Potential side effects:
- Check with your doctor immediately if you experience:
- Less common: chest pain; fast heartbeat; palpitations; shortness of breath; tightness in throat
- Rare: severe chest pain; cool, pale skin; increased sweating; tightness in chest
- Check with your doctor as soon as possible if you experience:
- Less common: discharge from eye; eye irritation; itching, redness, or swelling of skin; neck pain or rigid neck; redness of inner lining of eyelid; skin rash
- Rare: abdominal cramping or pain; black, tarry stools; blood in stools; bringing back up of food; diarrhea; difficulty in swallowing; earache; eye pain; fainting; fever; heartburn, repeated; loss of appetite; loss of vision; rapid breathing; weight loss
- 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 almotriptan has not been used. Most of the side effects caused by almotriptan 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: burning, numbness, prickly, or tingling feeling; dizziness; dry mouth; headache; nausea ; sleepiness
- Less common: aching, fullness, or tension in sinuses; anxious feeling; back pain; belching; change in sense of taste; chills; cough producing mucus; decreased sensitivity to touch; fatigue ; feeling of constant movement of self or surroundings ; feeling of spinning; feeling of warmth or heat; flushing or redness of skin; heartburn; increased sense of hearing; indigestion; lack or loss of strength; muscle aches; muscle weakness; nosebleed; painful menstrual period; quivering or trembling; restlessness; runny or stuffy nose; sore throat; trouble in sleeping; vomiting
- Rare: abnormal increase in reflexes; abnormally increased feeling of mental and physical well-being; buzzing or ringing in the ears; change in dreams or nightmares; change in sense of smell; change in sense of touch; clumsiness or unsteadiness; continuous, uncontrolled, back-and-forth and/or rolling eye movements; cough; difficulty in concentrating; difficulty in swallowing; double vision; drooling; dry eyes; dry throat; feeling of pins and needles; hoarseness; increased sensitivity to sunlight; increased thirst; loss of voice; muscle stiffness; mental depression; nervousness; pain, redness, swelling, or warmth in joints; sneezing; stabbing pain
Brand Names:
- U.S.: Axert
- Canada: Not available
- U.K.: Not available
- Australia: Not available
Additional Information:
-
Triptans: Overview and Profiles
In 1992, the FDA approved the first of a class of medications that many Migraineurs call "miracle drugs." That drug was sumatriptan (Imitrex®, Imigran®), the first triptan. Here are both general information on triptans and detailed profiles of each. -
Triptans Pose Less Risk Than OTC Meds for Some Patients
Since triptans (Imitrex/sumatriptan, Maxalt/rizatriptan, etc.) were introduced in 1992, some doctors have been reluctant to prescribe them because of concerns about cardiovascular safety. Some refused to prescribe them for patients beyond a certain age even if they had no history of or risk factors for coronary artery disease. A new report offers evidence of their safety for those patients. - FDA Information Sheet
- FDA-approved prescribing info[/link] (requires free Adobe Acrobat Reader)
Material on this page is for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as medical advice. Always consult your physician or pharmacist regarding medications.
