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Honored Contributor
Posts: 11,921
Registered: ‎03-19-2010

Re: Excedrin products discontinued


@Laura14 wrote:

@Icegoddess  According to the Pharma newsletters, GlaxoSmithKline which makes Excedrin is voluntarily stopping it temporarily to get their production line back in balance with the weights and measurements.  We've seen nothing yet about complete discontinuation nor would I expect they would ever pull such a profitable product.  


@Laura14 , but how long is temporarily?  I rather doubt they would make such an announcement if it was going to be only for a few weeks.  And, as I mentioned in my other response, when Pepcid Complete did something like this, they were off the shelves for something like 2 years.  

 

I never really thought it was a permanent thing unless GSK was just going to shutter all their Excedrin products since I expect headache medication to be a good moneymaker for them.  

 

I know there are generic equivalents, I currently have a bottle of the Kroger brand generic since they were out of the Excedrin brand when I tried to buy some.  But, I don't know where those are made and if there might also be a trickle down effect making them unavailable too.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 16,012
Registered: ‎06-09-2014

Re: Excedrin products discontinued

@Icegoddess   Here is her direct quote from our newsletter:  By law, they can not sell a product if random testing is showing production issues.  The last thing you or anyone would want is to take a pill and have nothing happen because not enough medication was in the capsule or worse get a double dose. 

 

I guarantee this is most likely a calibration issue with their machinery.  Once fixed, they'll be back to it.  No one is measuring by hand and missing the mark. 

 

"This is a short term issue for which we expect production to begin again shortly,” Kathleen Quinn, GSK’s head of U.S. corporate communications, said in an email.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,567
Registered: ‎09-15-2016

Re: Excedrin products discontinued

Thanks @Icegoddess...I didn't know it was being discontinued & I depend on the Excedrin Migraine since every prescription I've tried has caused rebound migraines. Searched online to see what stores near me have stock & found only 1 that's offering shipping so stocked up on 200 count bottles. Thanks Again for the heads up!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,282
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Excedrin products discontinued

I can't even tell you the last time I was able to find Excedrin Migraine in any store.  

Honored Contributor
Posts: 19,487
Registered: ‎03-16-2010

Re: Excedrin products discontinued


@Laura14 wrote:

@froggy wrote:

It's just a combination of acetamenophen, aspirin and caffein. Why don't you just buy generics of the ingredients and combine them yourself?


OMG please do not do this.  This just sent chills up my spine as a CPh. 

 

Please understand that OTC medication can and will kill you just as well as the prescription stuff or cause you bodily harm especially when you go off use like this. 

 

Anything sold OTC this has been safety tested in the correct dosage and preparation delivery system along with potential side effects and the effects of all three together by the company under the FDA oversight. Use generic if you have to or ask your pharmacist to recommend an alternaive.

 

It may seem like nothing to throw a couple pills and coffee together but be careful with this, please! 

 

 


@froggy 

@Laura14 

 

And I've tried it before, thinking the same thing.  Just speaking for myself, it doesn't work.  Didn't do a thing for my headache.  Maybe it was just me, but that was my experience.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 19,487
Registered: ‎03-16-2010

Re: Excedrin products discontinued


@Laura14 wrote:

@Icegoddess   Here is her direct quote from our newsletter:  By law, they can not sell a product if random testing is showing production issues.  The last thing you or anyone would want is to take a pill and have nothing happen because not enough medication was in the capsule or worse get a double dose. 

 

I guarantee this is most likely a calibration issue with their machinery.  Once fixed, they'll be back to it.  No one is measuring by hand and missing the mark. 

 

"This is a short term issue for which we expect production to begin again shortly,” Kathleen Quinn, GSK’s head of U.S. corporate communications, said in an email.


@Laura14 

 

This is very interesting to me.  I take Excedrin Extra Strength for headaches because it's the only thing I've found to work for me.  (I was actually going to buy a bottle yesterday and it was nowhere to be found.  Now I know why.)  

 

Anyway, there have been times in the past that I swear they didn't work as well as they had been.  Sometimes they'd be fine, other times not.  Maybe I'm not going crazy after all.

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Honored Contributor
Posts: 19,346
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Excedrin products discontinued


@froggy wrote:

It's just a combination of acetamenophen, aspirin and caffein. Why don't you just buy generics of the ingredients and combine them yourself?

 

====

Oh sure, I'll grab my mortar and pestle each morning and whip up a batch! And to think they took it off the market because of inconsistent manufacturing processes.


 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 28,707
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Excedrin products discontinued

[ Edited ]

Target has their own brand of acetominophen and caffeine. You can always add an aspirin to the mix if you feel the aspirin is helpful. 

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,671
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Excedrin products discontinued

@SandySparkles 


@SandySparkles wrote:

This is very interesting. I am curious to find out which country it is produced in. There have been countless stories of medications being made with harmful ingredients lately, that are produced outside of the US. I believe the majority of medications are no longer produced here, and much more oversight needs to be mandatory to help keep us safe. I hope no one became ill before their discovery, but am glad to see their dedication to the efficacy of their product, whether it was by mandate or not.

 

 

~~~All we need is LOVE💖


Same with me.  They did this a couple of years ago.  I get terrific and Tylenol does nothing, only excedrin.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 11,921
Registered: ‎03-19-2010

Re: Excedrin products discontinued


@Misplaced Parisian wrote:

@Icegoddess wrote:

@LindaSal wrote:

Somehow I wonder if they would actually break down the same in the body.  You know a pharmacist told  me once that taking 3 tablets of 200mg advil will NOT have the same affect as taking one prescription 600MG ibuprofen.


I'm not getting up at 4:00 am to mix up headache medication.  At that time I'm trying to be quiet so as not to disturb anyone, and if it's bad enough to get me out of bed, I'm starting to get nauseous too, and I don't drink coffee.  It might be easy to find the exact mg of Acetaminophin and Aspirin, but not sure where you would find exactly 65 mg of caffeine.  

 

Lucky for me, at least for the short term, hubby just came home with two bottles.  


@Icegoddess  Costco has it on their website and it's not a "member only" item - therefore anyone should be able to order it.  Just sharing in case you need to increase your stash!  I know what it's like to need something for pain and not have it available.


@Misplaced Parisian , thanks, we were just in Costco and our local one currently has a good supply sitting out.  Hopefully, this will be a short-term situation like @Laura14 says, but I would rather stock up and have too much than ignore the situation and not be able to find it when I needed it.  The Costco ones at my store had a later expiration date (2022) vs the bottles hubby found at Publix (Jan 2021).  The issue apparently isn't bad enough for them to issue a recall of the product, so I would think any sitting in a warehouse can still be sold.