Guys and midol

[roguere]

What would happen if a guy took midol?

[The Devil's Grandmother]

His headaches, cramps and uncomfortable bloat would go away.

Does your mom know you are using her computer?

[Arjuna34]

His headaches, cramps, and uncomfortable bloat would go away exactly as if he'd taken some Advil, since the active ingredient in both Midol and Advil is 200 mg of ibuprofen.

Arjuna34

[Bob Scene]

There are four different kinds of Midol now. The original kind has a pain reliever (acetominophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol), a diuretic (caffeine, to get rid of the water that causes bloating) and an antihistamine (pyrilamine maleate). Although men commonly take Tylenol, caffeine and antihistamines with no problem, if a man were to take this particular combination at these dosages, my calculations show he would most likely respond by getting on the internet and asking stupid questions.

[SSgtBaloo]

I was under the impression that Midol's "original" formula consisted of aspirin and caffiene. Acetaminophen might've been in use during the '60s & '70s, but nobody'd heard of "Tylenol" back then.

The effects of taking Midol (in its most primitive form) are akin to taking 2 aspirin (or Tylenol, depending on which it is) along with one or more (or possibly less) No-Doze tablets.

YMMV

~~Baloo

P.S.: There are no stupid questions -- just stupid answers. Trolls reveal themselves as fools. Poor ignorant folks don't deserve such treatment until their ignorance is proven to be a willful act. If roguere is not what he claims to be, a moderator will be along shortly to correct the situation.

[GuanoLad]

We did that show in school: Guys and Midols

[Duke]

Oh, come on--no one here has heard that old Bill Cosby sketch? The Cos claims he took Midol for headaches and it worked wonders, further claiming that he took it all the time. I'm not going to tell you the punch line, it's lame.

[Bob Scene]

Originally posted by Baloo
I was under the impression that Midol's "original" formula consisted of aspirin and caffiene. Acetaminophen might've been in use during the '60s & '70s, but nobody'd heard of "Tylenol" back then.

When I say the original kind, I mean plain Midol as opposed to Midol Teen or Midol PMS. There are several kinds now. When they started making it it was probably different. And Bill Cosby was right. Aspirin and caffeine is a good combination for a headache pill.

[GaryM]

My Excedrin bottle says it contains acetaminophen, asprin, and caffeine.

I guess the're covering all the bases.

[cher3]

In addition to some kind of pain-killer, PMS formulas often contain pamabrom, which is a diuretic. I would guess that it helps get rid of the bloating without the side effects of caffeine, which PMS sufferers certainly don't need.

[yabob]

Originally posted by Duke
Oh, come on--no one here has heard that old Bill Cosby sketch? The Cos claims he took Midol for headaches and it worked wonders, further claiming that he took it all the time. I'm not going to tell you the punch line, it's lame.

That was one of his really early sketches, a lot of which were pretty funny (Noah - Right!). I don't really recall it HAVING a punch line, it was just one of those rambling things he milked for laughs enroute, about how women had been keeping this wonder drug a secret for years, and so on ...

Seriously, people have covered what would happen if a man were to take midol amply, so let me do a slight hijack here. There was some other male comic who did a bit about "how do drugs know where to go - when I take an aspirin, how does it know to go to my head?" He ended up imagining himself taking a midol, and the midol having to pull over in the bloodstream somewhere to ask "Excuse me, but I'm REALLY lost ...". Whose routine was that?

[Aestivalis]

Originally posted by GaryM
My Excedrin bottle says it contains acetaminophen, asprin, and caffeine.

I guess the're covering all the bases.

Caffeine happens to work synergistically with Asprin (and possibly Ibuprofen) to make it more potent. That's the Excedrin secret. It also works the other way around, in that Asprin makes caffine more potent, making it a key ingredient in diuretics/fat-burners.

[Gregor Samsa]

FWIW, I know several guys who swear Midol is the best thing for treating a hangover.

[Catfood Purrito]

My dad used to take Pamprin for toothaches (back before he got dentures), and swore it was the best over-the-counter pain reliever for that problem.

I myself never noticed any appreciable difference between taking Pamprin or plain old Advil for toothaches.

[Zyada]

I have to disagree with those of you saying Midol was originally aspirin or tylenol. IIRC, (and I believe I do) Midol came onto the market as the first OTC version of ibuprofen, and was actually the brand name of the prescription formulation.

Ibuprofen was developed specifically as a treatment for PMS, and one of the primary effects it has is to counteract the chemicals which cause the cramping, mood swings and other fun stuff associated with PMS. That it is also a NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) is a bonus - this means it is also effective for minor aches and pains and for fevers. It is however, chemically similar to aspirin, and can cause the same problems that aspirin does, including anemia. This may be why Midol added some non-ibuprofen formulations.

For the OP, Midol will work similar to aspirin, acetominophen, ibuprofen, or Alleve^TM. You'll just be paying more for the privilege.

[Johnny Angel]

Headache powders are a combination of aspirin, acetaminophen and caffeine. It's kind of a nasty experience to swallow it, but it takes care of business fast.

[Duke]

Originally posted by yabob

That was one of his really early sketches, a lot of which were pretty funny (Noah - Right!). I don't really recall it HAVING a punch line...<snip>

Oh, all right. At the end of the sketch, after detailing the beneficial effects of Midol, The Cose mused, "Of course, every month I get a little irritable...."

[mnemosyne]

So is or isn't Midol the same stuff as Advil? I know there has to be something different, because I take Advil all the time without problems, and the one time I tried Midol I had a vast majority of the side-effects (to the point where I was telling people in my classes what I took so they could inform the paramedics if I passed out). I knew the active ingredient is ibuprofen for both, but are there now forms without Ibu? I don't remember which type of Midol I tried...it was 4 years ago, and I don't dare try it again.

[LazarusLong42]

I was going to answer Mnemosyne (cool name, by the way), but after pulling out my PDR I realize it doesn't have a listing for Midol. Very odd. Closest thing I can find is "Lurline," which contains:

Acetaminophen, 500 mg (two extra-strength Tylenol);
Pamabrom, 25 mg (diuretic)
Pyridoxine HCl, 50 mg (Vitamin B₆?)

It's the only listed medication which contains pamabrom.

It should be noted that--IIRC, and IANAD--caffeine in headache medications is not as important for its diuretic properties as for its vasoconstrictive properties--especially in migraine, which is thought to be partially caused by dilation of blood vessels in the head, leading to increased pressure and pain.

LL

[Zyada]

mnemosyne - I checked out the Midol web site (of course they have one) and they have 4 different formulas now, only one of which actually has ibuprofen. Curious that you had side effects with Midol & not with Advil. Could be because the Midol that you were taking was a stronger formula, or it could have been another active ingredient. Or maybe you were allergic to one of the inactive ingredients they used. Also, do you have an aspirin sensitivity?

[Geobabe]

Originally posted by Zyada
I have to disagree with those of you saying Midol was originally aspirin or tylenol. IIRC, (and I believe I do) Midol came onto the market as the first OTC version of ibuprofen, and was actually the brand name of the prescription formulation.

Nope. I remember taking Midol--and I am 100% certain it was Midol brand--when I was in high school, and I graduated in 1982, long before ibuprofen was an OTC drug. The formula was at that time aspirin, caffeine and I believe pamabrom.

[mnemosyne]

Zyada, I don't know if I have an aspirin sensitivity. I don't recall ever taking any, although it's possible I may have in the past. To my knowledge, I've never had an adverse reaction to any drug I've taken, except Midol. And as I said, I don't remember which formula it was. I might be able to recognize the package if I saw it (I should check out the website) but I'm not sure. I knew about the website, but I was wondering this two weeks ago (Organic Chem lab on various analgesics) and the site was down, so I haven't bothered to go back. Maybe I will.

[hijack]
I learned the scariest thing in biochem today. According to my prof, as many people die in the US of ulcers and stomach bleeding due to aspirin and NSAIDS use as do people who die of AIDS. I don't know of any source, but I would definitely want to find out more! Makes me glad I don't use aspirin! The prof said that even 3 weeks after taking an aspirin, your blood platelet level is still down! Scary.
[/hijack]

[mnemosyne]

Nope, they've changed the packages in the past 4 years - the one I remember was predominantly white, with blue lettering.
And what a cluttered website. Too many images....