DO YOU REALLY NEED EXPENSIVE PILLS?

SPECIFIC headache remedies are convenient, but are they worth the extra cost? When it comes to migraine, ‘drugs that combine paracetamol and codeine are not great,’ says Paul Booton, a retired GP, an adviser to the National Migraine Centre and a former professor of general practice at St George’s Hospital, London. ‘Codeine doesn’t work for migraine pain and can make nausea and sickness worse — and it is also more likely to result in medication overuse headaches,’ he says. However, community pharmacist Sultan Dajani points out that the all-in-one migraine product Migraleve is popular with customers, as it’s the only over-thecounter product that contains an anti-nausea drug with a painkiller. He adds that many people also find these pills easier to take, because some get confused about how many different pills they have taken when they have a headache. ‘If you’re on a tight budget, though, you can save yourself a lot of money by buying generic painkillers and then getting a prescription for anti-sickness drugs from your GP,’ he adds. Meanwhile, for headaches, Peter Goadsby, a professor of neurology at King’s College London, says there’s no substantial evidence that painkillers marketed specifically as headache pain-relievers are any better than standard painkillers. ‘What is important is the dose,’ he adds. ‘Some of them are faster-acting, but the time difference will be only about 15 to 30 minutes.’