Ergomar (Ergotamine Tartrate Tablets) Patient Information: How Should I Take the Drug at RxList

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May 27, 2012

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Migraine »

What is a migraine headache?

A migraine headache is a form of vascular headache. Migraine headache is caused by vasodilatation (enlargement of blood vessels) that causes the release of chemicals from nerve fibers that coil around the large arteries of the brain. Enlargement of these blood vessels stretches the nerves that coil around them and causes the nerves to release chemicals. The chemicals cause inflammation, pain, and further enlargement of the artery. The increasing enlargement of the arteries magnifies the pain.

Migraine attacks commonly activate the sympathetic nervous system in the body. The sympathetic nervous system is often thought of as the part of the nervous system that controls primitive responses to stress and pain, the so-called "fight or flight" response, and this activation causes many of the symptoms associated with migraine attacks; for example, the increased sympathetic nervous activity in the intestine causes nausea, vomiting,...

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Ergomar

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Ergomar Patient Information including How Should I Take

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking ergotamine (Ergomar)?

Do not take this medication if you are allergic to ergotamine or other ergot medicine such as caffeine and ergotamine (Cafergot, Ercaf, Wigraine), dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45, Migranal), ergonovine (Ergotrate), methylergonovine (Methergine), or methysergide (Sansert).

Do not take ergotamine if you are pregnant or breast-feeding, or if you have:

a history of heart disease, angina (chest pain), blood circulation problems, or history of a heart attack or stroke;
coronary artery disease or "hardening of the arteries";
uncontrolled high blood pressure;
severe liver disease;
severe kidney disease; or
a serious infection called sepsis.

Using certain medications together with ergotamine can cause even greater decreases in blood flow than ergotamine used alone. A severe decrease in blood flow to the brain and other parts of the body can lead to dangerous side effects. Do not take ergotamine if you are also using any of the following medications:

conivaptan (Vaprisol);
diclofenac (Arthrotec, Cataflam, Voltaren, Flector Patch, Solareze);
imatinib (Gleevec);
isoniazid (for treating tuberculosis);
an antibiotic such as clarithromycin (Biaxin), clotrimazole (Mycelex Troche), dalfopristin/quinupristin (Synercid), erythromycin (E.E.S., EryPed, Ery-Tab, Erythrocin), itraconazole (Sporanox), ketoconazole (Nizoral), telithromycin (Ketek), or troleandomycin (Tao), voriconazole (Vfend);
an antidepressant such as nefazodone;
heart or blood pressure medication such as diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor, Tiazac), nicardipine (Cardene), quinidine (Quinaglute, Quinidex, Quin-Release), or verapamil (Calan, Covera, Isoptin, Verelan); or
HIV/AIDS medicine such as amprenavir (Agenerase), atazanavir (Reyataz), delavirdine (Rescriptor), fosamprenavir (Lexiva), indinavir (Crixivan), nelfinavir (Viracept), saquinavir (Invirase, Fortovase), or ritonavir (Norvir).

Ergotamine can cause rare but serious side effects on the heart, including heart attack or stroke. If you have certain conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take this medication. Before taking ergotamine, tell your doctor if you have:

high blood pressure;
liver disease;
kidney disease; or
coronary artery disease (or risk factors that include diabetes, menopause, smoking, being overweight, having high blood pressure or 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).

FDA pregnancy category X. This medication can cause birth defects. Do not take ergotamine if you are pregnant. Tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant during treatment. Use an effective form of birth control while you are taking ergotamine.

Ergotamine passes into breast milk and may be harmful to a nursing infant. Do not take ergotamine without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How should I take ergotamine (Ergomar)?

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Never take more than your prescribed dose of ergotamine. Follow the directions on your prescription label. Tell your doctor if the medicine seems to stop working as well in treating your migraine attacks. Ergotamine is not for daily use.

Take the first dose of ergotamine as soon as you notice headache symptoms, or after an attack has already begun. Place 1 ergotamine tablet under your tongue.

If your headache does not completely go away, you may take a second tablet after at least 30 minutes have passed, and a third tablet if needed after another 30 minutes have passed (a total of 3 tablets).

If you still have migraine symptoms after taking a total of 3 tablets, call your doctor. Do not take more than a total of 3 tablets in any 24-hour period. Do not take more than a total of 5 tablets over a period of 7 days.

Do not give this medication to anyone else, even if they have the same headache symptoms you have. Ergotamine can be dangerous if it is used to treat headache in a person who has not been diagnosed by a doctor as having true migraine headaches.

Store ergotamine at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light. Do not take any stored ergotamine if the expiration date on the label has passed.

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