Paracetamol is a simple painkilling medicine used to relieve mild to moderate pain. Despite its widespread use for over 100 years, we still don’t fully understand how paracetamol works to relieve pain. However, it is now thought that it works by reducing the production of prostaglandins in the brain and spinal cord.

The body produces prostaglandins in response to injury and certain diseases. One of the effects of prostaglandins is to sensitise nerve endings, causing pain (presumably to prevent us from causing further harm to the area). As paracetamol reduces the production of these nerve sensitising prostaglandins it is thought it may increase our pain threshold, so that although the cause of the pain remains, we can feel it less.

Paracetamol is about as effective as aspirin at relieving mild to moderate pain, but unlike aspirin it has no anti-inflammatory effect.

Codeine is a slightly stronger painkiller known as an opioid. Opioid painkillers work by mimicking the action of naturally occurring pain-reducing chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins are found in the brain and spinal cord and reduce pain by combining with opioid receptors.

Codeine mimicks the action of natural endorphins by combining with the opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord. This blocks the transmission of pain signals sent by the nerves to the brain. Therefore, even though the cause of the pain may remain, less pain is actually felt.

Migraleve pink tablets contain 8mg of codeine, which in combination with the paracetamol, is effective at relieving the pain of migraine headaches.

Buclizine hydrochloride is a type of medicine called an antihistamine. It is used to treat the sensation of nausea that can occur in a migraine attack and thus prevent vomiting.

Vomiting is controlled by an area of the brain called the vomiting centre. The vomiting centre is responsible for causing feelings of sickness (nausea) and for the vomiting reflex. Buclizine works by blocking histamine receptors in the vomiting centre, which prevents the vomiting centre from receiving nerve messages that would otherwise cause nausea and vomiting.

If taken at the first sign of a migraine, Migraleve pink tablets can prevent the migraine developing fully. Adults over 14 years of age should take two Migraleve pink tablets at the first sign of a migraine. Children aged 10 to 14 years should take one Migraleve pink tablet as soon as it is known that a migraine attack has started or is imminent. If the migraine continues, further treatment should be with Migraleve yellow tablets to help relieve the migraine headache. You should not start taking Migraleve yellow until four hours after your dose of Migraleve pink. Do not exceed the recommended dose. (The maximum dose for adults aged over 14 years is two Migraleve pink and six Migraleve yellow tablets in 24 hours. The maximum dose for children aged 10 to 14 years is one Migraleve pink and three Migraleve yellow tablets in 24 hours.)

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