Zomig (Zolmitriptan) 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,...

Read the Migraine article »

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Zomig Patient Information including How Should I Take

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking zolmitriptan (Zomig)?

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to zolmitriptan, 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 liver disease;
severe or uncontrolled high blood pressure; or
a headache that is not like other headaches you have had.

Do not take zolmitriptan 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 zolmitriptan, tell your doctor if you have:

liver disease;
heart disease, high blood pressure, a heart rhythm disorder;
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).

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

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

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

Do not give this medication to a child younger than 18 years old.

How should I take zolmitriptan (Zomig)?

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 zolmitriptan 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 zolmitriptan tablet whole with a full glass of water.

To take zolmitriptan orally disintegrating tablets (Zomig-ZMT):

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 10 mg of zolmitriptan 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 zolmitriptan 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 zolmitriptan at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

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