Rizatriptan Tablets 10mg

Key points

• Relieves migraines symptoms quickly
• Taken orally, with or without food
• Pain relief treatment, available on prescription

What is rizatriptan?

Rizatriptan is an effective migraine treatment. It belongs to a group of medicines called triptans and also sold under the brand name Maxalt.

How does rizatriptan work?

Rizatriptan works by decreasing the swelling of blood vessels in the brain caused by a migraine. It stops pain signals being sent to the brain and prevents the release of natural chemicals that cause pain and other migraine symptoms.

What is rizatriptan used for?

Rizatriptan 10mg tablets are used specifically to treat migraine headaches. It is usually recommended when over the counter pain medication such as aspirin has proven ineffective.

As well as migraine headaches, rizatriptan can also help to relieve other migraine symptoms, such as:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Light sensitivity
• Sound sensitivity

How long does rizatriptan take to work?

Rizatriptan should take no longer than 30 minutes to work. If your migraine returns after taking rizatriptan, you should wait two hours or more before you take another migraine tablet.

Contact your doctor before taking more than the recommended 20mg dosage if you continue to experience migraine symptoms.

How to take rizatriptan

Rizatriptan tablets are taken orally, with or without food, when migraine signs first occur.

Treatment should not be started until the migraine enters the aura stage, as it can be less effective.

Rizatriptan may work faster if you take the tablets on an empty stomach. You should never crush, chew, or cut rizatriptan tablets. Rizatriptan tablets are also available in orodispersible form, meaning that they will dissolve in the mouth with no water needed for swallowing. This is useful for those who experience nausea and vomiting with migraines.

Rizatriptan alternatives

Rizatriptan vs sumatriptan

• Sumatriptan tablets are available in two different doses, 50mg and 100mg.
• Rizatriptan and sumatriptan both belong to the serotonin-1 receptor agonist group of drugs and work similarly; stimulating the brain’s serotonin receptors and reversing the widening of the blood vessels that causes a migraine, thereby alleviating pain.
• Sumatriptan typically takes longer to work than rizatriptan. While rizatriptan is usually effective in no longer than 30 minutes, sumatriptan can take an hour to provide relief from symptoms of a migraine. The results of sumatriptan peak after two to four hours.
• Dosage amounts are different – if you are taking rizatriptan, you would normally take one 10mg tablet, as opposed to 50mg or 100mg of sumatriptan.
• Both medications have been proven to be as effective as the other, significantly reducing painful symptoms in around 80 percent of patients.
• They are available at a comparable price and share potential side effects such as mild nausea, dry mouth, drowsiness, and a mild headache.

To find out more about sumatriptan, visit our sumatriptan tablets reviews page or have a read of our in-depth sumatriptan guide.

Rizatriptan vs maxalt

• There is no clinical difference between rizatriptan and maxalt.
• Maxalt contains rizatriptan benzoate; the same active ingredient as rizatriptan.
• Maxalt is the branded version of rizatriptan in the UK, therefore they both work in the same way to efficiently relieve migraine symptoms.

To find out what our customers are saying about maxalt, please take a look at our maxalt tablets reviews page.

How to prevent migraines

Migraines can be triggered by various factors including lifestyle, diet and sometimes medication, therefore a variety of preventive measures should be considered. You could try:

• Maintaining a regular sleep pattern
• Managing stress levels
• Keep a regular exercise routine
• Stay hydrated and drink plenty of water
• Avoid common trigger foods such as aged cheese, processed meats, chocolate and alcohol

Rizatriptan ingredients

Active ingredients: Rizatriptan

Inactive ingredients: mannitol (E421), microcrystalline cellulose (E460a), crospovidone type A, aspartame (E951), magnesium stearate (E572), Colloidal Silicon Dioxide, peppermint, flavor (containing natural flavoring substances and modified food starch E1450).