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.