Tuesday, 30 October 2001 : "Caffeine and ibuprofen ... yeah!"

58 per cent of those who took either caffeine or ibuprofen alone reported complete pain relief from a headache -- and the caffeine-takers typically experienced relief about half an hour faster. The caffeine dose was equivalent to that in a large mug of coffee, says Seymour Diamond, who led the study.

However, the combination treatment provided full relief for 71 per cent of patients. The effect was also much longer-lasting, providing on average an extra four hours of pain relief.