What is Rizatriptan?
Rizatriptan belongs to a group of medicines called 5-HT (hydroxytryptamine) 1 receptor agonist. Rizatriptan is used for the acute relief of migraine attacks with or without aura. An aura is a pre-warning of a migraine attack and it can cause sensitivity to light, sounds and smells, flashing lights, numbness or tingling, dizziness, and difficulty speaking.
Rizatriptan comes in tablet form, or as an orodispersible tablet.
Rizatriptan is not licenced for use in the elderly. The medicine is available on prescription from our online pharmacy
What is the cause of a migraine?
Although we do not know what causes migraines and cluster headaches, it may be due to the temporary widening of blood vessels in your brain. Sumatriptan works by narrowing these blood vessels.
You may experience the following with your migraine:
- Pre-warning symptoms – start hours or one to two days beforehand and can include tiredness, yawning, mood changes and stiff neck
- With or without aura – sensitivity to light, sounds and smells, flashing lights, numbness or tingling, dizziness, difficulty speaking
- With or without moderate to severe headache – lasting 4–72 hours, unilateral, throbbing
- Nausea and/or vomiting
Some causes include:
- Menstruation
- Dehydration
- Stress and tiredness
- Skipping meals
- Caffeine