Rizatriptan
Rizatriptan is a triptan tablet taken at the first sign of a migraine attack, sold here as Maxalt in 5mg and 10mg strengths.
When a migraine starts
Rizatriptan is taken at the first sign of a migraine attack, before the pain has had time to build. It treats the headache itself and the symptoms that travel with it: nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound. Migraines that come with an aura (flashing lights, blind spots or tingling before the pain) respond to it too. What it cannot do is stop attacks from arriving. It treats an attack in progress, it does not prevent migraines, and it does nothing for tension headaches or other kinds of pain. Most people buy it for attacks that paracetamol or ibuprofen have not touched.
What rizatriptan does in the brain
During a migraine the blood vessels around the brain widen and nerve endings release chemicals that carry pain. Rizatriptan belongs to the triptan family, and it binds to serotonin receptors on those vessels and nerve endings, narrowing the widened vessels and quietening the pain signals. That is why it eases a migraine rather than a headache from a cold or a long day at a screen. Once the attack has passed, the tablet has no lasting effect.
Maxalt tablets, 5mg and 10mg
The rizatriptan sold here is Maxalt, a standard tablet in 5mg and 10mg. Take one with a drink as soon as the migraine begins; these tablets are swallowed whole, not split, chewed or crushed. If the headache lifts and then comes back two hours or more later, a second tablet is reasonable. If the first tablet changes nothing, a second one on the same day is unlikely to either. Watch how often you reach for the pack, too: any headache medicine, rizatriptan included, can make headaches more frequent when it is used on more than 10 days in a month. Keep the pack somewhere dry and out of the sun.
Side effects worth knowing
Sleepiness and dizziness come up most, now and then with a short spell of tingling, warmth or pressure around the chest or throat. Wait until you know how a dose affects you before you drive. Chest pain, breathlessness or an irregular heartbeat needs urgent treatment, because rizatriptan has caused serious heart and circulation problems in people with existing heart or blood vessel disease.
What not to take with it
Leave 24 hours between a rizatriptan tablet and another triptan (sumatriptan, zolmitriptan and the rest) or an ergot-type migraine medicine such as ergotamine. MAO-A inhibitors for depression (phenelzine, tranylcypromine, isocarboxazid) need to have been stopped at least two weeks beforehand. Antidepressants that raise serotonin, including SSRIs and SNRIs, can add to rizatriptan's effects. Alcohol is worth leaving until the attack has passed: it can set off a migraine and it adds to the dizziness.
Sources
- Rizatriptan: MedlinePlus Drug Information — MedlinePlus / U.S. National Library of Medicine
- Rizatriptan (oral route) - Mayo Clinic — Mayo Clinic
Where can I order Rizatriptan for delivery in Hong Kong?
Rizatriptan can be ordered online with delivery to Hong Kong. The page lists generic Maxalt tablets in 5mg and 10mg. An order can be cancelled within 24 hours if it has not been dispatched, and support answers 24/7 in English and Cantonese.
How much do Rizatriptan products cost in Hong Kong?
Maxalt is priced per pack: its page lists every strength and pack size with the current price in HKD or your chosen currency.
Do I need a prescription to order Rizatriptan?
PockDose does not ask you to upload a prescription when you order rizatriptan. See the ordering FAQ for details.
What are the brand names for rizatriptan?
Maxalt is a brand name of rizatriptan. Here, rizatriptan can be bought online as generic Maxalt. These are generics, not the original brand.
What is the difference between rizatriptan 5mg and 10mg?
The two tablets hold different amounts of the same medicine. A single 10mg tablet is the usual dose for a migraine attack; 5mg is half of that, and it is the strength used when propranolol is taken as well, because that combination needs a smaller dose.
Can I drink alcohol with rizatriptan?
Alcohol is best left until the attack has passed. It is a common migraine trigger in its own right, and it adds to the dizziness and drowsiness that rizatriptan can cause, which is the last thing you want while waiting for a headache to lift.
Can I take rizatriptan with paracetamol or ibuprofen?
Yes. Paracetamol and ibuprofen work in a different way from rizatriptan and do not clash with it, so either can be taken alongside a Maxalt tablet when the headache needs more than one approach.
Does rizatriptan come in any other form?
The rizatriptan sold here is a standard tablet. Rizatriptan is also made as an orally disintegrating tablet, which is placed on the tongue and dissolves in saliva without water, handy when a migraine makes swallowing hard.