Rizatriptan Drug Details
Therapeutic Class:
Selective serotonin receptor agonists (triptans)
Forms:
Tablet, orally disintegrating tablet
Administration:
By mouth
Therapeutic Uses:
Migraine headache
Controlled Status:
Not a controlled substance
Rizatriptan (Maxalt) Drug Class
Rizatriptan (rye-zah-trip-tan) belongs to a group of drugs called selective serotonin receptor agonists or triptans, which are migraine headache medicines.
Rizatriptan (Maxalt) Age Range
Rizatriptan is approved for use in adults and pediatric patients between 6 and 17 years of age.
Rizatriptan Uses
Rizatriptan (Maxalt) Uses
Rizatriptan is for the acute treatment of migraine headaches in people with an established diagnosis of migraine. It can help relieve headache pain and other migraine symptoms like nausea and light and noise sensitivity. This migraine headache medicine does not, however, prevent migraines or reduce the frequency of migraine attacks.
Rizatriptan is not indicated for the treatment of hemiplegic or basilar migraine. The efficacy of this medication has not been established for cluster headaches.
There may be other uses of rizatriptan—your pharmacist or doctor can give you further drug information.
Rizatriptan (Maxalt) Mechanism of Action
Rizatriptan relieves pain caused by a migraine attack by narrowing blood vessels in the brain, blocking pain signals, and stopping the release of certain natural substances that cause headache pain, nausea, and other migraine symptoms.
Rizatriptan (Maxalt) Doses
Rizatriptan is available as 5 mg and 10 mg tablets and 5 mg and 10 mg orally disintegrating tablets.
The usual dose of rizatriptan tablets is 5 mg or 10 mg for acute migraine in adults. The 10-mg dose is usually more effective than the 5-mg dose but is also more likely to cause side effects.
A second dose of rizatriptan may be taken at least 2 hours after the initial dose if migraine headache returns. However, controlled clinical trials have not shown that a repeat dose is particularly effective. The maximum dose should not exceed 30 mg in a 24-hour period. You should not take rizatriptan to treat more than four headaches in a 30-day period.
The dose of rizatriptan in pediatric patients 6-17 years of age is based on the child’s body weight. The recommended dose is 5 mg in children weighing less than 40 kg (88 lb) and 10 mg in children weighing 40 kg (88 lb) or more. Do not give children more than one dose of rizatriptan benzoate in a 24-hour period.
Rizatriptan Directions
How To Use Rizatriptan (Maxalt)
Rizatriptan comes in the form of a tablet and an orally disintegrating tablet. You should swallow the tablet whole with a glass of water. The orally disintegrating tablet should be placed on the tongue, allowed to dissolve, and then swallowed with saliva. You don’t need water to swallow it. The orally disintegrating tablets (Maxalt MLT) come in a blister pack with an outer aluminum cover. You should remove the blister from the outer cover only when you are ready to use the medicine. Make sure you peel open the blister pack with dry hands.
Your doctor may give you the initial dose of Maxalt (rizatriptan) in their office so that they can monitor you for serious side effects.
Read the prescription label carefully and take rizatriptan exactly as prescribed. Do not change the dose or dosing frequency without your doctor’s approval.
For the best headache response, take rizatriptan at the first sign of a migraine attack. You can repeat a dose after at least 2 hours if your symptoms get better but come back. If your symptoms do not improve after the first dose of rizatriptan, do not repeat the dose without talking to your doctor.
Tell your doctor if your migraine headaches do not improve or get worse after starting rizatriptan. Do not take rizatriptan to treat more than 4 migraines a month and any headache medications on more than 10 days a month. Doing so can lead to medication overuse headaches.
Keep a journal of your headaches and record the frequency, severity, and the days you take rizatriptan or other headache medicines.
Remember, Maxalt (rizatriptan) can help relieve symptoms of migraine headaches, but it will not prevent migraine attacks or decrease the frequency of your migraine headaches.
Missed dose: Rizatriptan is usually taken on an as-needed basis. Take the medicine at the first sign of a migraine headache. You can take a second dose after 2 hours or more if your symptoms come back. Do not take a second dose if you don’t get any improvement in your headache pain after the first dose. Do not take more than 30 mg rizatriptan in 24 hours.
Storage: Store rizatriptan at room temperature (between 15-30° C or 59-86° F) away from moisture, heat, and direct light in its original container, tightly closed. Do not store medications in the bathroom where they can be exposed to moisture and heat. Keep all medications safely out of reach of children and pets.
Unused medicine: Unused rizatriptan should be disposed of in a way that children, other people, and pets cannot get to them. Do not throw rizatriptan in the trash or flush it down the toilet. The best way to dispose of expired or unneeded rizatriptan is through a drug take-back program. Learn more about proper medication disposal.
NOTE: This medication guide is a summary and may not contain all possible drug information on rizatriptan. The information contained here may not be up-to-date. This sheet is for information purposes only. If you have questions about rizatriptan, talk to your doctor for medical advice.
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Rizatriptan Side Effects
Rizatriptan (Maxalt) Side Effects
Frequent adverse events and side effects of rizatriptan are listed below. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects if they are severe or if they do not go away in a few days.
- Drowsiness
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Stomach upset
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Dry mouth
- Tremors
- Muscle cramps or muscle pain
- Flushing (feeling of warmth)
Potentially important adverse events and side effects of rizatriptan are listed below. Call your doctor right away or seek emergency medical attention if you develop the following signs and symptoms:
- Pain, pressure, tightness, or heaviness in the jaw, throat, or neck
- Chest pain spreading to the shoulder
- Shortness of breath
- Difficulty breathing or swallowing
- Lightheadedness
- Cold sweat
- Slow speech or difficulty speaking
- Weakness or numbness in a limb
- Sudden severe headache
- Changes in vision
- Sudden or severe stomach pain
- Bloody diarrhea
- Pale or bluish-tinged fingers and toes
- Burning, tingling, or pain in the hands and feet
- Skin rash, hives, itching (signs of an allergic reaction)
- Swelling of the face, eyes, lips, tongue, throat, hands, lower legs, ankles, or feet
- Headaches that are different from your usual migraine headaches
The above list may not include all the potential side effects of rizatriptan. Contact your healthcare provider if your side effects are unusual or severe or if they do not get better over time. You can also report unusual side effects to the Food and Drug Administration at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Rizatriptan (Maxalt) Overdose: In case of an overdose of rizatriptan, call your doctor immediately. You can also call the National Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222. Call 911 if someone has collapsed, stopped breathing, is unresponsive, or has had a seizure. Overdose symptoms may include drowsiness, dizziness, fainting, chest pain or tightness, pain or pressure in the jaw or neck, headache, vomiting, and shortness of breath.
Rizatriptan Warnings
Rizatriptan (Maxalt) Risks, Warnings, and Complications
Rizatriptan can cause serious adverse effects and health problems in some people. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options for acute treatment of migraine if you are at increased risk of complications from rizatriptan use.
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Precautions Before Starting Rizatriptan (Maxalt)
Do not use rizatriptan to treat occasional or mild headache pain that is not migraine. Make sure you have received a diagnosis of migraine before starting treatment with rizatriptan. Your doctor will evaluate your headache symptoms and ensure they are not some other type of headache, such as hemiplegic or basilar migraine, common tension headache, or cluster headache.
Tell your doctor if you are allergic to rizatriptan, any of the active or inactive ingredients in rizatriptan formulations, any other triptans, or any other medications. Your pharmacy can give you a list of ingredients.
If you have phenylketonuria (PKU), don’t take the orally disintegrating tablets of rizatriptan (Maxalt MLT) because they contain aspartame, which can form into phenylalanine in the body.
Give your doctor and pharmacist a complete list of your medications, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, supplements, and herbal products. This can help avoid possible drug interactions.
Give your doctor a complete medical history. Rizatriptan may not be safe for people with certain medical conditions such as heart disease, heart attack, angina (chest pain), arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats), stroke, transient ischemic attack, or mini-stroke, circulation problems, peripheral vascular disease, blood clots in the legs, varicose veins, Raynaud's disease, and ischemic bowel disease (decreased blood flow to the intestines). Also, tell your doctor if you are overweight, postmenopausal, or have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, liver or kidney disease, or a family history of heart disease or stroke.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, could be pregnant, plan to get pregnant, or are breastfeeding. If you are sexually active, discuss appropriate birth control with your provider before starting rizatriptan.
Precautions During Use of Rizatriptan (Maxalt)
Keep all your medical appointments while on rizatriptan. Your doctor may adjust your dose and will monitor you for side effects and medication overuse headaches.
Rizatriptan can cause drowsiness and dizziness. Do not drive or do anything that requires your full concentration until you know how this medicine affects you.
Tell your doctor if you become pregnant while on rizatriptan.
Rizatriptan (Maxalt) Drug Interactions
Certain other drugs can affect how rizatriptan works. Possible interactions between rizatriptan and other medicines can increase the risk of severe adverse effects. Your doctor may adjust the dose of your medicines, switch you over to another migraine headache medicine, or monitor you carefully for side effects if there are known interactions between rizatriptan and your other medications.
Do not take rizatriptan if you have taken any of these medications within the last 24 hours:
- Other migraine headache medicines (triptans or selective serotonin receptor agonists) such as eletriptan (Relpax), sumatriptan (Imitrex, in Treximet), almotriptan (Axert), naratriptan (Amerge), or zolmitriptan (Zomig)
- Ergot-type medications such as cabergoline, bromocriptine (Parlodel), dihydroergotamine (Migranal, D.H.E. 45), ergonovine (Ergotrate), ergoloid mesylates (Hydergine), ergotamine (Cafergot, Ergomar), methysergide (Sansert), methylergonovine (Methergine), and pergolide (Permax)
Do not take rizatriptan if you have taken monoamine oxidase inhibitors such as phenelzine (Nardil), isocarboxazid (Marplan), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) in the past 2 weeks.
The following medications can also have drug interactions with rizatriptan:
- Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
- Aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) and naproxen (Naprosyn, Aleve)
- Tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil), nortriptyline (Aventyl, Pamelor), clomipramine (Anafranil), imipramine (Tofranil), amoxapine (Asendin), doxepin (Adapin, Sinequan), desipramine (Norpramin), protriptyline (Vivactil), and trimipramine (Surmontil)
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as sertraline (Zoloft), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem, in Symbyax), paroxetine (Paxil), citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), and fluvoxamine
- Selective serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) such as duloxetine (Cymbalta), venlafaxine (Effexor), desvenlafaxine (Pristiq), and sibutramine (Meridia)
- Beta-blockers such as propranolol (Inderal)
The above list does not describe all the adverse reactions that can occur if you take rizatriptan with certain other drugs. Give your doctor or pharmacist a complete list of your medications, including prescription drugs, OTC medications, dietary supplements, and herbal remedies. Also, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you smoke, drink alcohol, or use recreational drugs because some of these substances can cause serious health complications when used with prescription medications.
Rizatriptan Pros & Cons
Rizatriptan (Maxalt) Pros and Cons
- Rizatriptan can quickly relieve severe headache pain, usually within 30 minutes.
- This headache medicine is available in a low-cost generic version.
- The orally disintegrating tablets are convenient for people who have trouble swallowing pills.
- This medication can be given to children as young as 6 years old.
- Rizatriptan can treat symptoms of migraine headaches, but it does not prevent migraine attacks or reduce their frequency.
- Taking rizatriptan too frequently can lead to medication overuse headaches.
- If you have a severe headache, you cannot repeat a dose before 2 hours. It is unclear if a repeat dose of rizatriptan is effective.
Rizatriptan Pharmacist Tips
Rizatriptan (Maxalt) Tips from Pharmacists
If rizatriptan causes an upset stomach, taking it with food might help.
If your migraine symptoms get better but come back after one dose of rizatriptan, you can repeat a dose at least 2 hours later. Do not take more than 30 mg of rizatriptan in 24 hours. Do not use Maxalt (rizatriptan) to treat more than four headaches a month.
If you do not get improvement in your migraine symptoms after the initial dose of rizatriptan, do not take a second dose. Your pain may be from something other than a migraine headache.
Rizatriptan can lead to an increase in blood pressure. Monitor your blood pressure at home and tell your doctor if you notice it is higher than usual after starting this medicine.
Rizatriptan can interact with other medications, particularly antidepressants. This can increase your risk of a serious condition called serotonin syndrome. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you take an antidepressant before starting on this migraine headache medicine.
Rizatriptan can make you drowsy and dizzy. Do not drive or do other hazardous activities until you are fully awake and alert.
Rizatriptan Rx Savings Tips
Rizatriptan (Maxalt) Rx Savings Tips
Rizatriptan is a generic medication and is available at significantly lower prices than the brand name. Brand name Maxalt and generic rizatriptan contain the same medicine and are equally effective and safe. Like with most medications, the generic version offers better value. A BuzzRx rizatriptan coupon can result in big savings on the brand name and generic forms of the drug. With a BuzzRx discount card, savings card, or discount coupons, the medication could cost you a fraction of retail prices. Rizatriptan may be under $18.00 for 9 tablets of the 10 mg dose at Walmart, Walgreens, Rite Aid, CVS Pharmacy, and other participating pharmacies with a BuzzRx discount card or free coupon. For the biggest discounts on rizatriptan, give the checkout clerk your BuzzRx rizatriptan discount coupon when you drop off your prescriptions.
Lowest Price for Rizatriptan (Maxalt) | |
Brand $121.14 | Generic $17.70 |
VIEW DISCOUNTS Pricing based on most commonly-filled versions. Select the strength and quantity of your medication for the most accurate pricing. |
Rizatriptan Common Questions
Common Questions about Rizatriptan (Maxalt)
Does rizatriptan work immediately?Rizatriptan does not work immediately but is fast-acting. It usually provides relief from migraine symptoms within 30-60 minutes. |
Is it safe to take rizatriptan daily?It is not safe to take rizatriptan daily. Do not take this medicine to treat more than 4 migraines in a 30-day period. |
Can I take 2 rizatriptan at a time?Do not take two rizatriptan at a time. If your symptoms get better but come back, you can repeat a dose of rizatriptan as long as at least 2 hours have passed after the initial dose. Do not take a second dose if your symptoms do not improve after the first dose of rizatriptan. Do not take more than 30 mg of rizatriptan in 24 hours. |
Will rizatriptan put me to sleep?Rizatriptan can cause drowsiness and may put you to sleep. Do not drive, operate heavy machinery, or do any hazardous activity until you are fully awake and alert. |
Is rizatriptan bad for the liver?Rizatriptan may not be safe for people with severe liver disease or severely reduced liver function. |
What is the price of rizatriptan without insurance?Without insurance, rizatriptan can be as high as $248.29, but with a free BuzzRx prescription discount coupon, you could pay as low as $17.70 for the most common version of this medication. Use the BuzzRx drug price look-up tool to find the lowest discounted price, and be sure to enter the correct dosage, form, and quantity for the most accurate pricing. While generics tend to have the best savings, you can also use your BuzzRx card and coupons to purchase brand-name versions. It never hurts to ask your pharmacist to try BuzzRx when filling or refilling any of your prescription drugs—whether you have insurance or not. |
What is the price of rizatriptan with insurance?Ask your pharmacist or insurance provider for your copay price on rizatriptan—Copay amounts vary depending on the type of insurance plan you have and if there is a deductible to reach before prescription drug coverage begins. You could save up to 80% on your prescription medication with a free BuzzRx discount coupon for rizatriptan. When using the BuzzRx lookup tool to find the price of your medicine, be sure to enter the correct dosage, form, and quantity to receive the most accurate discounted pricing. It never hurts to ask your pharmacist to try BuzzRx when filling or refilling any of your prescriptions—whether you have insurance or not. |
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