Maxalt Melt

What are Maxalt Melt Oral Lyophilisates?

Maxalt Melt is an effective migraine treatment for adults manufactured by Merck Sharp & Dohme B.V. They come in the form of oral lyophilisates (wafers) instead of tablets, meaning they can quickly dissolve on your tongue. This makes them suitable for people who have difficulty taking pills, or people who experience vomiting or sickness during a migraine attack.

Containing the active ingredient rizatriptan benzoate, Maxalt Melt wafers are peppermint-flavoured to make them more palatable. Maxalt Melt belongs to a group of medications called triptans or selective serotonin 5-HT receptor agonists, which reduce the swelling of the blood vessels in the brain, which causes a migraine. You should only take Maxalt Melt if you have migraines and have been diagnosed by a doctor. Maxalt Melt wafers are prescription-only, so you will need a clinician's approval to get them.

Please note: Maxalt Melt oral lyophilisates are not the same as Maxalt 10 mg tablets. Maxalt Melt dissolves on the tongue, whereas Maxalt 10 mg tablets are standard pills that you swallow.

How Do Maxalt Melt Wafers Work?

Maxalt Melt contains the active ingredient rizatriptan, which binds to certain receptors in the brain called 5-HT1B and 5-HT1D. During a migraine, the blood vessels in and around the brain widen, causing pain and other migraine-related symptoms. By binding to the 5-HT1B and 5-HT1D receptors, Maxalt Melt causes the blood vessels to narrow, relieving symptoms.

Rizatriptan does this by reducing neuropeptide release, inflammation, and trigeminal pain-signal transmission. While Maxalt Melt wafers can't prevent a migraine from happening, they can reduce symptoms once a migraine attack has begun.

How Long Does Maxalt Melt Take to Work?

Maxalt Melt wafers can provide migraine relief in as little as 30 minutes, but most people experience significant relief within 2 hours. Taking Maxalt Melt 10mg wafers at the first sign of a migraine headache will help you achieve the best results.

How Effective is Maxalt Melt for Migraines?

Maxalt Melt oral wafers are considered a safe and effective treatment for migraines. One study found that within 2 hours, migraine relief was achieved in 66% of people given 5 or 10 mg of rizatriptan compared to 47% given a placebo.

Another larger study found that 74% of people given Maxalt Melt 10 mg oral lyophilisates achieved migraine relief within 2 hours compared to 28% given a placebo. The study also found that Maxalt Melt provided effective relief from pain, nausea, light sensitivity, and noise sensitivity during a migraine attack.

How to Take Maxalt Melt

Maxalt Melt should be taken as soon as possible after a migraine headache has started. It must not be taken to prevent an attack. The usual dose is 10 mg, and you should take it exactly as your clinician has told you to. If you are unsure about how to take Maxalt Melt, speak to your clinician for advice.

Ideally, Maxalt Melt should be taken on an empty stomach, but it can be taken with food. However, this may mean it takes longer to work.

To take Maxalt Melt 10 mg wafers, you should:

1. Open the Maxalt Melt blister pack with dry hands.
2. Place the oral lyophilisate (wafer) on your tongue and allow it to dissolve and swallow with your saliva.
3. If your migraine returns within a 24-hour period, take an additional dose of Maxalt Melt, but you must wait at least 2 hours between doses.

If you do not respond after the first Maxalt Melt during an attack, you should not take another dose to treat the same attack. However, you are likely to respond to Maxalt Melt during the next attack, if you have one.

Do not take more than 2 doses of Maxalt Melt in a 24-hour period. If your migraine worsens, get medical attention.

If You Take More Maxalt Melt Wafers Than You Should

If you take more Maxalt Melt than you should, speak to your doctor or pharmacist straight away, making sure that you take the medication pack with you. Signs of an overdose include:

• Dizziness
• Drowsiness
• Being sick (vomiting)
• Fainting
• Slow heart rate

Taking Maxalt Melt oral lyophilisates too often could result in you getting a chronic headache. If this occurs, speak to your clinician or doctor as you may need to stop using the treatment.

Maxalt Melt Side Effects and Cautions

Maxalt Melt can cause side effects, so it is important to familiarise yourself with them so that you are aware of the potential adverse effects and cautions before taking the medication. This will help you understand what to look out for and when you may need to seek medical attention. If you are concerned about any Maxalt Melt side effects, speak to your clinician.

Maxalt Melt 10mg Side Effects

Although Maxalt Melt 10 mg can cause side effects, not everyone will get them. In most cases, Maxalt Melt side effects are mild and temporary, and in some cases, may be caused by the migraine itself.

Stroke usually occurs in individuals with risk factors for blood vessel and heart disease. This includes people who:

• Have high blood pressure
• Have diabetes
• Smoke
• Use nicotine substitution
• Have a family history of heart disease or stroke
• Are male and over the age of 40
• Are a postmenopausal woman
• Have a particular problem with the way your heart beats (bundle branch block)

Please note that the above is not an exhaustive list of Maxalt Melt side effects. More details can be found within the Patient Information Leaflet that comes with the medication. You can also report any adverse reactions via the MHRA's Yellow Card Scheme.

When to Inform a Doctor

You should tell your doctor or call 999 in an emergency if you experience any of the following symptoms:

• Allergic reaction: difficulty breathing or swallowing, tightness in your chest, swelling of your eyes, lips, tongue, or throat, raised, red, itchy skin rash, dizziness, confusion, or collapse
• Serotonin syndrome: confusion, anxiety, agitation, rapid heart rate, high blood pressure, muscle twitching, diarrhoea, shivering, heavy sweating, rigid muscles, overactive reflexes, and seizures
• Heart attack: crushing chest pain or pressure in the chest, shortness of breath, pain that radiates to the arm or jaw, sweating, and feeling sick
• Stroke: drooping face, arm weakness or numbness, difficulty speaking or slurred speech

Maxalt Melt Warnings and Interactions

Maxalt Melt may not be suitable for everyone. Because some medical conditions and existing medications can interact with Maxalt Melt, making it unsuitable or potentially unsafe, it is important that you read the Patient Information Leaflet before taking Maxalt Melt.

Do not take Maxalt Melt if you:

• Are allergic to rizatriptan benzoate or any of the other ingredients in this medication
• Are taking ergotamine-type medicines (ergotamine, methysergide, dihydroergotamine)
• Are taking monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors such as moclobemide, phenelzine, tranylcypromine, pargyline, or linezolid, or if it has been less than 2 weeks since you stopped taking MAO inhibitors
• Are taking other triptan medicines for migraine (sumatriptan, naratriptan, zolmitriptan, etc.)
• Have blockage problems with your arteries (peripheral vascular disease)
• Have had a stroke or mini-stroke
• Have high blood pressure that isn't controlled with medication
• Have or have had heart problems (heart attack, chest pain, heart disease symptoms)
• Have severe liver or kidney problems

Precautions Before Using Maxalt Melt

Before taking Maxalt Melt, tell the clinician if you:

• Are at risk of heart disease because you have high blood pressure, diabetes, smoke, or are using nicotine replacement therapy, you have a family history of heart disease, you are a man over 40, or you are a postmenopausal woman
• Have kidney or liver problems (you should only take the lower 5 mg Maxalt Melt dose)
• Have an issue with the way your heart beats called a bundle branch block
• Have or have ever had an allergy
• Have a headache that is associated with dizziness, difficulty walking, lack of coordination or weakness in the arm or leg
• Take a herbal preparation called St John's Wort
• Have ever had an allergic reaction that causes swelling of the face, lips, tongue, and/or throat which causes difficulty breathing or swallowing
• Are taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as sertraline, escitalopram oxalate, and fluoxetine or serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (venlafaxine and duloxetine)
• Have had short-lived symptoms including chest pain and tightness

Please note that Maxalt Melt 10mg oral lyophilisates contain 3.75 mg of aspartame in each wafer, which is equivalent to 2.1 mg of phenylalanine. This is important because aspartame is a source of phenylalanine, which may be harmful if you have the genetic disorder phenylketonuria (PKU).

Maxalt Melt Wafers and Other Medicines

Some medications can interact with Maxalt Melt and make it unsuitable or potentially unsafe, and vice versa. Before taking Maxalt Melt 10 mg oral wafers, let the clinician know if you take any prescribed, over-the-counter, or herbal medications.

Do not take Maxalt Melt if you:

• Already take a 5-HT 1B/1D agonist (triptan), such as sumatriptan, naratriptan, or zolmitriptan
• Are taking a monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor such as moclobemide, phenelzine, tranylcypromine, linezolid, or pargyline, or if it has been less than 2 weeks since you stopped taking an MAO inhibitor
• Use ergotamine-type medications such as ergotamine or dihydroergotamine to treat your migraine
• Use methysergide to prevent a migraine attack

If you take any of the above medications with Maxalt Melt, it can increase the risk of side effects.

You should wait at least 6 hours after taking Maxalt Melt before taking ergotamine-type medications and wait at least 24 hours after taking ergotamine-type medications before taking Maxalt Melt.

If you are taking propranolol, speak to your clinician, doctor, or pharmacist before taking Maxalt Melt as you may need to take a lower 5 mg dose. You will also need to leave 2 hours between taking propranolol and Maxalt Melt and only take up to 2 doses in a 24-hour period.

Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

If you are pregnant, think you might be pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or breastfeeding, speak to your clinician before taking Maxalt Melt. Research suggests that rizatriptan does not increase the risk of birth defects when it is taken during the first three months of pregnancy. However, it is not known if Maxalt Melt is harmful to an unborn baby after the first three months of pregnancy.

If you are breastfeeding, you can stop breastfeeding for 12 hours after treatment to prevent your baby from being exposed to the medication.

Frequently Asked Questions About Maxalt Melt