Excedrin Migraine® And Excedrin Extra Strength® Paused For Production

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has temporarily stopped the production of some of its Excedrin brands. This has created shortages of Excedrin Migraine® and Excedrin Extra Strength® caplets and gel tabs in stores across the U.S.^1-2

GSK is headquartered in the United Kingdom. It is a global healthcare company with businesses in the manufacturing and distribution of prescription drugs, vaccines, and consumer healthcare products.³

GSK halts production of some Excedrin products

Company consumer healthcare spokesperson, Kathleen Beatty, reports the reason for the voluntary pause in production is due to inconsistencies in manufacturing. Particularly, in the way ingredients are weighed and transferred in the production process.¹

Is my Excedrin at home and at the stores safe to continue taking?

Excedrin products currently on the shelves or ones you may have at home is not believed to pose a safety risk to consumers. The concerns were identified as a part of routine quality control. The stop in production is just a precautionary measure. There has been no product recall.

However, as a precautionary measure, GSK has voluntarily stopped the production and distribution of Excedrin Migraine® and Excedrin Extra Strength® caplets and gel tabs. This means they will stop making these products until they can be sure of the exact measurement of ingredients.

Excedrin has been recalled once before in 2012.⁴ At this point, there is no confirmed date as to when supply will resume.^1-2

Are other Excedrin products affected?

Other Glaxo headache products such as Excedrin Tension Headache® and Excedrin PM Headache® have been unaffected and will still be made.^1,3 These other over the counter (OTC) pain-relieving drugs may require different dosages.²