Caffeine Makes Headache Medicine Work Faster

April 18, 2010 at 11:40 pm Chad Upton

Not all, but some medicine actually contains caffeine to make it work faster, particularly headache relief medications.

I went to CVS pharmacy and snapped this picture of their headache relief formula.

As you can see, the main ingredients are acetaminophen (aka “Tylenol”) and Aspirin. But, there is a significant amount of caffeine too.

At 65 mg, that’s about the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee. Caffeine allows faster absorption of these drugs and makes them 40% more effective according to Web MD. That means you don’t need to take as much, saving you some money and reduces side effects.

Although it reduces the amount of painkiller you need to take, it raises the amount of caffeine you consume. This creates a slight risk of additional headaches due to caffeine withdrawal when you stop. Be sure to read the package directions and not take more than recommended.

Broken Secrets | Written By: Chad Upton

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Sources: Web MD, International Coffee Organization, WP Caffeine, WP Codeine,

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Entry filed under: Food and Drink, Health and Beauty. Tags: absorption, caffeine, headache, medicine.