I receive, on average, one crippling painful migraine a week, along with a few regular headaches, and I used to receive one literally paralyzing one a month that would render me unable to move any muscle in my body. Ibuprofen is the greatest godsend I've ever had, but it's the most hit or miss thing. Sometimes I'll take 800mg and it will have only enough effect to allow me to continue working in pain, and sometimes 400mg will make it melt completely. Sometimes the addition of caffeine helps, sometimes it makes it worse.
Same here. I've had migraines that medicine barely touched. That's when I realized my headaches were beyond "bad" - when I'd taken 800 mg of whatever and my head was still throbbing so hard with every step that I was trying to walk as softly as possible. Then again I've had headaches medicine has staved off. So for that reason I take it most of the time I feel a headache start, especially if it seems like a bad one, even though it doesn't always work. I try to drink water when I get migraines cuz I figure hydration is a good thing I don't do enough. But I will try caffeine first if I haven't had any.