Rizatriptan

Rizatriptan is a headache medicine that narrows the blood vessels around the brain. Rizatriptan also reduces substances in the body that can trigger headache pain, nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, and other migraine symptoms.

Rizatriptan is used to treat migraine headaches. Rizatriptan will only treat a headache that has already begun. It will not prevent headaches or reduce the number of attacks.

Rizatriptan should not be used to treat a common tension headache, a headache that causes loss of movement on one side of your body, or any headache that seems to be different from your usual migraine headaches. Use this medicine only if your condition has been confirmed by a doctor as migraine headaches.

Rizatriptan may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

You should not use rizatriptan if you are allergic to it, or if you have:

• severe or uncontrolled high blood pressure;

• past or present heart problems;

• a history of coronary artery disease, angina (chest pain), heart attack, or stroke, including "mini-stroke";

• a blood vessel disorder or circulation problems that cause a lack of blood supply within the body; or

• a headache that seems different from your usual migraine headaches.

Do not use rizatriptan if you have used an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days. A dangerous drug interaction could occur. MAO inhibitors include isocarboxazid, linezolid, methylene blue injection, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, tranylcypromine, and others.

To make sure rizatriptan is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:

• liver or kidney disease;

• high blood pressure, a heart rhythm disorder;

• a condition for which you take propranolol (Hemangeol, Inderal, InnoPran); or

• coronary heart disease (or risk factors such as diabetes, menopause, smoking, being overweight, having high cholesterol, having a family history of coronary artery disease, being older than 40 and a man, or being a woman who has had a hysterectomy).

Rizatriptan disintegrating tablets may contain phenylalanine. Talk to your doctor before using this form of rizatriptan if you have phenylketonuria (PKU).

It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

It is not known whether rizatriptan passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Rizatriptan is not approved for use by anyone younger than 6 years old.

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

Do not take rizatriptan within 24 hours before or after using another migraine headache medicine, including:

• medicines like rizatriptan--almotriptan, eletriptan, frovatriptan, naratriptan, sumatriptan, zolmitriptan, and others; or

• ergot medicine--dihydroergotamine, ergotamine, ergonovine, methylergonovine.

Rizatriptan may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert.

Take rizatriptan only as directed by your doctor. Do not take more of it, do not take it more often, and do not take it for a longer time than your doctor ordered. Using too much rizatriptan may increase the chance of side effects.

Do not use rizatriptan for a headache that is not a migraine headache. Talk to your doctor about what to do for regular headaches.

To relieve your migraine as soon as possible, use rizatriptan as soon as the headache pain begins. Even if you get warning signals of a coming migraine (an aura), you should wait until the headache pain starts before using rizatriptan.

Lying down in a quiet, dark room for a while after you use rizatriptan may help relieve your migraine.

Ask your doctor ahead of time about any other medicine you may take if rizatriptan does not work. After you take the other medicine, check with your doctor as soon as possible. Headaches that are not relieved by rizatriptan are sometimes caused by conditions that need other treatment.

If you feel much better after a dose of rizatriptan, but your headache comes back or gets worse after a while, adults may use one additional dose of rizatriptan 2 hours after the first dose. Do not use more than 2 doses in any 24-hour period. Do not use rizatriptan for more than 10 days in any 30-day period, unless your doctor tells you to.

Swallow the tablet whole with a glass of water. Do not crush, break, or chew it.

Keep the orally disintegrating tablet in the blister pack inside the outer foil pouch until you are ready to take the medicine. Make sure your hands are dry and peel open the blister to remove the tablet. Place the tablet on your tongue and let it dissolve. You do not need to drink water to swallow the dissolved tablet.

rizatriptan comes with a patient information leaflet. It is very important that you read and understand this information. Be sure to ask your doctor about anything you do not understand.

Dosing

The dose of rizatriptan will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of rizatriptan. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.

• For oral dosage forms (orally disintegrating tablets and tablets):
  • For migraine headaches:
    • Adults—At first, 5 or 10 milligrams (mg) as a single dose. If the migraine comes back after being relieved, another dose may be taken 2 hours after the last dose. Do not take more than 30 mg in any 24-hour period.
    • Teenagers and children 6 years of age and older and weighing 40 kilograms (kg) or more—Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your doctor. The dose is usually 10 mg per day. Do not take more than one dose in any 24-hour period.
    • Teenagers and children 6 years of age and older and weighing less than 40 kg—Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your doctor. The dose is usually 5 mg per day. Do not take more than one dose in any 24-hour period.
    • Children younger than 6 years of age—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

Storage

Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing.

Keep out of the reach of children.

Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed.

Ask your healthcare professional how you should dispose of any medicine you do not use.

• Maxalt
• Maxalt-MLT

Plasma concentrations of rizatriptan were approximately 30%greater in patients with moderate hepatic insufficiency.

Rizatriptan pharmacokinetics in healthy elderly nonmigraineur volunteers (65 to 77 y of age) were similar to those in younger nonmigraineur volunteers (18 to 45 y of age).

Pharmacokinetic data revealed no significant differences between black and white subjects.

There are no dosage adjustments provided in the manufacturer's labeling; however, the AUC was 44% greater in patients on hemodialysis.

More frequently reported side effects include: asthenia, dizziness, drowsiness, fatigue, paresthesia, and nausea. See below for a comprehensive list of adverse effects.