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Treximet

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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.

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Treximet Patient Information including How Should I Take

What should I discuss with my health care provider before taking sumatriptan and naproxen (Treximet)?

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to sumatriptan (Imitrex), naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox, Naprosyn), or if you have a history of asthma or allergic reaction caused by aspirin or other NSAIDs such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), diclofenac (Cataflam, Voltaren), etodolac (Lodine), indomethacin (Indocin), ketoprofen (Orudis), and others.

Do not take sumatriptan and naproxen if you have:

  • liver disease;
  • untreated or uncontrolled high blood pressure; or
  • a history of heart disease, angina (chest pain), blood circulation problems, heart attack, stroke, or heart bypass surgery (also called coronary artery bypass graft, or CABG).

Do not take sumatriptan and naproxen 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.

Do not take sumatriptan and naproxen within 24 hours before or after taking any of the following medicines:

  • almotriptan (Axert), eletriptan (Relpax), frovatriptan (Frova), naratriptan (Amerge), rizatriptan (Maxalt, Maxalt-MLT), sumatriptan (Imitrex), or zolmitriptan (Zomig); or
  • ergot medicine such as methysergide (Sansert), ergotamine (Ergomar, Ergostat, Cafergot, Ercaf, Wigraine), dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45, Migranal Nasal Spray), ergonovine (Ergotrate), methylergonovine (Methergine).

If you any of these other conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely use sumatriptan and naproxen:

  • high blood pressure;
  • congestive heart failure;
  • epilepsy or other seizure disorder;
  • 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 C. Sumatriptan and naproxen may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant before you take this medication. Taking naproxen during the last 3 months of pregnancy may result in birth defects. Do not take sumatriptan and naproxen during pregnancy without your doctor's advice.

Sumatriptan and naproxen can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How should I take sumatriptan and naproxen (Treximet)?

Use this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Follow the instructions on your prescription label.

Never use more than the recommended dose of sumatriptan and naproxen. Overuse of migraine headache medicine can actually make your headaches worse. Tell your doctor if the medicine seems to stop working as well in treating your migraine attacks.

Take one (1) sumatriptan and naproxen tablet as soon as you notice headache symptoms, or after an attack has already begun.

Do not crush, chew, or break the tablet. Swallow the pill whole.

You may take this medication with or without food.

After taking a tablet: If your headache does not completely go away, or goes away and comes back, you may take a second tablet two (2) hours after the first.

You must wait at least 2 hours before taking a second tablet. Do not take more than 2 sumatriptan and naproxen tablets 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 five headaches in one month (30 days).

If you take sumatriptan and naproxen every now and then over a long period of time, your doctor may want to check you on a regular basis to make sure the medication is not causing harmful effects. Do not miss any scheduled appointments.

Naproxen can cause you to have unusual results with certain medical tests. Tell any doctor who treats you if you have taken sumatriptan and naproxen within the past 72 hours.

Store this medication at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

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