Zolmitriptan
Zolmitriptan is a triptan for the acute treatment of migraine attacks with or without aura, sold here as Zomig 5mg tablets in bottles.
What zolmitriptan does in a migraine
Zolmitriptan treats a migraine attack that has already begun — the throbbing headache that often arrives with nausea and a dislike of light and sound. It is a treatment for migraine with or without aura, and it is not a preventive medicine: taken every day, it will not stop attacks from starting. Most people reach for it when paracetamol or ibuprofen has not touched the pain. Tension headaches and other kinds of head pain are not what it is for.
The pain of a migraine comes partly from swollen vessels around the brain and partly from nerve endings beside the trigeminal nerve, which keep releasing pain-signalling chemicals. Zolmitriptan attaches to serotonin receptors in both places. The vessels narrow, the nerve endings quieten, and the nausea and sensitivity to light usually ease along with the headache.
When a migraine starts
The tablet goes down with water as soon as the headache phase begins, though it can still help if you take it later into the attack. Most attacks need only one. If the migraine fades and then returns, a second tablet is allowed at least two hours after the first, and two tablets is the ceiling for 24 hours. A second tablet is not worth taking when the first has done nothing. The strength sold here is 5mg.
Side effects to expect
Tingling skin, a warm feeling, and heaviness or tightness in the throat, neck or chest are the ones people notice most; sleepiness, dizziness and a dry mouth are also common. These usually ease within a short while as the tablet is processed. Severe chest pain, or swelling around the face, lips or throat with difficulty breathing, needs urgent treatment — both are rare.
What zolmitriptan doesn't mix with
Zolmitriptan is not taken within 24 hours of another triptan or an ergotamine-type migraine medicine, or within two weeks of an MAO inhibitor antidepressant such as phenelzine or moclobemide. SSRI and SNRI antidepressants are used with it, but rarely the pair can bring on serotonin syndrome — agitation, sweating, shivering, twitching muscles and a racing pulse. Because the medicine narrows blood vessels, it is not used after a heart attack, angina, a stroke or a mini-stroke, or with blood pressure that is not controlled. The rare migraine types that come with weakness down one side are another group who don't use it.
Zomig 5mg, the zolmitriptan sold here
Zomig is the brand name for zolmitriptan, supplied here as 5mg film-coated tablets in a bottle. Elsewhere the ingredient also comes as tablets that dissolve on the tongue and as a nasal spray; this range carries the tablet you swallow with water. Other migraine and nerve treatments are grouped in neurology.
Sources
- Zolmitriptan: MedlinePlus Drug Information — National Library of Medicine
- Zolmitriptan 5 mg Film-coated Tablets - Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) - (emc) — UK Electronic Medicines Compendium (EMC)
Is Zolmitriptan available to order in Hong Kong?
Zolmitriptan can be ordered online with delivery to Hong Kong. The range is generic Zomig, also sold as Zolmitriptan bottles, in 5mg. Orders can be cancelled within 24 hours as long as they have not been dispatched, and support replies 24/7 in English and Cantonese.
How are Zolmitriptan prices shown?
The zolmitriptan product has its own price per pack, shown on its page in HKD or your selected currency; larger packs usually cost less per unit.
Do I need a prescription to order Zolmitriptan?
PockDose does not ask you to upload a prescription when you order zolmitriptan. See the ordering FAQ for details.
What brand names does zolmitriptan have?
Zomig is a brand name of zolmitriptan. Here, zolmitriptan can be bought online as generic Zomig. These are generics, not the original brand.
Is zolmitriptan the same as Zomig?
Zomig is a brand name for zolmitriptan, so both contain the same active ingredient. The Zomig sold here is the 5mg film-coated tablet in a bottle. Zolmitriptan is also made as tablets that dissolve on the tongue and as a nasal spray under other brand names.
How many zolmitriptan tablets can I take in a day?
No more than two 5mg tablets in any 24 hours. Leave at least two hours before the second, and take it only if the first eased the migraine and the pain then came back. When the first tablet does nothing for the attack, a second is unlikely to help.
Can zolmitriptan stop migraines from happening?
No. Zolmitriptan is an acute treatment: it is taken once an attack has started, to shorten it and ease the pain. It is not a preventive medicine, so a daily tablet will not reduce how often migraines come. Prevention uses a separate daily medicine instead.
Can I drink alcohol with zolmitriptan?
There is no known interaction between zolmitriptan and alcohol, but drink is a common migraine trigger and can worsen the dizziness and drowsiness the tablet sometimes brings. Mid-attack, a drink tends to leave you more headachy and nauseated rather than less.
Can I take zolmitriptan with my antidepressant?
Zolmitriptan is used with SSRI and SNRI antidepressants, but the combination carries a rare risk of serotonin syndrome — restlessness, sweating, shivering, twitching muscles and a fast pulse. MAO inhibitor antidepressants are different: zolmitriptan is not taken within two weeks of one, because together they can push blood pressure up sharply.