Recognizing Symptoms
What makes a migraine a migraine?
People who have migraine often get recurring attacks of mild to
severe pain.
People with migraine may have other symptoms that may last from 4
hours to 3 days. A typical migraine may include:
- moderate to severe throbbing pain
- nausea (with or without vomiting)
- pain (typically) on one side of the head
- aversion to light, noise, and/or odors may occur
- visual disturbances (auras) may occur
- typically one to three attacks per month
Migraine tends to run in families.
Most common types of migraine
Migraine without aura accounts for 70% to
90% of migraine attacks.
Migraine with aura accounts for 10% to 30%
of migraine attacks.
For some, migraine is preceded by an aura
Some people experience an aura–a visual disturbance that can range from blurred vision to bright lights or patterns–just before the headache begins. An aura usually develops over 15 to 20 minutes and lasts less than an hour.
Some common forms of aura
Although most auras are visual, other symptoms ranging from sensory disturbances to partial paralysis and disorientation can occur. Symptoms that may accompany migraine with aura include:
- a bright shape that appears to block vision
- flashes of light and color
- wavy lines or geometric patterns
- partial loss of sight or blurred vision
- numbness or tingling of the face
- one foot or hand feels bigger than the other
- you "smell" odors that aren't really there
- partial paralysis or one side of the body feels heavy or weak
- problems talking or understanding language
- confusion or disorientation
- temporary amnesia
Tension headaches are NOT migraines
Tension headaches account for 90% of all headaches. They are NOT migraines. Tension headache symptoms may include:
- a constant, mild to moderate intensity of pain
- pain/tightness may be felt in the back of the neck, temples, forehead, and scalp
- pain and pressure felt in a tight band around the head
- pain felt on both sides of the head, and sometimes accompanied by tight feeling in the neck
- not aggravated by routine physical activity
- AXERT® is not indicated for tension headaches.
Cluster headaches are NOT migraines
Cluster headache symptoms may include:
- severe, one–sided head pain
- a painful, "stabbing sensation" behind one eye
- eye redness
- sweating forehead
- stuffy or runny nose
- 1 – 8 attacks per day
- each headache attack lasts from 15 minutes to 3 hours
- may disappear for years before another cycle begins
- generally occurring at the same time of day often during sleep
- may occur in "cycles" over several weeks to a several month period
- often associated with a history of smoking
AXERT® is not indicated for cluster headaches.
*AXERT® tablets are indicated for the acute treatment of migraine
with or without aura in adults. AXERT® tablets are indicated for
the acute treatment of migraine headache pain in adolescents age 12 to
17 years with a history of migraine attacks with or without aura
usually lasting 4 hours or more (when untreated). In adolescents age
12-17 years, efficacy of AXERT® on migraine associated symptoms
(nausea, photophobia and phonophobia) was not established.
AXERT® is not intended for the prophylactic therapy of migraine or
for use in the management of hemiplegic or basilar migraine. Safety
and effectiveness of AXERT® have not been established for cluster
headache which is present in an older, predominantly male population.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
AXERT® is a prescription medication for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults, and for the acute treatment of migraine headache pain in adolescents age 12 to 17 years with a history of migraine attacks with or without aura usually lasting 4 hours or more (when untreated). If you have no response for the first migraine attack treated with AXERT®, then your doctor will need to see if you really have migraine before you take AXERT® to treat any future attacks. You should not take AXERT® if you have heart disease, uncontrolled high blood pressure or have ever had heart disease. If you have risk factors for heart disease (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, smoking, family history of heart attack, menopause, or are a male over 40 years of age), or if you are pregnant, nursing, or thinking about becoming pregnant, talk with your doctor before taking AXERT®. You should also tell your doctor if you have had a stroke of any type or any transient ischemic attacks, or if you have circulation (blood flow) problems, as you should not use AXERT®. Contact your doctor immediately if you are experiencing symptoms of pain, tightness, pressure, or heaviness in your chest, throat, neck, or jaw, shortness of breath, weakness, or slurring of speech, if you experience abdominal pain or bloody diarrhea, or if your fingers or toes become cold or discolored. In very rare cases, serious heart problems have occurred in patients without known heart disease.
AXERT®, like other triptans, may be associated with a potentially life-threatening condition mainly when taken together with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), two classes of drugs for depression or other disorders. Common SSRIs are Celexa® (citalopram HBr), Lexapro® (escitalopram oxalate), Paxil® (paroxetine), Prozac®/Sarafem® (fluoxetine), Symbyax® (olanzapine/fluoxetine), Zoloft® (sertraline), and Luvox® (fluvoxamine). Common SNRIs are Cymbalta® (duloxetine) and Effexor® (venlafaxine). If you experience symptoms such as confusion, sweating, flushing, rapid heartbeat, diarrhea, muscle weakness, poor balance, or worsening headache, contact your doctor immediately.
Tell your doctor about all prescription and over-the-counter medications you are taking. Do not take AXERT® if you have taken an ergotamine-containing or ergot-type medication or another triptan in the last 24 hours. Do not take if you have had an allergic reaction to AXERT® or any of its ingredients. Tell your doctor if you have had an allergic reaction to a sulfonamide drug or if you are taking ketoconazole.
The most common AXERT® side effects in adults are nausea, sleepiness, tingling sensation, headache, and dry mouth.
The most common AXERT® side effects in adolescents are dizziness, sleepiness, headache, tingling sensation, nausea and vomiting.
Ask your doctor about side effects, possible drug interactions, and any other important questions you may have before taking AXERT®.
Celexa and Lexapro are registered trademarks of Forest Laboratories. Paxil is a registered trademark of GlaxoSmithKline. Symbyax, Prozac/Sarafem and Cymbalta are registered trademarks of Eli Lilly. Zoloft is a registered trademark of Pfizer. Luvox is a registered trademark of Solvay. Effexor is a registered trademark of Wyeth.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
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This page was last updated on Mar 17 2009 at 11:22:35 EDT.