "friend"(excedrin) had now become my enemy, tried everything I could, but had no success. I now totally understand the problem of drug addiction. If I was addicted to this "non addictive" over-the-counter drug, I could now understand the problem anyone would have getting off stronger addictive drugs.
Well I want to tell you I am now free of the addiction to excedrin and I guess I am addicted to something else in place of it, but it is at least not tearing down my health like the excedrin did. I am actually getting better as time goes on. I found Zipfizz. I take one in the morning and one or two more throughout the day. Sometimes if I really do have a headache when I wake up in the morning, I'll make a "double" right away. They say you should not drink more than three of them in a day, but there are a few times that I have taken four in a day. But there are days that only one does the trick and there are even some days I could go without any at all.
The hardest thing I think is really the psychological addiction. You have such a hard time forgetting about taking the thing that you think you need. It was like a security blanket. It was such a scary feeling not to be doing the thing (taking the drug) that you thought was the only thing that would work, the only way you could go on and function.
But there is good news...as you are successful to go days along without it, you slowly begin to loose the scared feeling and the security feeling about it. I've had many days now that I actually have not even thought about it anymore. That is such a good feeling, not to be so hooked to something. It is the hardest battle I have ever fought.
One other thing that I found that helped me was to keep my rectum cleaned out with water. I bought one of those suction things you get in the baby isle to suck out noses, and I squirt water into my anus after I go poop to clean it completely out of residue or poop left behind. I know this sounds really weird, but I would actually start to feel slightly headachy whenever I know there was some in there to be cleaned out. I have a feeling that I was so toxic from taking the excedrin all those years. Your anus absorbs the water from your poop so I think that by keeping it clean there was not any toxin to be absorbing into my body. Any feeling of headachiness would usually go away if I cleaned myself out.
First off, akitagurl12, there is an Excedrin recall by its producer, Novartis, because - to quote them - "the products may contain stray tablets, capsules, or caplets from other products, or contain broken or chipped tablets." Supposedly the drug will start returning to shelves in a few months, but for now its pretty much impossible to get the brand-name drug in stores - although you can buy it at greatly hiked prices on Ebay!
BUT: most drugstores carry a generic version of Excedrin, and it's pretty much the exact same drug with the exact same ingredients (Acetaminophen, aspirin, caffeine) with the exact same effect. Walmart's generic brand, Equate, calls their generic version "Extra-Strength Headache Relief Tablets", as does CVS.
Meanwhile, I have been an Excedrin addict for almost 30 years at this point, and I will post shortly about my own issues with the drug and addiction. But first I need to get some rest. It's been an extreme problem for me, and also an issue that's extremely hard to get support around - nobody takes me seriously. I'm wondering if some of the folks around here who have been able to acknowledge the problem can help me with my own struggle...
BUT: most drugstores carry a generic version of Excedrin, and it's pretty much the exact same drug with the exact same ingredients (Acetaminophen, aspirin, caffeine) with the exact same effect. Walmart's generic brand, Equate, calls their generic version "Extra-Strength Headache Relief Tablets", as does CVS.
Meanwhile, I have been an Excedrin addict for almost 30 years at this point, and I will post shortly about my own issues with the drug and addiction. But first I need to get some rest. It's been an extreme problem for me, and also an issue that's extremely hard to get support around - nobody takes me seriously. I'm wondering if some of the folks around here who have been able to acknowledge the problem can help me with my own struggle...
Excedrin seems to be the only thing that help me when i get bad headaches and when i went to get more today, i was told by the store that all Excedrin products have been pulled from the shelf!?!? Is there something going on? I went to 3 different stores and found the same thing!
Update: I drank one 5hr 1/3 at a time for 3 days, then the second bottle 1/4, 1/4, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/16 (only drops at this point). Took a single ibuprofen if I felt a headache coming on in late morning. After this regimen, I am caffeine free with minimal headaches!
Finding it hard to avoid caffeine when eating out - no DC, iced tea, etc. #firstworldproblems
Finding it hard to avoid caffeine when eating out - no DC, iced tea, etc. #firstworldproblems
I guess I'm lucky. I've only been taking one tablet in the morning for the caffeine, for many years. My doc says no problem, and you're getting your aspirin too! But I hate being dependent on pills, and I only drink decaf cola, etc. never coffee . I decided to stop because the acetaminophen is bad, but stopping 250mg of daily asprin is also risky. The caffeine in Excedrin is equal to only 1/3 cup of coffee, same as a 5hr energy. So for the last few days I've taken 1/3 of a 5hr plus 2 baby aspirin (162mg), and I'll continue to cut for a couple more weeks until I've stopped altogether.
No problems at all yet.
No problems at all yet.
Just went off Excedrine Migraine 9 days ago. I am a very successful and well-educated woman. I had been taking two pills a day for the last 4 years. It started as a great way to avoid my migraines and then I got use to the "up" it gave me. Well the withdrawal was horrible. I felt like I had a concrete block on top of my head for the first 6 days....dizzy, disoriented (started my car and then was searching in my pocketbook for my keys!!), tired, pains in my neck, legs, arms, vivid dreams, woke up from one with my teeth clenched so tight I had to concentrate to open my mouth! Needless to say....I got scared and made a Dr. appointment yesterday. I was embarrassed and scared to tell him what was going on with me. Well...he had heard my story many times before and said he had a patient who had to "check out of work" for two weeks to get off the stuff. He said I am experiencing Rebound headaches. He said my pain level and tolerance have been compromised by the excessive use of Execedrine. He gave me some relief by telling me I should be over this within three weeks if not a little longer. He suggested I take an Aleve to take the edge off the headache, as it would not make the Rebound headache totally go away. It has helped somewhat. The "fog" that I have been in is SLOWLY starting to lift. To anyone who reads this....Do not give up!!!! It will get better!!
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