Nurtec ODT
Pronunciation: NUR-tek
Generic name: rimegepant
Dosage form: Oral Dispersible Tablet (ODT) (75 mg)
Drug class: CGRP inhibitors
What is Nurtec ODT?
Nurtec ODT (rimegepant) is used to treat acute migraine attacks (with or without aura) and is also used to prevent episodic migraines.
Nurtec ODT is a calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor blocker, so it works by blocking CGRP receptors in the brain to reduce migraine symptoms of headache, nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity, and sound sensitivity, and it also can be taken regularly prevent as many as episodic migraines from happening.
Nurtec is an orally disintegrating tablet (ODT) that dissolves on the tongue or under the tongue, without the need to take it with a glass of water. Because Nurtec ODT dissolves in the mouth, it gets absorbed into the bloodstream very quickly. Nurtec ODT starts working within one hour to relieve pain from migraine, and in 2 hours 59.3% of migraine patients had pain relief, according to clinical trials.
Nurtec ODT was first approved by the FDA on February 27, 2020.
What is Nurtec used for?
Nurtec is FDA approved to be used to treat adults with acute migraines that occur with or without aura, and it is also FDA approved for the preventive treatment of episodic migraine in adults.
Warnings
It is not known if it is safe to take Nurtec ODT for more than 15 migraine headaches in 30 days.
Nurtec ODT can be taken once a day as needed, to treat an acute migraine. You should not take more than 1 tablet in 24 hours. Nurtec ODT can be taken every second day to prevent episodic migraine. The safety of using more than 18 doses in a 30-day period has not been established.
Follow all directions on your medicine label and package. Tell each of your healthcare providers about all your medical conditions, allergies, and all medicines you use.
Before taking Nurtec ODT
Allergies: You should not take Nurtec ODT if you are:
- allergic to rimegepant or any of the other ingredients contained in the orally disintegrating tablets. See the end of this page for a complete list of ingredients.
Kidney or Liver disease: To make sure Nurtec is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have ever have or every had:
- liver disease; or
- kidney disease (or if you are on dialysis).
Age: Rimegepant is not approved for use by anyone younger than 18 years old.
Nurtec ODT and Pregnancy:
Tell your healthcare professional if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if this medicine will harm your unborn baby. Having migraine headaches may cause complications during pregnancy such as dangerously high blood pressure (preeclampsia) that can lead to medical problems in both mother and baby. Your healthcare provider or doctor will help you decide whether the benefit of treating your migraine outweighs any risk to your baby.
There is a pregnancy exposure registry for women who take Nurtec ODT during pregnancy. The study is named MONITOR (Migraine Observational NURTEC Pregnancy Registry). A registry is a study. The purpose of this registry is to collect information about your health and the health of your baby. You may enroll yourself, or your healthcare provider can help you enroll in this registry.
Nurtec ODT and Breastfeeding:
Tell your healthcare provider if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Very small amounts of this medicine will pass into your breast milk. Talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby if you take Nurtec ODT.
How should I take Nurtec ODT?
Nurtec ODT comes as an orally disintegrating tablet (a tablet that dissolves quickly in the mouth) that is place under or onto the tongue to dissolve.
Remove the tablet from the package only when you are ready to take the medicine.
- It is important to have dry hands when opening the blister pack.
- Peel the foil covering from the blister and remove the tablet. Do not try to push the orally disintegrating tablet through the foil packaging as you may damage it.
- Immediately place the tablet on or under your tongue.
- The tablet will quickly dissolve and can be swallowed with saliva. No water is needed to swallow disintegrating tablets.
- Swallow several times as the tablet dissolves.
Use Nurtec ODT exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets.
Call your doctor if your headaches do not get better or occur more frequently after taking this medicine
Dosing information
Acute treatment of migraine (with or without aura) when migraine occurs:
- One tablet (75mg) as needed when you have a migraine.
- Maximum of one tablet in a 24-hour period.
- The safety of using more than 18 doses in a 30-day period is currently not known.
Preventative treatment of episodic migraine:
- One tablet (75mg) every other day (every 48 hours)
What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.
Nurtec ODT side effects
Nurtec ODT can cause an allergic reaction which can be serious. If you experience any of the following symptoms, you should immediately call your doctor or get emergency medical treatment:
- difficulty breathing
- shortness of breath
- swelling of the throat, tongue, mouth, lips, face or eyes
- hives
- rash
- Itching
An allergic reaction called delayed hypersensitivity reactions may occur days after you have taken this medicine and can be severe.
The most common side effect of Nurtec is nausea, when it is used for acute treatment of migraine attacks.
When Nurtec ODT is used as a preventive treatment of episodic migraine, its most common side effects are nausea, indigestion and stomach pain.
This medicine may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.
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What other drugs will affect Nurtec ODT?
Sometimes other prescription medicines, nonprescription medicines, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products, that you are taking or plan to take can interact with Nurtec ODT. It is important to tell your doctor about any other products you are taking or when you start or stop taking them.
Important drug interactions can happen between Nurtec ODT and the following medicines, so if you are taking any of these you should tell your doctor, pharmacist or healthcare professional:
- Antifungals: Specifically; fluconazole (Diflucan), itraconazole ( Sporanox, Tolsura), ketoconazole, and voriconazole (Vfend);
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) medications: Specifically; indinavir (Crixivan), nelfinavir (Viracept), ritonavir (Norvir, in Kaletra, in Viekira, in Paxlovid), and saquinavir (Invirase), and tipranavir (Aptivus).
- Antibiotics: Specifically; clarithromycin, ciprofloxacin (Cipro), cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune), erythromycin (E.E.S., Eryc, Eryped, Ery-tab), and rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane, in Rifamate and Rifater).
- Other Medications: Specifically; aprepitant (Emend), conivaptan (Vaprisol), crizotinib (Xalkori), diltiazem (Cardizem, Cartia, Taztia, Tiazac), dronedarone (Multaq), fluvoxamine, imatinib (Gleevec), and verapamil (Calan, Verelan, in Tarka).
Nurtec is known to have drug interactions with Strong or Moderate CYP3A4 Inhibitors, Strong or Moderate CYP3A Inducers.
Nurtec is known to have drug interactions with potent inhibitors of P-gp (e.g., amiodarone, cyclosporine, lapatinib, quinidine, ranolazine) may result in increased exposure of rimegepant. Avoid another dose of Nurtec ODT within 48 hours when it is concomitantly administered with potent inhibitors of P-gp.
Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications, how often or if you should take Nurtec ODT, or monitor you carefully for side effects. Many other medications may also interact with Nurtec ODT so be sure to tell your doctor about all the medications you are taking, even those that do not appear on this list.
Nurtec coupon
You may pay as little as $0 out-of-pocket for a 30-day supply of Nurtec if you qualify for the Nurtec coupon (Nurtec copay card). The Nurtec copay card which is sometimes called the Nurtec coupon helps you save money on your prescriptions.
For more information see Nurtec coupon: Do I qualify and how much can I save?
What SPECIAL DIETARY instructions should I follow?
Talk to your doctor about eating grapefruit and drinking grapefruit juice while taking this medication. Grapefruit can raise the levels of rimegepant in your body and lead to increased side effects.
Storage
- Keep tablets in the original blister packaging.
- Store at room temperature between 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C).
- Keep all medicines out of the reach of children and pets.
What are the ingredients in Nurtec ODT?
Active ingredient: rimegepant.
Inactive ingredients: benzyl alcohol, eucalyptol, gelatin, limonene, mannitol, menthol, menthone, menthyl acetate, sucralose, and vanillin.
Manufacturer
Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
New Haven, CT 06510 USA
Popular FAQ
How do Ubrelvy, Qulipta and Nurtec compare for migraines?
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
How fast and effective is Nurtec ODT for migraines?
Because it dissolves in the mouth it is absorbed into the bloodstream quickly and can start working within an hour, with some people being able to get back to their normal activities after this time. When looking at the percentage of patients from the treatment group, including all age groups, races, men and women, who were pain free after 2 hours: The Nurtec group had 21.2% patients pain free. Continue reading
How often can you take Nurtec ODT?
Nurtec ODT 75 mg tablet can be taken once per day when used to treat migraine pain. It is placed on or under your tongue to dissolve. It is not known if it is safe to take more than 18 doses of Nurtec ODT in a 30-day period. Take Nurtec ODT exactly how your healthcare provider tells you to take it. Continue reading
Does Nurtec ODT cause weight gain?
Weight gain with Nurtec ODT has not been reported as a side effect in studies looking at its use for either migraine treatment or prevention. In general, Nurtec ODT is well tolerated, with less than 3% of patients reporting a side effect during use. Continue reading
When do you take Nurtec ODT and how is it taken?
Nurtec ODT is taken to every other day to prevent a migraine or at the time of a migraine to treat a migraine. Do not take more than 1 tablet in 24 hours or 18 tablets in 30 days.
Nurtec ODT is an orally disintegrating tablet that is placed under the tongue to dissolve. Continue reading
What is the mechanism of action for Nurtec ODT?
https://labeling.pfizer.com/ShowLabeling.aspx?id=19433Nurtec ODT works by blocking activation of the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) to help treat and prevent migraine headaches. CGRP is a protein that attaches to receptors found in the brain and triggers a migraine attack. Levels of CGRP increase during a migraine and play a role in pain transmission. Continue reading
More FAQ
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