Rizatriptan

Rizatriptan is a prescription medication used to treat migraine headaches once they have started. Rizatriptan belongs to a group of drugs called serotonin receptor agonists or "triptans", which relieve pain by narrowing blood vessels around the brain.

This medication comes as a traditional tablet and as an orally disintegrating tablet. Take rizatriptan at the first sign of a migraine headache.

Common side effects include tiredness, dizziness and nausea.

Rizatriptan is used to treat migraine attacks with or without aura in adults and in children 6 to 17 years of age.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Rizatriptan may be found in some form under the following brand names:

• Maxalt

Rizatriptan may cause dizziness, weakness, or fainting. If you have these symptoms, do not drive a car, use machinery, or do anything that needs you to be alert.

Rizatriptan may cause serious side effects. Call your doctor or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away if you think you are having any of the serious side effects of rizatriptan including:

• heart attack. Symptoms of a heart attack may include:
  • chest discomfort in the center of your chest that lasts for more than a few minutes or that goes away and comes back
  • chest discomfort that feels like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain
  • pain or discomfort in your arms, back, neck, jaw or stomach
  • shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort
  • breaking out in a cold sweat
  • nausea or vomiting
  • feeling lightheaded
• stroke. Symptoms of a stroke may include the following sudden symptoms:
  • numbness or weakness in your face, arm or leg, especially on one side of your body
  • confusion, problems speaking or understanding
  • problems seeing in 1 or both of your eyes
  • problems walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
  • severe headache with no known cause
• blood vessel problems. Symptoms of blood vessel problems may include:
  • stomach pain
  • bloody diarrhea
  • vision problems
  • coldness and numbness of hands and feet
• serotonin syndrome. A condition called serotonin syndrome can happen when Triptan medicines such as rizatriptan are taken with certain other medicines. Symptoms of serotonin syndrome may include:
  • agitation
  • hallucinations
  • coma
  • fast heartbeat
  • fast changes in your blood pressure
  • increased body temperature
  • muscle spasm
  • loss of coordination
  • nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
• increased blood pressure

The most common side effects of rizatriptan in adults include:

• feeling sleepy or tired
• pain or pressure in your chest or throat
• dizziness

Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

If you take rizatriptan too often, this may result in you getting chronic headaches. In such cases, you should contact your doctor, as you may have to stop taking rizatriptan.

These are not all the possible side effects of rizatriptan. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Rizatriptan and other medicines may affect each other causing side effects. Rizatriptan may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how rizatriptan works.

Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• propranolol containing medicines such as Inderal, Inderal LA, or Innopran XL
• medicines used to treat mood disorders, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs).

Do not take rizatriptan if you:

• have or have had heart problems
• have or have had a stroke or a transient ischemic attack (TIA)
• have or have had blood vessel problems including ischemic bowel disease
• have uncontrolled high blood pressure
• have taken other Triptan medicines in the last 24 hours
• have taken ergot-containing medicines in the last 24 hours
• have hemiplegic or basilar migraines
• take monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor or have taken a MAO inhibitor within the last 2 weeks
• are allergic to rizatriptan benzoate or any of the ingredients in it.

Talk to your doctor before taking this medicine if you have any of the conditions listed above or if you are not sure if you take any of these medicines.

Medicines can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of rizatriptan there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

Before you take rizatriptan, tell your doctor if you:

• have or have had heart problems, high blood pressure, chest pain, or shortness of breath
• have any risk factors for heart problems or blood vessel problems, including:
  • high blood pressure
  • high cholesterol
  • smoking
  • obesity
  • diabetes
  • family history of heart problems
  • women who are post menopausal
  • men who are over 40 years of age
• have phenylketonuria (PKU). Rizatriptan orally disintegrating tablets contain phenylalanine.
• have kidney or liver problems
• have any other medical condition
• are pregnant or breastfeeding

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Rizatriptan and other medicines may affect each other causing side effects. Rizatriptan may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how rizatriptan works.

Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• propranolol containing medicines such as Inderal, Inderal LA, or Innopran XL
• medicines used to treat mood disorders, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs).

Tell you doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if rizatriptan will harm your unborn baby. If you become pregnant while taking rizatriptan, talk to your doctor about registering with the pregnancy registry at the Merck National Service Center. You can enroll in this registry by calling 1-800-986-8999. The purpose of this registry is to collect information about the safety of rizatriptan in pregnancy.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if rizatriptan is excreted in human breast milk or if it will harm your nursing baby.

• Rizatriptan should be taken at the first sign of a migraine headache.
• Usually only one dose is needed.
• If pain is not relieved with the first dose, your doctor may prescribe a second dose to be taken 2 hours after the first dose.
• Take rizatriptan exactly as your doctor tells you to take it.
• Your doctor will tell you how much rizatriptan to take and when to take it.
• To take rizatriptan orally disintegrating tablets:
  • Leave rizatriptan orally disintegrating tablets in the package it comes in until you are ready to take it. When you are ready to take it:
    • Remove the blister from the foil pouch. Do not push the rizatriptan orally disintegrating tablet through the blister.
    • Peel open the blister pack with dry hands and place the rizatriptan orally disintegrating tablet on your tongue. The tablet will dissolve and be swallowed with your saliva. No liquid is needed to take the orally disintegrating tablet.
• If your headache comes back after your first rizatriptan dose:
  • For adults: a second dose may be taken 2 hours after the first dose. Do not take more than 30 mg of rizatriptan in a 24-hour period (for example, do not take more than 3 10-mg tablets in a 24-hour period).
  • For children 6 to 17 years of age: It is not known if taking more than 1 dose of rizatriptan in 24 hours is safe and effective. Talk to your doctor about what to do if your headache does not go away or comes back.
• If you take too much rizatriptan, call your doctor or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away.

Take rizatriptan exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully. Your doctor will determine the best dose for you.

The recommended starting dose of rizatriptan is either 5 mg or 10 mg for the acute treatment of migraines in adults. The 10 mg dose may provide a greater effect than the 5 mg dose, but may have a greater risk of adverse reactions. If the migraine headache returns, a second dose may be administered 2 hours after the first dose. The maximum daily dose should not exceed 30 mg in any 24-hour period.

If you take too much rizatriptan, call your doctor or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away.

• Store rizatriptan at room temperature between 59°F to 86°F (15°C to 30°C).
• Safely throw away medicine that is out of date or no longer needed.
• Keep rizatriptan and all medicines out of the reach of children.
• If you are storing rizatriptan orally disintegrating tablets, do not remove the blister from the outer aluminum pouch until you are ready to take the medication inside.