So I found myself with an incredible headache last week that was sucking the will to live right from very soul. Okay, slight exaggeration but it hurt. I took two Excedrin Migraine. Hours later the headache was still pounding the life out of my productivity so I wondered if it had been long enough to take two more Excedrin. I thought I remembered Excedrin having a maximum dosage of two pills/caplets every four hours (with six or eight pills total for 24 hours) but I wasn’t sure. Since I have a history of liver issues, I checked the label to be sure.

First, I was a little annoyed that the dosage information seemed “hidden” behind a peel-back label on the smaller Excedrin bottle. To my extreme disappointment, I couldn’t take any more Excedrin until the next morning since I had already reached the maximum daily dosage. The label said I could only take two caplets every 24 hours! WAIT, it gets better…

I was sure it wasn’t like that in the past so I asked several people throughout my day how many Excedrin Migraine caplets they thought an adult could take and how often. The answers ranged from two every four hours to two every eight hours. Most of the people thought it was two every six hours. NO ONE remembered it being two pills a day.

When I got home I looked at a larger bottle but this one was Excedrin Extra Strength. The larger bottle of Excedrin Extra Strength shows a maximum of two caplets every six hours and no more than eight caplets every 24 hours for adults and children 12 years old and older. WTH?

The active ingredients for both of these products are the same per pill:

Acetaminophen 250 mg.

Aspirin 250 mg. (NSAID – (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug))

Caffeine 65 mg.

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The EXACT same active per-pill ingredients and drug amounts (mg) are identical for both bottles; the Excedrin Extra Strength and the Excedrin Migraine.

WHT Excedrin?

So, tell me Excedrin, which amount is correct? How many Excedrin can we SAFELY take in 24 hours and how often? Can we take more if we buy bigger bottles?