Almotriptan Migraine Relief – 12.5mg

Always use this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure how to use this medicine.

The recommended dose in adults:

One 12.5 mg tablet which should be taken as early as possible after the onset of the migraine attack.

The maximum daily dose is two (12.5 mg) tablets within 24 hours. Medication should be swallowed with liquid (e.g. water) and can be taken with or without food. Almotriptan should only be used to treat an actual migraine attack and not to prevent migraine attacks or headaches.

If your migraine attack does not subside, do not take more than one tablet for the same attack.

If you experience a second migraine attack within 24 hours, a second 12.5 mg tablet can be taken but you must leave at least two  hours between your first and second tablet.

You should take Almotriptan as soon as possible after the onset of the migraine, although it is still effective if taken at a later stage.

If you take more Almotriptan than you should

If you accidentally take too many tablets, or if someone else or a child takes this medicine, talk to a doctor or pharmacist immediately.

If you forget to take Almotriptan

Try to take Almotriptan as you have been prescribed. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten tablet.

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. Some of the side effects are temporary with continued treatment or disappeared when treatment is stopped.

Side Effects

Common

• dizziness
• sleepiness
• nausea
• vomiting
• tiredness

Uncommon

• sensation of tingling, pricking or numbness of the skin (paraesthesia)
• headache
• ringing, roaring or clicking noise in the ears (tinnitus)
• heart pounding (palpitations)
• tightening of the throat
• diarrhoea
• discomfort when digesting food (dyspepsia)
• dry mouth
• muscle pain (myalgia)
• bone pain
• chest pain
• feeling weak (asthenia)

Very Rare 

• spasm of the heart blood vessels (coronary vasospasm)
• heart attack (myocardial infarction)
• increased heart rate (tachycardia)

Frequency Not Known

• convulsion (seizure)
• visual impairment, vision blurred (visual disorders may occur also during the migraine attack itself)
• intestinal vasospasm, which may result in intestinal damage (intestinal ischemia). You may experience abdominal pain and bloody diarrhoea.

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes or if you notice any side effects not listed in this leaflet.

Serious Side Effects

During treatment with Almotriptan, tell your doctor straight away:

• if you have chest pain, tightness in your chest or throat, or any other symptoms that resembles a heart attack.
• allergic reactions (hypersensitivity reactions), including swelling of the mouth, throat and hand (angioedema)
• severe allergic reactions (anaphylactic reactions)

Please tell your doctor straight away and do not take any more Almotriptan.

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme, website: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard  or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store. By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

Warning & Precautions

Do not take Almotriptan:

• if you are allergic to almotriptan or any of the ingredients of this medicine
• if you have or have ever suffered from diseases that restrict the blood supply to the heart such as, heart attack, chest pain or discomfort that normally occurs with activity or stress, heart problems without pain, chest pain that occurs when you are resting, severe hypertension (severe high blood pressure), uncontrolled mild or moderate high blood pressure
• if you have had a stroke or experienced a reduction in the blood flow to the brain
• if you have had obstruction of the large arteries in the arms or legs (peripheral vascular disease)
• if you are taking other medicines used to treat migraines including ergotamine, dihydroergotamine and methysergide or other serotonin agonists (e.g. sumatriptan)
• if you suffer from severe liver disease

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Almotriptan if:

• your type of migraine has not been diagnosed
• you are allergic (hypersensitive) to antibacterial medicines mainly used for treatment of urinary tract infections (sulphonamides)
• your headache symptoms are different from your usual attacks i.e. you have a noise in your ears or vertigo, you have short lived paralysis of one side of the body or paralysis of the muscles that control eye movement or if you have any new symptoms
• you are at risk of heart disease, this includes uncontrolled high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, smoking, clear family history of heart disease, postmenopausal females or males over the age of 40
• you have mild to moderate liver disease
• you suffer from severe kidney disease
• you are over 65 years of age (as you are more likely to experience blood pressure increases)
• you are taking anti-depressants SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) or SNRIs (serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors)

It has been suggested that excessive use of an anti-migraine medicinal product can lead to daily chronic headache.

Age Restrictions

For adults over the age of 18 years – 65 years

Other Medicines and Conditions

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines.

Please tell your doctor:

• if you are taking medicines used to treat depression such as monoamine oxidase inhibitors (e.g.moclobemide), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (e.g. fluoxetine) or serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (e.g. venlafaxine) as these may cause serotonin syndrome, a potentially life-threatening drug reaction. The symptoms of serotonin syndrome include; confusion, restlessness, fever, sweating, uncoordinated movements of the limbs or eyes, uncontrollable muscle twitches or diarrhoea
• if you are taking herbal St John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) as this may increase the likelihood of side effects

Almotriptan should not be taken at the same time as ergotamine-containing medicines, which are also used to treat migraine. However, the medicines may be taken after one another: provided a suitable amount of time is left between taking each medicine.

• following use of almotriptan, it is advised to wait at least 6 hours before taking ergotamine
• following use of ergotamine, it is advised to wait at least 24 hours before taking almotriptan

Driving and using machines

You may feel sleepy, dizzy or sick either due to the migraine itself or the use of the medication. If ever occur, this may influence the ability to drive and to operate machinery. Caution is recommended if you engage in such activities.

Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

Not recommended for use in pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Patient Information Leaflet

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/files/pil.100139.pdf

Ingredients

• Active Ingredients: Almotriptan
• Other Ingredients: Tablet core: Mannitol (E421), microcrystalline cellulose, povidone, sodium starch glycolate Type A, sodium stearyl fumarate. Tablet Coating: Hypromellose (E464), titanium dioxide (E171), Macrogol 400, carnauba wax.

Product Information

• Brand Name: Almotriptan (Generic)
• Route of Administration: Oral
• Legal Classification: POM
• Strength: 12.5mg
• Dosage Form: Film-coated Tablet

Storage

• Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
• Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the blister and carton after “EXP”. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
• This medicinal product does not require any special storage conditions.
• Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.

Advice and Helpful Links

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/migraine/

https://patient.info/brain-nerves/headache-leaflet/medication-overuse-headache