Acetaminophen / aspirin / caffeine and Anxiety: What Users Say

• Not...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• July 26, 2013

For Migraine "I can no longer take this medicine because it throws me into horrible anxiety attacks that mess with my blood pressure, make me dizzy, lightheaded, and lethargic. Not to mention, an overall FEAR I am dying. These do get rid of the migraine for me, but the effects are just not worth it. I used to be able to take it with no problem, but not anymore. The anxiety, high blood pressure, and overall feeling of dying caused me to trash them so the temptation would not be there to subject myself to them anymore. I'm going to have to find another way of dealing with the headaches. Everyone is different, what their bodies can tolerate varies."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 24, 2015

For Migraine "I've taken these pills twice, and each time I have had very bad anxiety attacks. I was mostly concentrating on the sensation of floating and nothing being real to check if I still had a headache. I don't know if it was because I took these at night, but nevertheless, I will probably never take these again because the attacks are terrifying. I'm not saying this wouldn't work for some other person, but I'm putting this up to warn people. I thought it was just my anxiety acting up, but then I read other reviews. Please, people with anxiety, take caution."

• RS1...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 14, 2017

For Migraine "I had a horrible experience with Excedrin Migraine. Shortly after taking it, my heart started racing super fast, I got extremely anxious, and my body started shaking. Like other people are saying, if you are sensitive to caffeine, do not take this medicine. It didn't take my migraine away either, so it's not worth it at all."

• cat...
• December 9, 2014

For Migraine "I have occasional migraines, and I can only get relief from Excedrin Migraine. I have also experienced the jittery or anxious symptoms people describe when taking it, but only when I made the mistake of taking it on an empty stomach. As long as I take it with food, it works wonders!!!"

• cat...
• December 9, 2014

For Migraine "I have occasional migraines, and I can only get relief from Excedrin Migraine. I have also experienced the jittery or anxious symptoms people describe when taking it, but only when I made the mistake of taking it on an empty stomach. As long as I take it with food, it works wonders!!!"

• Ste...
• September 12, 2015

For Migraine "I start seeing what looks like bits of TV static in my vision that grows pre-migraine. This vision loss can get bad and makes me feel sick, but that is nothing compared to the migraine that follows. So as soon as I see one spot, I'll wave my hand in front of my face. If it turns out it's a blind spot, as these static spots are, I take a couple of these Excedrin Migraine pills. They work on me in less than half an hour, and this usually halts then reverses the vision issue, and of the migraine, I only feel a slight dull pressure/pain where it would have been. Unlike some, I actually see a reduction of anxiety. When taken before I go to sleep, I get a much better night's sleep. It could be because caffeine has no effect on me."

• tri...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 5, 2019

For Migraine "I have suffered from migraines for almost 40 years. I used to get hormonal migraines, but I take active birth control every day to stop those. I get weather-related migraines, I can feel storms coming in, so much pressure on my head. Anyway, Excedrin Migraine works great for me! Not all the time, though, sometimes I have to combine it with Sudafed to release the pressure. If I don't eat when I take the Excedrin, I do get jittery. But it stops the nausea and sensitivity to light and sound, as well as the massive pain of a migraine. It is always in my cabinet, ready to grab if I ever need it!"

• Anonymous
• May 10, 2015

For Migraine "I've suffered with migraines ever since I can remember, along with seeing spots. My doctor diagnosed me and told me that even though there are times I don't have a migraine, I still have the symptoms and said I have 24-hour migraines. Excedrin is the pill that works for my head besides prayer. I haven't experienced the symptoms that other people claim, and I do have anxiety, but everyone handles medicine differently. I enjoy that Excedrin works quickly to relieve the pain so I can finally relax."

• Din...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 20, 2019

For Migraine "I’ve had migraines since I was 16 (now 18), and Excedrin and I have a love-hate relationship. When I first started getting migraines, I’d take two Excedrin, drink a bottle of Mountain Dew, and be good to go. The past 6-8 months or so, every time I take it, my anxiety spikes, and I’m not able to stay still or relax. (It could be due to the caffeine in the Excedrin and the caffeine in the Mountain Dew.) I’ve had anxiety since I was a kid, so it’s weird this is just starting. Also, sometimes it will work and sometimes it won’t. Sometimes I have to take a few months' break for it to work again. I used to swear by it, but now I’m just kinda meh. Try to avoid taking it if I can."

• Dai...
• January 23, 2017

For Migraine "I suffer from daily migraines and usually have to take Maxalt once or twice a day and 600 mg of Advil to help relieve pain. I was looking for an alternative so I don't run out of Maxalt since I take it at least 5 times a week and only get 9 pills a month. I've extended the life of them by receiving a 10 mg prescription and cutting them in half. Either way, I tried Excedrin Migraine today to relieve the onset of a migraine - I thought if I caught it early enough that the medication just might work. I might as well have eaten a bag of Skittles. This did nothing to stop my migraine, it only sped up my HR, so I couldn't rest and felt jittery for hours on end. I ended up having to take Maxalt anyway. This is clearly not an option for me."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 8, 2015

For Migraine "I love this stuff. I get really bad anxiety when I'm around people, and that anxiety turns into migraines when they're people I don't like. On those days, I'm glad I have this stuff. I always keep a bottle near."

• OKN...
• February 27, 2019

For Migraine "32 yrs of migraines; Excedrin Migraine is helpful at the first sign (I am able to work as a night nurse). I do not drink/eat anything with caffeine, so it causes some jitteriness, but doesn't cause drowsiness (eating helps). I have food trigger/hormone trigger migraines. Working with my doctor has taken time as my migraines have increased in intensity/duration. I take Excedrin Migraine day 1; after 24 hours, I need Sumatriptan (can with naproxen; Sumatriptan should not be taken with other pain medications). Day 3, I use Fioricet. When my symptoms wane, I use Excedrin Migraine. I talk with my pharmacist to avoid any medication interactions (also advised a safe, less drowsy motion sickness medication for imbalance). There is not anything available for vision blurriness, but Excedrin Migraine does not intensify that symptom. I had my blood work/MRI done to rule out any underlying symptoms. My doctor advised Excedrin Migraine, and it is very helpful."

• Kat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 25, 2022

For Migraine "I had been having some bad headaches for a few days, so I decided to take Excedrin. Took 2 pills and drank a cup of coffee thinking the extra caffeine would help. The headache was still there, so I took 1 more Excedrin a few hours later. Bad idea. I felt sick to my stomach all night. My heart was racing, but I couldn't sit still because I was jittery and anxious from the caffeine. Felt like I was going to pass out. Very scary. Almost called 911."

• Kat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 25, 2022

For Migraine "I had been having some bad headaches for a few days, so I decided to take Excedrin. Took 2 pills and drank a cup of coffee thinking the extra caffeine would help. The headache was still there, so I took 1 more Excedrin a few hours later. Bad idea. I felt sick to my stomach all night. My heart was racing, but I couldn't sit still because I was jittery and anxious from the caffeine. Felt like I was going to pass out. Very scary. Almost called 911."

• Kay...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 12, 2021

For Migraine "I started using Excedrin Migraine in my twenties for migraines. I'm now 62 and continue to use it. It's a miracle drug for me. I do get stomach upset from it, so I try to take it with food. I can't take it around bedtime because I could never sleep (caffeine is in it). I take one pill. I took 2 once, and the shakiness and anxiety were through the roof. I hope they never stop manufacturing this product."

• Fem...
• September 2, 2021

For Migraine "I was reading these reviews, and they were exceptionally helpful for me, so I thought I would share my experience. I’ve been dealing with migraines for a few weeks now, and I just wanted to say that taking two of these absolutely worked for me. I did notice an increase in anxiety, but after a few hours, this went away, and the meds definitely helped quell the pain of the migraine. I would say they pretty much took the pain entirely away."

• Nsa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 6, 2021

For Migraine "This medication takes the pain away, but the last time I took it, I had terrible anxiety. I felt nauseous and shaky, and nothing would take the feeling away. I had to deal with it for a while, and it felt horrible. I usually take half of one pill, but last time I took a whole."

• mig...
• October 20, 2009

For Migraine "Does not work for people sensitive to caffeine. I was jittery and nervous and queasy after using a single dose."

• mig...
• October 20, 2009

For Migraine "Does not work for people sensitive to caffeine. I was jittery and nervous and queasy after using a single dose."