... that come with my menstrual cycle. About 2-3 hours the affects seem to wear off and my head hurts again.Could\should I take Ibuprofen in conjunction with this medicine?
Acetaminophen/Butalbital/Caffeine - My Dr. prescribed Butalb-acetamin-caff. tablets for headaches?
Question posted by Heather Mavis on 22 Dec 2012
Last updated on 20 January 2017
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4 Answers
happybrandee
23 Dec 2012
Hello Heather... I used to get Migraine headaches that came along with my periods also, and I used to take the same medicine that you are taking, (Fioricet), and yes you can take Ibuprofen, if you headache comes back 2 to 3 hours after you take your Fioricet, but you can also try taking Excedrin Migraine, or just extra strength Excedrin, that's what I used to take if my headache came back and it really helped alot, but if you are worried about taking too much Acetaminophen, then just take the Ibuprofen.
Hope this helps at least a little bit!!
Good Luck!
~~~happybrandee~~~
cupcake7667
23 Dec 2012
Hi happybrandee,
I got thrown off when I read your comment because I knew for a fact I was not on Fioricet and So I looked it up and it comes in so many formulations, one of which is Fioricet. The combo I'm on is generic for Fioronal. Very slight difference, Who would of known all the different combos???
-Butalbital is a barbiturate with an intermediate duration of action. Butalbital is often combined with other medications, such as acetaminophen (paracetamol) or aspirin, and is commonly prescribed for the treatment of pain and headache. The various formulations combined with codeine are
FDA approved for the treatment of tension headaches.
Combinations include:
-Butalbital and paracetamol (acetaminophen) (trade names: Axocet, Bucet, Bupap, Cephadyn, Dolgic, Phrenilin, Phrenilin Forte, Sedapap)
-Butalbital, paracetamol (acetaminophen), and caffeine (trade names: Fioricet, Esgic, Esgic-Plus)
-Butalbital and aspirin (trade name: Axotal)
-Butalbital, aspirin, and caffeine (trade names Fiorinal, Fiormor, Fiortal, Fortabs, Laniroif)
-Butalbital, paracetamol (acetaminophen), caffeine, and codeine phosphate (Fioricet#3 with Codeine)
-Butalbital, aspirin, caffeine, and codeine phosphate (trade name: Fiorinal#3 with Codeine)
Bizarre! Anyway, works for my premenstrual migraine! :))
dellarita
16 Jan 2017
I've had migraine headaches most of my life. I was hit by a hit and run driver when I was 7 years old. The migraines came several years later. I've had all kinds of unexplained other problems because of my head injury. I've had injections in my neck, and that just made me feel high. It seems like I've spent half my life in ER rooms and hospital rooms, with chronic migraine headaches. So much so, that every single doctor knew me by name or face recognition. Every EMT knew me by name or face. The only medication that ever really worked for me was Fiorinal. But I later changed it to Fuiricet, because Fuirinol, if I'm not mistaken, has aspirin in it. Listen very carefully to what I'm about to say. I had a serious fall and broke my nose. They had to operate and do several procedures. What they found out was that I had thin blood, which I had never had any trace of.
My own primary care MD and several other doctors, have decided that it could have only been the years of taking Fuirinol and Fuiricet that caused me to have thin blood now. Which ended up a serious problem for me in that operating room. They had to stop my surgery before it was over. Just a heads up on people like me, who have been on this medication for many years now. My headaches are finally under control. Because I learned everything I could about them. When I have one cup of strong coffee in the morning, there are no migraines. And my pattern has changed. I wear sun hats and sunglasses, the minute it starts getting warm out. And that has helped my headaches. I know most of my triggers, including foods or drinks that "trigger" my migraines. Education is key in learning about your migraines, and what causes them. Hope this information helps everyone. Eye strain can also be a big problem. I just wrote a book, and had a lot of migraines from excessive eye strain. Food for thought.
Amber1313
20 Jan 2017
Thanks for the info. I have been getting very bad headaches and dizziness the past several months. Everything my docs give me doesn't help my head at all. I'm so tired of living like this. It has came to the point where I can't really function now because my head hurts to bad. I dont know what else to do. I'm getting very scared now. Any suggestions for me. I am going to go to a Uroligist ASAP. I also have been getting this very weird pain in my stomach the past week. It feels like heart burn under the middle of my ribs. But its not heart burn. My stomach always crawls like I'm hungry. And I am not. I could of just ate and my tummy still does it.
Ugghhhh I am going crazy!!!
sara12345
23 Dec 2012
Yes, be very careful about taking that medication more than 2 days a week, or it can give you bad rebound migraines. My prescription says to take 1 pill initially, then to take a second pill an hour later if need be. Are you taking a second pill? If not, talk to your doctor about it. Maxalt is another very good pain killer. One of the biggest things is to get the headache when it first starts, because once it gets bad, it's very difficult to treat. Good luck.
cupcake7667
23 Dec 2012
I forgot to mention that. At first onset, take those puppies. My instructions are the same as you wrote Sara, but I was always taking the second an hour later so my doc said just take 2 at a time. I've never had to use the Rx more than once a week as mine are hormonal. I've never heard of Maxalt. Can you tell me about it? Best! Jessica
sara12345
24 Dec 2012
If your current medication works, I would stick with it. There are side effects possible with any med including the Maxalt. Just type in Maxalt at the top of this page for more info.
cupcake7667
22 Dec 2012
My doctor prescribed these as well. I take 2 and fall asleep, usually wake up feeling better. If you take too many, every day for 3 days for example you'll get rebound headaches. They are meant to be used sparingly. How often do you take them? I like them better than fiorcet but if you find they don't work and end up taking more, you'll probably be better off with fiorcet. Your doctor should have explained the rebound side effect. Best of luck, Jessica
P.S. you shouldn't have to take ibuprofen as well, so there's probably a better headache/migraine med for you :)
LaurieShay
22 Dec 2012
Fioricet, which is what your doctor prescribed, can be followed by ibuprofen if need be.
Related topics
headache, pain, acetaminophen, butalbital, caffeine, ibuprofen, menstrual disorders, medicine
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