Maxalt Melt 10mg

Maxalt Melt is a medicine known as a 5-HT receptor agonist, or triptan medication, that helps stop migraine attacks as soon as they start. The active ingredient in Maxalt Melt is rizatriptan and it comes as a wafer tablet that melts on your tongue when you need to use it.

A migraine is not the same as a headache which goes away after you take a painkiller like paracetamol or ibuprofen. When you have a migraine, you’ll feel pain or throbbing on one side of your head and you may feel like you need to vomit. Some migraines have an aura, which is something that starts before the headache, which could be flashes of light or a tingling feeling. You may also be more sensitive to light or sound, and find them disturbing during a migraine.

You should only use Maxalt Melt if you have migraines and have been diagnosed by a doctor.

Maxalt Melt works to reduce the swelling of the blood vessels in or around your brain. By attaching to 5-HT receptors, the rizatriptan in Maxalt Melt causes the blood vessels to narrow so there is less blood flow. This stops the feeling of pain, pressure or throbbing during a migraine attack. Maxalt Melt also stops you from feeling like you need to vomit.

You can take Maxalt Melt if you’re over 18 years old and regularly have migraines. Maxalt Melt comes as a wafer tablet that dissolves on your tongue, so you can take it as an alternative if you cannot swallow tablets.

You should not take Maxalt Melt if you:

• are under 18 years old or over 65 years old without the advice of a doctor
• are allergic to any of the ingredients in Maxalt Melt
• have high blood pressure
• have or have ever heart problems, such as heart attack or angina (chest pain)
• have long term liver or kidney problems
• have ever had a stroke
• have problems with blocked arteries (peripheral vascular disease)
• are taking similar medications to treat migraines, such as sumatriptan

Please talk to your doctor before taking Maxalt Melt if you:

• have diabetes
• smoke
• use nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), such as nicotine gum, nicotine skin patches or nicotine nasal spray
• are male and over 40 years old
• are a woman that has gone through menopause
• have kidney problems
• have liver problems
• have heart problems
• have any allergies
• use herbal remedies or take supplements that contain St. John’s wort
• are taking antidepressant SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) such as sertraline, fluoxetine
• or SNRIs (selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors) such as venlafaxine, duloxetine

If you’re unsure about whether you can take Maxalt Melt, get in touch with your doctor or a healthcare professional. Or for more information about who can take Maxalt Melt, you can read the patient information leaflet that comes with your box.

When you take Maxalt Melt, you can feel sleepy, dizzy or tired. Other common side effects of Maxalt Melt include:

• mild headache
• decreased skin sensitivity
• being unable to sleep (insomnia)
• a heartbeat that is faster than normal
• looking red faced (flushing)
• discomfort in the throat
• nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea
• dry mouth
• neck pain or stiffness
• abdominal pain

Uncommon side effects of Maxalt Melt include:

• a bad taste in your mouth
• blurred vision
• feeling confused or nervous
• feeling thirsty

If you have an allergic reaction, such as swelling of the face, lips, tongue and throat or any difficulty breathing, call 999 straight away.

For a full list of the possible side effects, please read the patient information leaflet that comes with your Maxalt Melt 10mg box.

If you produce or pump out any breast milk during the 24 hours after you take Maxalt Melt, throw it away and do not give it to your baby.

Do not take Maxalt Melt if you’re taking the following medications:

• other 5-HT agonists (triptans), such as sumatriptan, naratriptan, zolmitriptan
• any monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI), such as moclobemide, phenelzine, tranylcypromine, pargyline
• Ergotamine-type medications
• Methysergide to prevent a migraine attack

You should talk to your doctor before taking Maxalt Melt if you’re taking the following medications:

• Propranolol
• SSRIs, such as sertraline, fluoxetine
• SNRIs, such as venlafaxine, duloxetine

Let your doctor know about any medications you’re taking or have recently taken before using Maxalt Melt, including any over the counter medicines from a pharmacy.

Which active ingredients do Maxalt Melt 10mg contain?

The active ingredient in Maxalt Melt is rizatriptan. Each Maxalt Melt wafer tablet (oral lyophilisate) contains 10mg of rizatriptan as 14.53mg of rizatriptan benzoate.

The other ingredients in Maxalt Melt are gelatin, mannitol (E421), glycine, aspartame (E951) and peppermint flavour (peppermint oil, maltodextrin and dextrin).

Maxalt Melt contains aspartame, so speak to your doctor if you have phenylketonuria (PKU).

How should Maxalt Melt be disposed of?

If you have any unused Maxalt Melt, do not throw the wafer tablets away in your household bin. Take any unused or expired Maxalt Melt to your local pharmacy so they can dispose of them.

How should Maxalt Melt be stored?

Store your Maxalt Melt below 30°C. Keep your Maxalt melt wafers in the blue plastic carry case they come in, otherwise, they can be damaged by light or the foil being broken. If the foil on the back of the wafer tablet is damaged, do not take the wafer tablet inside.

What does Maxalt Melt look like?

Each 10mg oral lyophilisate of Maxalt Melt looks like a thick, white and round wafer tablet with a square on 1 side.

In which pack sizes is Maxalt Melt 10mg available?

Maxalt Melt 10mg comes in a pack size of 3 wafer tablets (oral lyophilisates) from Asda Online Pharmacy.

Information on the manufacturer

The manufacturer of Maxalt Melt 10mg is MERCK SHARP & DOHME B.V., Waarderweg 39, 2031 BN Haarlem, The Netherlands.