Description
Frovatriptan (froe-va-TRIP-tan) is used
to treat Migraine attacks. Many people find that their Migraine symptoms
go away completely after they take frovatriptan. Other people find that
their symptoms are reduced, and that they are able to go back to their
normal activities even though their Migraines are not completely gone.
Frovatriptan often relieves many symptoms that occur together with the
pain of a Migraine, such as nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, and
sensitivity to sound.
Frovatriptan is not an ordinary pain reliever. It will not relieve any
kind of pain other than Migraine. This medicine is usually used for
people whose Migraines are not relieved by acetaminophen, aspirin, or
other pain relievers.
Frovatriptan may cause serious side effects in some people, especially
people who have heart or blood vessel disease. Be sure that you discuss
with your doctor the risks of using this medicine as well as the good
that it can do.
Frovatriptan is available only with your doctor's prescription.
Before Using This Medicine
In deciding to use a medicine, the risks
of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This
is a decision you and your doctor will make. For frovatriptan, the
following should be considered:
Allergies-
Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic
reaction to frovatriptan. Also tell your health care professional if you
are allergic to any other substances, such as foods, preservatives, or
dyes.
Pregnancy-
Frovatriptan has not been studied in pregnant women. However, in some
animal studies, frovatriptan caused harmful effects to the fetus. These
unwanted effects usually occurred when frovatriptan was given in amounts
that were large enough to cause harmful effects in the mother.
Breast-feeding-
It is not known whether frovatriptan passes into human breast milk.
Although most medicines pass into breast milk in small amounts, many of
them may be used safely while breast-feeding. Mothers who are taking
this medicine and who wish to breast-feed should discuss this with their
doctor.
Children-
Studies on this medicine have been done only in patients 18 years of
age and older, and there is no specific information comparing use of
frovatriptan in children with use in other age groups.
Older adults-
Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people.
Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way
they do in younger adults. Although there is no specific information
comparing use of frovatriptan in the elderly with use in other age
groups, this medicine is not expected to cause different side effects or
problems in older people than it does in younger adults.
Other medicines-
Although certain medicines
should not be used together at all, in other cases two different
medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In
these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other
precautions may be necessary.
Do not take frovatriptan if you have
taken a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) such as isocarboxazid (Marplan),
tranylcypromine (Parnate), or phenelzine (Nardil) within the last 14
days. The combination could cause seizures, nausea, vomiting, sweating,
flushing, and dizziness.
Do not take frovatriptan if you:
- have taken an ergot-based medication
within the last 24 hours--ergot-based medicines include methysergide (Sansert),
ergotamine (Ergostat, Ergomar, others) dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45,
Migranal Nasal Spray), and ergotamine combination products (Bellergal-S,
Cafergot, Ercaf, Wigraine, Cafatine, Cafatine-PB, Cafetrate)
- have taken another serotonin
receptor agonist within the last 24 hours - these include frovatriptan
(Frova), naratriptan (Amerge), rizatriptan (Maxalt, Maxalt-MLT),
sumatriptan (Imitrex), and zolmitriptan (Zomig, Zomig-ZMT); or
- have taken ketoconazole (Nizoral),
itraconazole (Sporanox), ritonavir (Norvir), or erythromycin (E-Mycin,
others) in the last 7 days.
Taking a serotonin receptor agonist
with any of the medicines listed above may be dangerous.
Before taking frovatriptan, tell your
doctor if you are taking a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)
such as citalopram (Celexa), fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox),
paroxetine (Paxil), or sertraline (Zoloft). You may not be able to take
frovatriptan, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special
monitoring during treatment if you are taking any of the medicines
listed.
Drugs other than those listed here may
also interact with frovatriptan. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist
before taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicines, including
herbal products.
Other medical problems-
The presence of other medical
problems may affect the use of frovatriptan. Make sure you tell your
doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
- Uncontrolled high blood pressure—Use
of frovatriptan may cause this condition to become worse.
- Coronary artery disease
- Heart attack (recent)
Heart disease or Risk factors for coronary artery disease such as high
cholesterol, family history, diabetes, obesity, women after menopause
and men over 40 years of age—Use of frovatriptan may cause problems in
patients with these risk factors.
- Blood vessel disease, especially in
the intestines and fingers—Use of frovatriptan may cause these
conditions to become worse.
- Bleeding in the brain or Stroke (or
history of)—Use of frovatriptan may increase the chance of having a
stroke
Proper Use of This Medicine
Do not use frovatriptan for an
episode that is different from your usual Migraines
To relieve your Migraine as soon as possible, use frovatriptan as soon as
the pain begins. Even if you get warning signals of a coming Migraine
(an aura), you should wait until the pain starts before using
frovatriptan. Using frovatriptan during the aura probably will not prevent
the pain from occurring. However, even if you do not use frovatriptan
until your Migraine has been present for several hours, the medicine
will still work.
Lying down in a quiet, dark room for a while after you use this medicine
may help relieve your Migraine.
If you feel much better after a dose of frovatriptan, but your Migraine
comes back or gets worse after 2 or more hours, you may use one
additional dose of frovatriptan
Your doctor may direct you to take another medicine to help prevent
Migraines. It is important that you follow your doctor's directions,
even if your Migraines continue to occur. Migraine-preventing medicines
may take several weeks to start working. Even after they do start
working, your Migraines may not go away completely. However, your
Migraines should occur less often, and they should be less severe and
easier to relieve. This can reduce the amount of frovatriptan or pain
relievers that you need. If you do not notice any improvement after
several weeks of Migraine-preventing treatment, check with your doctor.
Dosing-
The dose of frovatriptan will be different for different
patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label.
The following information includes only the average doses of
frovatriptan.
If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor
tells you to do so.
- Adults—Take one tablet (2.5 mg
(milligrams) anytime after the start of your migraine headache. You
may take a second tablet if your headache comes back after relief from
the 1st dose. You should wait at least 2 hours between doses. Do not
take more than 3 tablets in a 24 hour period.
- Children—Use and dose must be
determined by your doctor.
Storage-
To store this medicine:
- Keep out of the reach of children
since overdose is especially dangerous in children.
- Store away from heat and direct
light.
- Do not store in the bathroom, near
the kitchen sink, or in other damp places. Heat or moisture may cause
the medicine to break down.
- Do not keep outdated medicine or
medicine no longer needed. Be sure that any discarded medicine is out
of the reach of children.
Precautions While Using This Medicine
Drinking alcoholic beverages can make
Migraines worse or cause new Migraines to occur. People who suffer from
severe Migraines should probably avoid alcoholic beverages, especially
during an attack.
Some people feel drowsy or dizzy during or after a Migraine, or after
taking frovatriptan to relieve a Migraine. As long as you are feeling
drowsy or dizzy, do not drive, use machines, or do anything else that
could be dangerous if you are dizzy or are not alert.
Side Effects of This Medicine
Along with its needed effects,
a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these
side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical
attention.
Check with your doctor immediately
if any of the following side effects occur:
Other side effects may occur that
usually do not need medical attention. Some of these effects, such as
nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, dizziness, and general feeling of illness
or tiredness, often occur during or after a Migraine, even when
frovatriptan has not been used. Most of the side effects caused by
frovatriptan go away within a short time (less than 2 hours). However,
check with your doctor if these side effects continue or are bothersome.
- More common: dizziness
- Less common: Acid or sour
stomach, belching, heartburn, indigestion, stomach discomfort, upset
or pain; dry mouth; fatigue, such as unusual tiredness or weakness;
flushing, such as feeling of warmth, redness of the face, neck, arms
and occasionally upper chest; headache; hot or cold sensation; nausea;
skeletal pain, such as pain in bones; tingling, burning, or prickly
sensations; sleepiness or unusual drowsiness.
Other side effects not listed above may
also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with
your doctor. |
