Several suggestions. First, knock off the Excedrin. If she's taking it more than one or two times a week, it can cause rebound headaches, which just creates a vicious cycle. Get headache, take Excedrin, headache goes away, Excedrin wears off, headache comes back, take more Excedrin, etc. Second, knock off caffeine. Third, start tracking what “triggers” the migraine; chocolate, caffeine, sharp cheeses, red wine, lima beans, too much/not enough sleep, stress, weather, etc. Some people get exertion migraines from working out too hard or exerting themselves in certain ways too much. If she can't control the migraines by avoiding her triggers, she may need to see a headache specialist (neurologist) and be put on a maintenance drug to reduce the frequency. Topomax is a good one.
I've lived with migraines my whole life. Not fun. She has my sympathy.
“Several suggestions. First, knock off the Excedrin. If she’s taking it more than one or two times a week, it can cause rebound headaches, which just creates a vicious cycle.”
Good advice.
start tracking what “triggers” the migraine; Probably the best advice. Disruption in my sleeping pattern for an extended period of time (more than a few days) typically trigger mine, as does over-exerting myself in the bright sunlight. Once I learned what my triggers were my migraines became much less frequent and much less powerful. I used to get 1-2 a month that would last anywhere from 1-3 days. It's been a good 4 months or so since my last bad migraine.