About Amerge
Amerge is prescribed to stop or reduce the pain and debilitating
symptoms of migraine
attacks at their onset. Amerge has no effect on other types
of pain, and does not treat tension headaches, cluster headaches,
or certain rare types of migraine. While Amerge is a highly
effective migraine treatment, it doesn't work for everyone.
A failure to respond to Amerge (or other triptan) treatment
is not a negative diagnosis for migraine.
Your doctor may prescribe Amerge in combination with a headache
reduction therapy, as Amerge does not prevent or reduce the
number of attacks. If you experience more than one migraine
per week, you should ask about preventive therapy, such as
low-dose antidepressants, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers,
or looking for possible food allergy triggers. The frequent
use of treatments for migraine attack may cause additional
rebound headaches.
Often, people find that even if Amerge doesn't completely stop
a migraine, it will often reduce the pain and secondary symptoms
(nausea, light and noise sensitivity, etc.) to a manageable level.
As Amerge is not a barbiturate or a narcotic, it very rarely causes
drowsiness or other side effects that interfere with your normal
functioning, and does not appear to have abuse potential.
Amerge works by increasing the amount of serotonin in the brain,
which has been shown to dip during migraine attacks. It also seems
to affect contraction in the blood vessels which is associated with
migraine pain, but because of this is not suitable for some individuals
with a history of heart or artery disease.
Amerge is only available by prescription.
Amerge Side Effects
If you feel dizzy or fatigued after your migraine, or after taking
Amerge, do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you feel
better.
More Common Amerge Side Effects: Altered sense of taste,
aversion to light (may be a symptom of migraine attack), discomfort
in jaw, mouth, tongue, throat, nose, or sinuses, cold or warm sensation,
dizziness, drowsiness, heat, infection of the upper respiratory
tract, numbness, tightness or tingling, feeling pressure, feeling
strange or weak, flushing, lightheadedness, muscle aches or cramps,
stiffness, vertigo, nausea or vomiting. Check with your doctor if
these persist or are bothersome.
Less Common or Rare Amerge Side Effects: Agitation, altered
sense of smell, anxiety, constipation, dehydration, depression,
diarrhea, difficulty concentrating, difficulty urinating or frequent
urination, feeling of well-being, fainting, hearing problems, infection
of lower respiratory tract (pneumonia), menstrual pain, stinging
or burning sensation, sweating, tearing, thirst, tremors, visual
disturbances.
Stop taking Amerge and speak to your doctor soon if the
following rare side effects occur: Heaviness, pain, or tightness
in chest or neck, racing heartbeat, skin rash, hives, itching, difficulty
swallowing.
Check with your doctor immediately if these rare side effects
occur: Severe chest pain, color change in the face, puffiness or
swelling around eyes or in face, difficulty breathing, wheezing.
Cautions: Amerge may not
be suitable for everyone, and some people may need careful monitoring
if they are to use Amerge. Discuss any history of the following
conditions with your doctor:
- Angina (chest pain)
- Blood vessel disease
- Fast, irregular pulse
- High blood pressure
- Kidney disease
- Liver disease
- Stroke - increased chance of side effects with Amerge
Amerge has sometimes caused dangerous side effects in people with circulatory system problems. Make sure that your doctor checks for these conditions before starting treatment.
Back to top
Amerge Interactions
Taking Amerge in combination with the following medications could
result in unwanted interactions or increase the effect of one of
the medications. Since these reactions could be dangerous, be sure
to talk to your doctor about adjusting your dosage or discontinuing
treatment if you take any of the following medications.
- Alcohol - Alcoholic beverages can cause or worsen a headache.
Try to avoid these, especially during an attack.
- Effexor (venlafaxine) - Combination may result in weakness and poor coordination, do not use Amerge during Effexor treatment.
- Ergotamine based migraine treatments such as DHE 45 injections,
Cafergot, Ergostat, Migranal nasal spray, or Sansert, should not
be used within 24 hours of using Amerge.
- MAO inhibitors - Amerge must never be mixed with MAO (monoamine
oxidase) inhibitors such as the antidepressants Eldepryl (selegiline),
Furoxone (furazolidone), Nardil (phenelzine), Marplan (isocarboxazid),
Matulane (procarbazine), or Parnate (tranylcypromine). Never
use Amerge within 2 weeks of stopping an MAO inhibitor, and do
not start using an MAO inhibitor within two weeks of stopping
Amerge. This drug interaction could prove dangerous.
- Migraine medications of the same class (triptans) as Amerge
such as Imitrex (sumatriptan),
Maxalt (rizatriptan), or Zomig (zolmitriptan), should not be used
within 24 hours of each other.
- Oral contraceptives - May slow the removal of Amerge from the
body, but are not generally a contraindication for treatment.
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like Celexa
(citalopram), Paxil (paroxetine),
Prozac (fluoxetine), Luvox (fluvoxamine), or Zoloft (sertraline).
- Tryptophan or 5-HTP supplements should not be used with Amerge.
They may be found in amino acid supplements or by themselves,
and could dangerously increase serotonin levels when taken in
combination with Amerge.
Amerge may safely be used with tricyclic antidepressants (such
as Sinequan [doxepin] or Elavil [amitriptyline]) when they are prescribed
as a long term migraine reduction therapy. Other medications that
may be prescribed as preventive therapy in combination with Amerge
include Valium (diazepam)
and Inderal (propanolol).
Back to top
Amerge Dosages
Amerge is available in the following forms:
- Tablets - 1 mg (white), 2.5 mg (green).
Amerge Directions
Take Amerge as soon as you start feeling pain. Amerge will probably
not stop a headache if it's taken during the aura phase, but can
be taken at any time after the pain begins.
If you do not feel better 2-4 hours after taking the tablet form,
do not take more Amerge for this attack. If the pain goes away but
then comes back later, you can take another dose four hours after
the first. Amerge may not work for every migraine, so discuss an
alternative pain treatment for those occasions with your doctor.
If your headaches get worse, or if Amerge has not worked for three
headaches in a row, talk with your doctor. Take a maximum of
two tablets per day.
Amerge should only be taken at the time of an attack. It
should not be taken daily or rebound migraines may begin to occur.
If you find yourself using Amerge more than 2-3 times per week,
speak to your doctor about preventive therapy, or about trying a
different preventive therapy.
Swallow Amerge tablets whole, do not break them.
Keep out of reach of children. Store tablets in a dry place, avoid
storing in a bathroom or near a sink, keep away from light and heat.
discard unused or out of date medication safely.
Amerge and Pregnancy
Amerge has not been studied in pregnancy. Animal studies indicate that a dose sufficient to harm the fetus would also harm the mother.
Amerge does pass into breast milk, its effects on newborns are unknown.
If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, discuss your Amerge treatment with your doctor.
Amerge and Children
Amerge has not been studied in individuals under 18.
Amerge and Seniors
Amerge has been studied in a small number of adults over 65 and did not appear to have different side effects. Still, no conclusive studies have been carried out on the effects of Amerge in elderly patients.
Certain health problems, more common in the elderly, are contraindications for Amerge treatment.
Amerge is a trademark of GlaxoSmithKline
Back to top
This document is provided for information only. It is not a substitute for consultation with a physician, either to diagnose symptoms or prescribe treatment. Any dosages mentioned are general guidelines only, please follow the directions of your doctor or pharmacist exactly when taking medication. We have made every effort to ensure that this information is accurate, but only your doctor can say if a medication, or drug combination, is safe for you. Information intended for US residents only.
|
