Zomig
Zomig is zolmitriptan 5mg in tablets you swallow, for a migraine attack, sold in bottles as singles or packs of up to five.
- Category
- Neurology
- Active ingredient
- Zolmitriptan
- Route
- Oral
- Form
- Tablet
- Strengths
- 5mg
You will receive a quality generic equivalent, depending on stock.
Shipped in a discreet, unmarked envelope.
Details
- Conditions
- Migraine headache
- Therapeutic Class
- Triptan
- Pharmacological Class
- Serotonin agonist
- Minor Side Effects
- Dizziness, Drowsiness
- Moderate Side Effects
- Tightness in throat, Warm sensation
- Dosage Forms
- Tablet
- Administration Route
- Oral
- Originator
- AstraZeneca
- Onset Time
- 1 hour
- Storage Instructions
- Store at room temperature.
- Drug Interactions
- SSRI, SNRI, MAO inhibitors
- Age Restrictions
- Safety not established for children.
What you will receive
Zomig is the originator brand name, made by AstraZeneca. We use it to identify the medicine; the pack you receive is a generic equivalent, not the original Zomig.
- The same active ingredient (Zolmitriptan) at the same strength.
- The exact brand supplied depends on what is in stock when your order ships.
FAQ
What pack sizes of Zomig can I order?
Zomig comes as 5mg in bottles, available as single bottles or in packs of 2, 3, 4 or 5. This is generic zolmitriptan, not the original Zomig. The price per tablet in Hong Kong dollars is listed on each page, and larger packs cost less per tablet.
How quickly can Zomig reach Hong Kong?
Zomig orders travel by tracked courier in 5 to 9 business days with online tracking, or by standard airmail in 14 to 21 business days, untracked. If a parcel does not arrive within that window or arrives damaged, it is sent again free, or the order is refunded.
Can I take Zomig with paracetamol or ibuprofen?
Yes. Paracetamol and ibuprofen act on pain by different routes from triptans, so they can be taken alongside a Zomig tablet, and plenty of people find the pair works better than either alone when the pain is intense. Each keeps to its own normal dose.
Is Zomig the same as sumatriptan?
No — the ingredient is different. Zomig contains zolmitriptan, while sumatriptan is a triptan sold under its own name. They act on the same receptors and are used for the same kind of attack, but they are never taken close together: a full day has to pass between one and the other.
Does zolmitriptan come in other forms?
Yes. Besides the 5mg tablet you swallow, zolmitriptan is made as a wafer that dissolves in the mouth and as a spray for one nostril. The dissolving version suits an attack that comes with vomiting, since no water is needed, and the spray is another option when a tablet will not stay down.
Can I drink alcohol with Zomig?
There is no known interaction between zolmitriptan and alcohol. That said, drink is a common migraine trigger and can make an attack feel worse, so a small amount, or none at all, is a reasonable choice while you wait for the tablet to work.
Where should I keep the Zomig bottle?
Store the bottle with the cap done up, in a cool, dark place such as a drawer, and keep the tablets in their own container rather than tipping them into a pill organiser. Check the expiry date before you take one.
About Zomig
How Zomig eases an attack
Zomig's active ingredient, zolmitriptan, belongs to the triptan family. During a migraine the vessels around the brain swell and pain nerves in the head keep firing; zolmitriptan works on serotonin receptors to settle both, which is why the throbbing, the queasiness and the dislike of light and noise often lift together. It treats the attack you have now — migraine, whether or not an aura comes first — and it is not something taken daily to hold attacks off. Tension headaches are a different problem, and this is not the medicine for them.
When the headache begins
Picture the moment the throbbing starts and the screen suddenly looks too bright: that is when one 5mg tablet goes down with water. Catching the attack early gives it the best chance, although a tablet swallowed an hour in can still help. A headache that eases and then comes back may be treated with a second tablet, provided at least two hours have passed. If the first did nothing, a second rarely changes that. Two tablets is the limit in a day and night. Reaching for zolmitriptan or any other headache remedy on more than ten days a month can itself bring on extra headaches.
What you may feel afterwards
A band of tightness or pressure in the chest, throat or neck, tingling skin and a wave of warmth are the sensations most people report, and they wear off. Drowsiness, dizziness, a dry mouth and feeling sick can tag along too. Crushing chest pain, a heartbeat that races or stutters, and breathlessness need urgent treatment, and they are rare. Sudden weakness down one side, slurred speech or sight that goes without warning are emergencies as well.
Medicines to keep apart from it
Other migraine medicines of the same family — sumatriptan, rizatriptan, eletriptan and the like — are kept apart from zolmitriptan, with a full day in between, and the same gap applies to ergotamine-type treatments. MAO inhibitor antidepressants are a combination to avoid, and two weeks are left after the last dose before zolmitriptan is used. SSRIs and SNRIs are commonly taken alongside triptans; rarely the mix brings on serotonin syndrome, whose signs include shivering, sweating, twitching muscles and a fast pulse.
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)