Excedrin Recall Continues, Here Are Some Alternatives

The has left many without the medicine they typically use to cure their ills.

Distributing drug company Novartis would not say when the pills would be back on the shelf, but Dr. Alice Stollenwerk Petrulis with MetroHealth in Westlake has a few suggestions until they become available again.

"Bufferin is just buffered aspirin and Gas-X is Beano," she said. "The easiest thing to do is figure out what the active ingredient is, and find something with the same dosage."

Ecotrin, a kind of aspirin, works just as well as Bufferin, Petrulis said. A low dose would be around 180 milligrams, and a high dose would be 345 milligrams.

Petrulis suggests Mylanta Gas liquid, an antacid, as a substitute for Gas-X. Mylicon, which is often given to children to reduce gas, is another option, as well as GasAid and Flatulex, she said.

For a NoDoz substitute, Petrulis suggests having a cup of coffee. She said there is as much caffeine in a NoDoz pill as a 16-ounce cup of coffee from Einstein's or an iced drink from Starbucks.

For those who don't like coffee, she suggests regular caffeine pills.

"The easiest thing to do is go to the area you bought the Gas-X and find an equivalent," she said. "Look for that key ingredient." 

Migraines can be treated with Motrin or Advil and a little caffeine, she said. "IB profein, Motrin and Advil are all good for migraines. Excedrin Migraine is just Asprin, Tylenol and caffiene."

Westlake's Walgreen's pharmacy also stated that they do not know when the recall will be over, but recommended as an alternative to Excedrin Migraine.

A few Patch readers have been reporting dizziness, vomiting and stomach pain after taking the last few pills in their Excedrin bottles, but Novartis says they haven't heard of any complaints.

"We don't have any reports of adverse events," said Julie Massow, U.S. corporate spokesperson for Novartis.

"Novartis Consumer Health has also taken other pre-emptive actions to ensure our products meet the highest quality standards, including voluntarily suspending operations at the Lincoln facility and suspending shipments from the site," reads a statement issued by Novartis. "We are working to resume production and return products to stores as soon as possible."