Medicine, not a drink
Excedrin Migraine is an over-the-counter pain reliever that contains acetaminophen, aspirin and caffeine. The DailyMed label lists 65 mg of caffeine in each caplet. The recommended dose is two caplets, which delivers 130 mg of caffeine in addition to the medication.
Because Excedrin is a pill, not a drink, it is easy to forget to count it toward your daily caffeine total. If you take a two-caplet dose and also drink a couple of cups of coffee, you can reach the FDA’s 400 mg daily reference for healthy adults without realising it.
Why the caffeine is there
Caffeine is added to some pain-relief formulations because it can help certain headache medications work more quickly. It is not the active ingredient on its own, but it can improve the absorption and effectiveness of acetaminophen and aspirin. For people managing migraines, the caffeine can also be part of the treatment pattern, though it can trigger withdrawal headaches if use is inconsistent.
Compare to a coffee
A standard two-caplet dose of Excedrin Migraine at 130 mg is roughly the caffeine in a 12 oz brewed coffee or a 12 oz Red Bull. If you are tracking caffeine for sleep, anxiety or pregnancy, include Excedrin in your daily total.
Migraine and caffeine withdrawal
Caffeine is a double-edged tool for migraines. A small dose can help some headache treatments work faster, but irregular caffeine intake can itself trigger withdrawal headaches. If you use Excedrin Migraine frequently, your caffeine intake becomes more consistent, and missing a dose can lead to a rebound headache. For this reason, consistent tracking matters more with migraine medications than with drinks.
Source
The caffeine per caplet is from the DailyMed drug label for Excedrin Migraine, checked 19 September 2026.