Headaches are a side effect of caffeine withdrawal. Yet caffeine is used in some over-the-counter medications for the treatment of headaches. The caffeine itself is not particularly helpful, but its combination with the active ingredient in the medication is. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the addition of caffeine to pain medication increases the effectiveness of the medication by 40 percent.
Caffeine and Medications
In addition to intensifying the effect of headache medications, caffeine also increases the absorption of the medication, so less of the medication is needed to alleviate the pain. This helps to prevent side effects that occur from overuse of medication. An overdose of acetaminophen, a common ingredient in pain medications, can cause vomiting, sweating, stomach pain and yellow skin. Too much aspirin, another headache medication, can cause fever, dizziness, drowsiness, seizures and temporary loss of consciousness.
Concerns
Caffeine not only increases the potency of headache medications, it also speeds up the time it takes to relieve the pain. Most people experience the effects of caffeine within 30 minutes of ingestion. A dose of headache medication needs about 130 mg of caffeine in order for the body to reap the added benefits of caffeine. The National Headache Foundation states that headache medications with caffeine are not a health risk as long as they are used in accordance with the directions on the label.
Overuse
Long-term or chronic use of pain relievers can cause rebound headaches. In addition, overuse of over-the-counter pain medications with or without caffeine can cause kidney damage. Whether or not this risk is higher for pain relievers that contain caffeine is unknown. Clinical studies have not found a direct link between caffeine and kidney damage.
Research
Migraines are a severe type of headache that is extremely painful and often disabling. The effectiveness of over-the-counter medications, containing aspirin, acetaminophen and caffeine, in treating the symptoms associated with migraine headaches was the focus of a study published in the March 1999 issue of "Clinical Therapeutics." In this study, the combination of aspirin, acetaminophen and caffeine significantly reduced the nausea, pain and sensitivity to light and sound in women who experienced migraines.
References
- Cleveland Clinic: Caffeine and Headache
- National Headache Foundation: Caffeine and Headache
- "Clinical Therapeutics"; Treatment of menstruation-associated migraine with the nonprescription combination of acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine: results from three randomized, placebo-controlled studies; S.B. Silverstein, et al.; March 1999
- "Drug Safety"; A benefit-risk assessment of caffeine as an analgesic adjuvant; W.Y. Zhang; 2001
- Medline Plus: Aspirin
- Medline Plus: Acetaminophen
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