# Guys and midol **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 31, 2001, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-and-midol/52620 "2001-01-31T23:12:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![roguere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/22d042/32.png) [@roguere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roguere)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2001, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-and-midol/52620/1 "2001-01-31T23:12:42Z")
What would happen if a guy took midol? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2001, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-and-midol/52620/2 "2001-01-31T23:55:20Z")
His headaches, cramps and uncomfortable bloat would go away. Does your mom know you are using her computer? ---
**Author:** ![Arjuna34](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Arjuna34](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arjuna34)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2001, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-and-midol/52620/3 "2001-02-01T00:01:15Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![Bob\_Scene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Bob\_Scene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob_Scene)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2001, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-and-midol/52620/4 "2001-02-01T00:02:20Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![SSgtBaloo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@SSgtBaloo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSgtBaloo)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2001, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-and-midol/52620/5 "2001-02-01T00:40:34Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2001, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-and-midol/52620/6 "2001-02-01T02:57:52Z")
We did that show in school: **Guys and Midols** ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2001, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-and-midol/52620/7 "2001-02-01T04:20:32Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Bob\_Scene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Bob\_Scene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob_Scene)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2001, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-and-midol/52620/8 "2001-02-01T18:44:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*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. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2001, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-and-midol/52620/9 "2001-02-01T20:40:49Z")
My Excedrin bottle says it contains acetaminophen, asprin, and caffeine. I guess the’re covering all the bases. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2001, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-and-midol/52620/10 "2001-02-01T20:51:43Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2001, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-and-midol/52620/11 "2001-02-01T20:52:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*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? ---
**Author:** ![Aestivalis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Aestivalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aestivalis)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2001, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-and-midol/52620/12 "2001-02-01T21:09:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*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. ---
**Author:** ![Gregor\_Samsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@Gregor\_Samsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gregor_Samsa)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2001, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-and-midol/52620/13 "2001-02-01T21:36:05Z")
FWIW, I know several guys who swear Midol is **the** best thing for treating a hangover. ---
**Author:** ![Catfood\_Purrito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Catfood\_Purrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catfood_Purrito)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2001, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-and-midol/52620/14 "2001-02-02T03:11:52Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2001, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-and-midol/52620/15 "2001-02-04T21:39:21Z")
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[sup]TM[/sup]. You’ll just be paying more for the privilege. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2001, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-and-midol/52620/16 "2001-02-05T03:11:05Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2001, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-and-midol/52620/17 "2001-02-05T03:33:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by yabob \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Duke \* > > \*\*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…\ > \*\* 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…” ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2001, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-and-midol/52620/18 "2001-02-05T08:48:56Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![LazarusLong42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@LazarusLong42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LazarusLong42)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2001, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-and-midol/52620/19 "2001-02-05T16:21:58Z")
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 B[sub]6[/sub]?) 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 ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-and-midol/52620/20 "2001-02-06T00:21:18Z")
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? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guys-and-midol/52620.md?page=2)