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This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here. This content does not have an English version. These lists contain examples of the most common mild side effects that can occur with Imitrex, with Maxalt, or with both drugs when taken individually.
These lists contain examples of serious side effects that can occur with Imitrex, with Maxalt, or with both drugs when taken individually. The use of Imitrex and Maxalt in treating migraine has been directly compared in a number of clinical studies. A review of studies concluded that Maxalt was more effective for treating migraine than Imitrex.
People who took Maxalt were more likely to have relief from headache and nausea 2 hours after taking a dose compared with people who took Imitrex. According to estimates on GoodRx. However, Imitrex taken by nasal spray or injection may cost more than Maxalt. Imitrex and Maxalt are both brand-name drugs. Generic forms of both drugs are available. Imitrex is available as the generic drug sumatriptan, and Maxalt is available as the generic drug rizatriptan.
Generics usually cost less than brand-name drugs. Like Maxalt above , the drug Relpax has uses similar to those of Imitrex. Imitrex and Relpax are both FDA-approved to treat migraine with or without aura in adults. With both Imitrex and Relpax, you take a dose when you have migraine.
If you take one dose and still have migraine symptoms 2 hours later, you can take a second dose. Imitrex and Relpax have some similar side effects and others that vary. These lists contain examples of the most common mild side effects that can occur with Imitrex, with Relpax, or with both drugs when taken individually.
These lists contain examples of serious side effects that can occur with Imitrex, with Relpax, or with both drugs when taken individually. The use of Imitrex and Relpax in treating migraine has been directly compared in a clinical study.
In this study, mg Imitrex tablets were compared with mg Relpax tablets and with a placebo a treatment containing no active drug. Relpax was found more effective for relieving migraine than Imitrex. The severity of the migraine headache was reduced to mild or no headache within 2 hours of treatment in:.
In this study, Relpax was also more effective than Imitrex at reducing nausea and sensitivity to light or sound. Imitrex and Relpax are both brand-name drugs. Imitrex is available as the generic drug sumatriptan, and Relpax is available as the generic drug eletriptan. Imitrex may also be used off-label for other conditions. Imitrex is FDA-approved to treat migraine with or without aura in adults. Migraine is a neurological condition, which means it affects the nervous system.
With migraine, you get a severe, throbbing headache. The pain usually affects one side of the head. This headache can last several hours or even days. The headache is typically accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light and sound. You may also experience a tingling sensation or have trouble speaking. Imitrex was found to be effective for treating migraine attacks in several clinical studies of the tablet , nasal spray , and injection forms of Imitrex.
In these studies, researchers assessed how many people had relief from their migraine after taking Imitrex or a placebo a treatment containing no active drug. Relief meant that a headache that was considered moderate to severe became a mild headache, or the pain went away completely. Results varied depending on the form and dosage of Imitrex that was used. The Imitrex injection is FDA-approved to treat cluster headaches in adults.
Other forms of Imitrex are not approved for this use. Cluster headaches happen over a few days, weeks, or months. Imitrex injection was found to be effective for treating cluster headaches in two clinical studies. In these studies, researchers assessed how many people had relief from their cluster headache after taking Imitrex injection or a placebo a treatment containing no active drug.
In addition to the uses listed above, Imitrex may be used off-label for other purposes. And you may wonder if Imitrex is used for certain other conditions. Below is information on another possible use for Imitrex. Tension headaches are also known as stress headaches. This type of headache tends to affect both sides of the head. It may also be associated with stiffness in the neck or shoulders.
Tension headaches can have several triggers. These may include stress, anxiety , lack of sleep, eye strain, poor posture, and dehydration low fluid levels in the body.
If you have tension headaches, talk with your doctor. They can help you figure out possible causes and suggest treatment options. In these studies, Imitrex side effects occurred more often in children than in adults.
There are no known interactions between Imitrex and alcohol. However, drinking alcohol can worsen a migraine or cluster headache. If you feel sleepy with Imitrex use, drinking alcohol could also make this worse. Drinking alcohol can also trigger migraine attacks or cluster headaches in some people. For these people, avoiding alcohol or only drinking a small amount can help prevent migraine or cluster headache from occurring. If you drink alcohol and are concerned about how it might affect your condition, talk with your doctor.
They can tell you how much is safe for you to drink during your Imitrex treatment. They may recommend other treatments for your condition. If you do decide to take Imitrex, you may want to avoid breastfeeding for 12 hours after you take Imitrex. This can minimize the amount of the drug that your child is exposed to. Talk with your doctor about the best way to feed your child during that hour window. Animal studies found that the drug could cause birth defects when given to pregnant females.
A pregnancy registry collected data from to about the health of babies who were exposed to sumatriptan the active drug in Imitrex during pregnancy. Imitrex can interact with several other medications. Different interactions can cause different effects. For instance, some interactions can interfere with how well a drug works. Other interactions can increase side effects or make them more severe. Below are lists of medications that can interact with Imitrex.
Before taking Imitrex, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Tell them about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take. Also tell them about any vitamins, herbs, and supplements you use. Sharing this information can help you avoid potential interactions.
If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Imitrex is a type of medication called a triptan.
Triptans relieve migraine by narrowing blood vessels in your brain. However, triptans can also narrow blood vessels in other parts of your body. Taking Imitrex with other triptan medications can cause your blood vessels to narrow too much.
This could raise your risk for getting serious side effects, such as heart attack , stroke , or very high blood pressure. It could also raise your risk for other triptan-related side effects, such as serotonin syndrome high levels of the chemical serotonin.
Imitrex relieves migraine by narrowing blood vessels in your brain. Ergot drugs for migraine also work this way.
Both types of medication can also narrow blood vessels in other parts of your body. Taking Imitrex with ergot medications can cause your blood vessels to narrow too much. This could raise your risk for serious side effects, such as heart attack, stroke, or very high blood pressure.
Imitrex enhances the activity of chemical called serotonin in your brain. Many antidepressants also work by increasing serotonin levels in your brain. If you take Imitrex with one of these antidepressants, it could raise your risk for a side effect called serotonin syndrome. This is a dangerous condition caused by high serotonin levels. Examples of antidepressants that could raise your risk for serotonin syndrome if taken with Imitrex include:.
Take the dose as prescribed. Do not increase or change the dose. Above all, do not take more than two doses in a single hour period. There is a possibility that the symptoms are not being caused by a migraine. Make sure to understand and master the instructions for taking a sumatriptan dose.
When sumatriptan is first prescribed, a healthcare provider will most likely demonstrate the proper way to take a dose. Sometimes patients will take the first dose in the office under the supervision of a healthcare professional. Sumatriptan can be taken at any time when migraine symptoms are experienced, but it is most effective at warding off symptoms when taken near the onset of symptoms.
People who use sumatriptan and other prescription or over-the-counter migraine medications 10 or more times per month are at risk for medication-overuse headaches. If four or more headaches are experienced each month, seek medical advice from a doctor or other healthcare professional before taking too much medication.
Sumatriptan can cause drowsiness and affect coordination. When first taking sumatriptan, avoid driving or activities that are risky or require focus. Once certain that sumatriptan is not causing impairment, engage in those activities cautiously whenever a dose has been taken.
Avoid alcohol or any medication that causes drowsiness or impairment after taking a dose of sumatriptan. Skip to main content Search for a topic or drug. Scott is one of the two founders of The Independent Pharmacy. He is a registered pharmacist and the registered manager of our service with the CQC. Dr Don Grant is The Independent Pharmacy's original online prescriber and has advanced in his role to become the Clinical Advisor, using his wealth of experience to advise on our clinical polices and prescribing guidelines.
What is Sumatriptan? Sumatriptan is a prescription-only migraine medication available in the UK. Buy your migraine treatment online and get fast-tracked home delivery.
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