Rizatriptan pour la migraine

About rizatriptan

La cause de la migraine n'est pas claire. On pense que l'activité de certaines substances chimiques dans le cerveau augmente et que, par conséquent, certaines parties du cerveau envoient des signaux confus qui provoquent les symptômes de la migraine. La raison pour laquelle les personnes souffrant de migraine développent ces changements chimiques n'est pas claire non plus. De nombreuses crises de migraine surviennent sans raison apparente, mais chez certaines personnes, des éléments peuvent déclencher une crise, comme certains aliments ou certaines boissons.

Rizatriptan belongs to a class of medicines known as 5HT₁-receptor agonists. They are also known simply as triptans. Triptans work by stimulating the receptors of a natural substance in the brain called serotonin (or 5HT). This eases the symptoms of migraine.

Rizatriptan is effective in relieving migraine attacks once the headache phase has started. It does not help prevent migraine headaches from developing.

Before taking rizatriptan

Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine may only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you start taking rizatriptan it is important that your doctor or pharmacist knows:

• Si vous avez plus de 65 ans ou moins de 18 ans.

• Si vous êtes enceinte ou si vous allaitez.

• If you have heart problems such as angina, or if you have had a heart attack.

• Si vous souffrez d'hypertension artérielle.

• Si vous avez des problèmes de circulation.

• Si vous avez des problèmes de fonctionnement du foie ou des reins.

• Si vous avez déjà été victime d'un accident vasculaire cérébral ou d'un accident ischémique transitoire (également appelé AIT ou "mini-AVC").

• Si vous avez déjà eu une réaction allergique à un médicament.

• Si vous prenez ou utilisez d'autres médicaments. Cela comprend tous les médicaments que vous prenez et qui sont disponibles sans ordonnance, ainsi que les médicaments à base de plantes et les médicaments complémentaires.

How to take rizatriptan

• Before you start this treatment, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside your pack. The manufacturer's leaflet will give you more information about rizatriptan and a full list of the side-effects which you may experience from taking it.

• Take rizatriptan exactly as your doctor tells you to. It is usual to take one tablet as soon as you start to feel a migraine headache develop.

• If you are taking a Maxalt® tablet, swallow the tablet with a drink of water. If you are taking a Maxalt® Melt wafer, this has been made so that you can place it on your tongue and allow it to dissolve in your mouth. Maxalt® Melt wafers are particularly helpful if drinking water to take a tablet would make you feel sick.

• If you have recently had a meal, rizatriptan may take a little longer before it starts to work than if you had not eaten. This is because the food in your stomach can delay the absorption of the medicine. Although rizatriptan is better taken when your stomach is empty, you can still take it if you have had a meal.

• If your migraine at first improves but then comes back again, you may take another tablet/wafer, providing it is at least two hours after you took the first one. If your migraine is not eased after taking the first dose, a further dose is unlikely to work, so do not take a second tablet/wafer.

• Do not take more than two 10 mg tablets in 24 hours.

Tirer le meilleur parti de votre traitement

• Rizatriptan is meant to be used to treat headache pain during a migraine attack, not to stop the pain from coming on. You should wait until the pain is just beginning to develop, rather than taking it at the aura stage or when you feel that a migraine may be developing. Taking it earlier in a migraine attack will not stop the headache from developing.

• You should not take other migraine treatments such as other triptans or ergotamine at the same time as rizatriptan.

• Some people may benefit from taking a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkiller (such as naproxen) in addition to rizatriptan. Your doctor will advise you about this if it is recommended for you.

• If you find that rizatriptan does not relieve your migraine, make an appointment to discuss this with your doctor, as a different 'triptan' medicine may be more effective for you.

• Si vous achetez des médicaments en vente libre, vérifiez avec votre pharmacien quels sont les médicaments que vous pouvez prendre en toute sécurité.

• Il peut être utile de tenir un journal des migraines. Notez quand et où chaque crise de migraine a commencé, ce que vous faisiez et ce que vous aviez mangé ce jour-là. Un schéma peut se dessiner et il peut être possible d'éviter une ou plusieurs choses qui déclenchent vos crises de migraine.

• Rizatriptan is used to treat migraine attacks, but there are other medicines that are available that may help to prevent you from having migraines. If you have migraines frequently, discuss this with your doctor.

• Some people who get frequent migraine attacks are in fact getting medication-induced headache. Medication-induced headache (also called medication-overuse headache) is caused by taking painkillers or triptans too often. If you use rizatriptan or painkillers on more than two days a week on a regular basis, you may be at risk of this. You should talk with your doctor if you suspect it.

Can rizatriptan cause problems?

Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains some of the most common ones associated with rizatriptan. You will find a full list in the manufacturer's information leaflet supplied with your medicine. The unwanted effects often improve as your body adjusts to the new medicine, but speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following continue or become troublesome.

Si vous présentez d'autres symptômes que vous pensez être dus au médicament, demandez conseil à votre médecin ou à votre pharmacien.

How to store rizatriptan

• Conservez tous les médicaments hors de la portée et de la vue des enfants.

• Conserver dans un endroit frais et sec, à l'abri de la chaleur et de la lumière directes.
  

Informations importantes sur tous les médicaments