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In this Article

• What is rizatriptan (Maxalt)?
• What are the possible side effects of rizatriptan (Maxalt)?
• What is the most important information I should know about rizatriptan (Maxalt)?
• What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before using rizatriptan (Maxalt)?
• How should I use rizatriptan (Maxalt)?
• What happens if I miss a dose (Maxalt)?
• What happens if I overdose (Maxalt)?
• What should I avoid while using rizatriptan (Maxalt)?
• What other drugs will affect rizatriptan (Maxalt)?
• Where can I get more information?

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before using rizatriptan (Maxalt)?

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

• a history of heart disease, angina (chest pain), blood circulation problems, heart attack, or stroke, including "mini-stroke";
• ischemic bowel disease;
• severe or uncontrolled high blood pressure; or
• a headache that is not like other headaches you have had.

Do not take rizatriptan if you have taken a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), tranylcypromine (Parnate), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam), or phenelzine (Nardil) in the past 14 days.

If you have certain conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely take this medication. Before taking rizatriptan, tell your doctor if you have:

• liver disease;
• kidney disease (especially if you are on dialysis);
• heart disease, high blood pressure, a heart rhythm disorder; 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).

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

FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether this medication is harmful to an unborn baby. Before taking rizatriptan, tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.

Your name may need to be listed on a rizatriptan pregnancy registry when you start using this medication.

It is not known whether rizatriptan passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Do not give this medicine to anyone under 18 years old.

How should I use rizatriptan (Maxalt)?

Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Never take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Overuse of migraine headache medicine can actually make your headaches worse. Follow the instructions on your prescription label.

Take rizatriptan as soon as you notice headache symptoms, or after an attack has already begun.

Your doctor may want to give your first dose of this medicine in a hospital or clinic setting to see if you have any serious side effects.

Take one rizatriptan tablet whole with a full glass of water.

To take rizatriptan orally disintegrating tablets (Maxalt-MLT):

• Keep the tablet in its blister pack until you are ready to take the medicine. Open the package and peel back the foil from the tablet blister. Do not push a tablet through the foil or you may damage the tablet.
• Using dry hands, remove the tablet and place it in your mouth. It will begin to dissolve right away.
• Do not swallow the tablet whole. Allow it to dissolve in your mouth without chewing.
• Swallow several times as the tablet dissolves. If desired, you may drink liquid to help swallow the dissolved tablet.

After taking a tablet: If your headache does not completely go away, or goes away and comes back, take a second tablet two (2) hours after the first. Do not take more than 30 mg of rizatriptan in 24 hours. If your symptoms have not improved, contact your doctor before taking any more tablets.

Contact your doctor if you have more than four headaches in one month (30 days).

If you use rizatriptan long-term, your doctor may want to check your heart function periodically using an electrocardiograph or ECG (sometimes called an EKG), a machine that measures electrical activity of the heart. This will help your doctor determine if it is still safe for you to use this medication. Do not miss any scheduled visits to your doctor.

Store rizatriptan at room temperature away from moisture and heat.