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Rimegepant (Oral route)

Pronunciation:

ri-ME-je-pant

Brand Names:

  • Nurtec ODT

Dosage Forms:

  • Tablet, Disintegrating

Classifications:

Therapeutic—

Antimigraine

Uses of This Medicine:

Rimegepant is used to treat acute migraine headaches with or without aura and prevent episodic migraine headaches.

Rimegepant is not an ordinary pain reliever. It will not relieve pain other than from migraine headaches. This medicine is usually used for people whose headaches are not relieved by acetaminophen, aspirin, or other pain relievers.

This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription.

Before Using This Medicine:

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:

Allergies—

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Children—

Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of rimegepant in the pediatric population. Safety and efficacy have not been established.

Older adults—

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of rimegepant in the elderly.

Breast-feeding—

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Other medicines—

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.

  • Levoketoconazole

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

  • Abametapir
  • Adagrasib
  • Amiodarone
  • Apalutamide
  • Aprepitant
  • Atazanavir
  • Boceprevir
  • Bosentan
  • Carbamazepine
  • Carvedilol
  • Cenobamate
  • Ciprofloxacin
  • Clarithromycin
  • Cobicistat
  • Conivaptan
  • Crizotinib
  • Cyclosporine
  • Diltiazem
  • Dronedarone
  • Efavirenz
  • Enzalutamide
  • Erythromycin
  • Etravirine
  • Fedratinib
  • Fexinidazole
  • Flibanserin
  • Fluconazole
  • Fluvoxamine
  • Fosnetupitant
  • Fosphenytoin
  • Idelalisib
  • Imatinib
  • Indinavir
  • Itraconazole
  • Ketoconazole
  • Lapatinib
  • Letermovir
  • Lopinavir
  • Lorlatinib
  • Lumacaftor
  • Mavacamten
  • Mitotane
  • Modafinil
  • Nafcillin
  • Nefazodone
  • Nelfinavir
  • Netupitant
  • Nilotinib
  • Nirmatrelvir
  • Omaveloxolone
  • Phenobarbital
  • Phenytoin
  • Posaconazole
  • Primidone
  • Quinidine
  • Ranolazine
  • Rifabutin
  • Rifampin
  • Ritonavir
  • Saquinavir
  • St John's Wort
  • Telaprevir
  • Telithromycin
  • Vemurafenib
  • Verapamil
  • Voriconazole

Other interactions—

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following is usually not recommended, but may be unavoidable in some cases. If used together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use this medicine, or give you special instructions about the use of food, alcohol, or tobacco.

  • Grapefruit Juice

Other medical problems—

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

  • Kidney disease, end-stage or
  • Liver disease, severe—Use with caution. The effects may be increased because of slower removal of the medicine from the body.

Proper Use of This Medicine:

Do not use this medicine for a headache that is different from your usual migraines. Talk to your doctor about what to do for regular headaches.

To relieve your migraine as soon as possible, use this medicine as soon as the headache pain begins. Even if you get warning signals of a coming migraine (an aura), you should wait until the headache pain starts before using rimegepant.

Ask your doctor ahead of time about any other medicine you might take if rimegepant does not work. After you use the other medicine, check with your doctor as soon as possible. Headaches that are not relieved by rimegepant are sometimes caused by conditions that need other treatment.

This medicine usually comes with patient information or directions. Read them carefully and make sure you understand them before taking this medicine. If you have any questions, ask your doctor.

To use:

  • Do not open the blister pack that contains the tablet until you are ready to take it.
  • Make sure your hands are dry. Peel back the foil, then remove the tablet from the blister pack. Do not push the tablet through the foil.
  • Place the tablet on or under your tongue where it will dissolve in seconds.

Dosing—

The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.

  • For oral dosage form (disintegrating tablet):
    • For treatment of acute migraine:
      • Adults—75 milligrams (mg) once a day. The dose is usually not more than 75 mg in a 24-hour period.
      • Children—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
    • For prevention of episodic migraine:
      • Adults—75 milligrams (mg) every other day.
      • Children—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.

Storage—

Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing.

Keep out of the reach of children.

Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed.

Ask your healthcare professional how you should dispose of any medicine you do not use.

Precautions While Using This Medicine:

It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits. This will allow your doctor to see if the medicine is working properly and to decide if you should continue to use it.

Check with your doctor if you used this medicine and it did not work. Also, check with your doctor if your migraine headaches are worse or if they are occurring more often since you started using this medicine.

This medicine may cause serious allergic reactions and may require immediate medical attention. Call your doctor right away if you have a rash, hives, fever, trouble breathing or swallowing, nausea, unusual tiredness or weakness, or any reddening or swelling of your eyes, face, or mouth while you are using this medicine.

Using rimegepant alone or in combination with other migraine medicines for 15 or more days per month may lead to worsening of headache. You may keep a headache diary to record your headache frequency and drug use.

Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements.

Side Effects of This Medicine:

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:

Less common
Acid or sour stomach
belching
heartburn
indigestion
nausea
stomach discomfort, upset, or pain
Rare
Difficulty in breathing or swallowing
fever
hives, rash
reddening of the skin, especially around the ears
swelling of the eyes, face, or inside of the nose
unusual tiredness or weakness

Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.


Last Updated: 11/16/2023

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites.

All rights reserved.


The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites.
All rights reserved.

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