Pain reliever dupe

 Calling this one a product dupe might not be quite right. It is however a product for which there is a cheaper version that works just as good, and you also don't get swindled into falling for the "migraine fee." 

What is the migraine fee? This is the random amount added to a products price just because of the buzzword included in the products name.

As someone who has suffered with migraines since I was 12 this mark up on products that include the word migraine really bothers me. Don't take advantage of my pain and use that as an excuse to price gouge me. 

Excedrin and Excedrin Migraine both contain the following active ingredients: Acetaminophen 250 mg, Aspirin 250 mg and Caffeine 65 mg.

Excedrin lists it's uses as various types of pain, while Excedrin Migraine lists it use as treating migraines. But they have the same active ingredients, so couldn't I use regular Excedrin for my migraines and still have it be effective? Why the deceptive marketing? 

On Target.com you can currently purchase a 100 count bottle of Excedrin for $10.99. The same size bottle of Excedrin migraine is $14.99. That's not a huge mark up, but the fact they mark up the exact same product with a different label on it at all is shady. 

Excedrin has a lot of really great information about migraines on their website, and I have no doubt this information has led some of it's users to seek medical attention for their migraines. Which seems counter productive to me because one of the first things a neurologist will tell you is to stop taking so many OTC products, as they cause rebound migraines. But still, that is one good thing I can say for them. 

On to the dupe:

The Target store brand Up&Up extra strength headache relief is $1.99 for a 100 count bottle.

This is my go to brand for an Excedrin like product. It works just as good but at more than half off the price of the name brand versions. I've never had any issues with the Target brand products. 

On a more serious note, if you are one of the millions of people who suffer from migraines on a regular basis, please talk to your doctor. Don't suffer for longer than you have too. 

I plan to upload a post sometime in the next week with some of my personal tips on what to do if you get migraines, what you need to take with you when you talk to your doctor, and where to start with migraine resources.