Does Ubrelvy cause rebound headaches?
Rebound or medication overuse headache has not been reported as a concern for people using Ubrelvy (ubrogepant) to treat migraines. Ubrelvy is used to treat migraine with or without aura.
What Is a Rebound Headache?
Rebound headaches can occur after frequent use of certain painkillers or other medications, such as triptans or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). They often present as a dull, constant headache that worsens as the medication wears off, leading to a cycle of increased medication use and more headaches.
How Is Ubrelvy Different?
Ubrelvy belongs to a group of medications known as small molecule calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor (CGRP) antagonists or gepants. Unlike triptans or NSAIDs, Ubrelvy has not been associated with rebound headaches in clinical studies.
How Is Ubrelvy Taken?
Ubrelvy is available in tablet form (50 mg and 100mg) and is taken orally.
- It can be taken twice in a 24 hour period, up to a maximum of 200 mg per day.
- A minimum of 2 hours between doses is necessary.
- It’s not known whether it’s safe to use Ubrelvy for the treatment of more than 8 migraines in 30 days.
If you are experiencing more frequent headaches during treatment with Ubrelvy, contact your doctor.
This is not all the information you need for the safe and effective use of Ubrelvy. Always consult your healthcare provider for personalized medical advice.
References
- Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Ubrelvy. [Accessed October 12, 2021]. Available from: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2019/211765s000lbl.pdf.
- The Migraine Trust. Medication overuse headache. [Accessed October 12, 2021]. Available from: https://migrainetrust.org/understand-migraine/types-of-migraine/medication-overuse-headache/.
- American Migraine Foundation. How Gepants and Ditans Complement Existing Therapies. April 16, 2020. [Accessed October 12, 2021]. Available from: https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/resource-library/gepants-ditans-therapies/.
- Moreno-Ajona D, Pérez-Rodríguez A, Goadsby PJ. Gepants, calcitonin-gene-related peptide receptor antagonists: what could be their role in migraine treatment?. Curr Opin Neurol. 2020;33(3):309-315. doi:10.1097/WCO.0000000000000806.
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Ubrelvy, Qulipta and Nurtec ODT are all medicines used by adults for migraines. They are all from the same group of medicines often called gepants but their full name is calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist. Continue reading
Ubrelvy vs Imitrex (sumatriptan): How do they compare?
Ubrelvy and Imitrex are both oral tablets used to treat migraine, but there are differences in the way they work. Ubrelvy prevents a protein called CGRP thought to play a role in migraine attacks from binding to its receptor and Imitrex is thought to bind to serotonin 5‑HT1B/1D receptors, and inhibit pro-inflammatory substances Although no head-to-head comparison trials compare Ubrelvy to Imitrex, indirect evidence suggests that overall, Ubrelvy is no more effective, and may be inferior to Imitrex at relieving migraine in adults who are able to tolerate triptans. For those adults with moderate-to-severe migraine attacks that cannot tolerate triptans or who have found them ineffective, Ubrelvy is beneficial for treating migraines compared to no treatment. Ubrelvy is associated with fewer side effects than Imitrex, but is more expensive, costing almost twice as much. Continue reading
Is Ubrelvy better than triptans?
Some patients may not be able to use NSAIDs or triptans to treat acute migraine headaches due to side effects or health conditions. In these circumstances, newer agents like Ubrelvy (ubrogepant), a calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) antagonist, may be an appropriate option. Continue reading
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Drug information
- Ubrelvy Information for Consumers
- Ubrelvy prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side Effects of Ubrelvy (detailed)
- Ubrelvy user reviews (264)