Rizatriptan

Medically Reviewed by Dr. Harshi Dhingra, M.D.

Last Reviewed: Jan 23, 2024

Directions


How To Use Rizatriptan (Maxalt)

Rizatriptan comes in the form of a tablet and an orally disintegrating tablet. You should swallow the tablet whole with a glass of water. The orally disintegrating tablet should be placed on the tongue, allowed to dissolve, and then swallowed with saliva. You don’t need water to swallow it. The orally disintegrating tablets (Maxalt MLT) come in a blister pack with an outer aluminum cover. You should remove the blister from the outer cover only when you are ready to use the medicine. Make sure you peel open the blister pack with dry hands.

Your doctor may give you the initial dose of Maxalt (rizatriptan) in their office so that they can monitor you for serious side effects. 

Read the prescription label carefully and take rizatriptan exactly as prescribed. Do not change the dose or dosing frequency without your doctor’s approval.

For the best headache response, take rizatriptan at the first sign of a migraine attack. You can repeat a dose after at least 2 hours if your symptoms get better but come back. If your symptoms do not improve after the first dose of rizatriptan, do not repeat the dose without talking to your doctor. 

Tell your doctor if your migraine headaches do not improve or get worse after starting rizatriptan. Do not take rizatriptan to treat more than 4 migraines a month and any headache medications on more than 10 days a month. Doing so can lead to medication overuse headaches. 

Keep a journal of your headaches and record the frequency, severity, and the days you take rizatriptan or other headache medicines. 

Remember, Maxalt (rizatriptan) can help relieve symptoms of migraine headaches, but it will not prevent migraine attacks or decrease the frequency of your migraine headaches.

Missed dose: Rizatriptan is usually taken on an as-needed basis. Take the medicine at the first sign of a migraine headache. You can take a second dose after 2 hours or more if your symptoms come back. Do not take a second dose if you don’t get any improvement in your headache pain after the first dose. Do not take more than 30 mg rizatriptan in 24 hours.

Storage: Store rizatriptan at room temperature (between 15-30° C or 59-86° F) away from moisture, heat, and direct light in its original container, tightly closed. Do not store medications in the bathroom where they can be exposed to moisture and heat. Keep all medications safely out of reach of children and pets.

Unused medicine: Unused rizatriptan should be disposed of in a way that children, other people, and pets cannot get to them. Do not throw rizatriptan in the trash or flush it down the toilet. The best way to dispose of expired or unneeded rizatriptan is through a drug take-back program. Learn more about proper medication disposal

NOTEThis medication guide is a summary and may not contain all possible drug information on rizatriptan. The information contained here may not be up-to-date. This sheet is for information purposes only. If you have questions about rizatriptan, talk to your doctor for medical advice.


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Discounted prices for rizatriptan (Maxalt)
 start at $17.70.


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