Migraine Glossary
Abortive medication: Abortive or acute prescription medications, such as triptans, are taken when you first feel migraine headache pain coming on.
Efficacy: How well a medicine works.
Headache Specialist: While a headache specialist is usually a neurologist, he or she can sometimes be an internal medicine specialist or other medical specialist.
Migraine: A migraine is a mild to severe headache that may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, visual disturbances, and sensitivity to light and sound.
Migraine with aura: A type of migraine accompanied by an aura—usually a kind of visual disturbance ranging from blurred vision to wavy lines or patterns of some kind. Migraine with aura may also include debilitating symptoms ranging from partial paralysis to disorientation.
Neurologist: A physician specializing in diseases of the brain and the treatment of disorders affecting the nervous system. Neurologists are skilled in identifying neurological problems.
Primary Care Physician: Your personal physician. The doctor you see for regular check-ups and most medical care.
Primary headache: Periodic, recurring headaches, usually unrelated to any serious medical problem or disease. Migraines fall into this category, along with tension and cluster headache.
Postdrome stage: The 24-hour period following a migraine headache characterized by tiredness, grogginess, irritability, depression, and hangover or flu-like symptoms.
Preheadache stage (prodrome stage): The initial stage of migraine may begin hours to days before headache pain sets in. Some characteristics include fatigue, muscle aches, sensitivity to light or sound, bloating, and gastrointestinal problems.
Secondary headache: Headaches that may be caused by a brain tumor, encephalitis, an aneurysm, or some other neurologic condition.
Triptan (5-HT receptor agonist): A class of medications (including AXERT®) used to treat migraine 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 Dec 07 2010 at 01:04:50 GMT-05:00.