Ergotamine Side Effects

Please note - some side effects for Ergotamine may not be reported. Always consult your doctor or healthcare specialist for medical advice. You may also report side effects to the FDA at http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/ or 1-800-FDA-1088 (1-800-332-1088).

Side Effects of Ergotamine - for the Consumer

Ergotamine

All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Ergotamine:

Dizziness; nausea; vomiting.

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); chest pain; fast, slow, or irregular heartbeat; muscle pain or weakness in the arms and legs; numb, cold, blue, pale, or tingling hands or feet; persistent headache; severe or persistent dizziness; shortness of breath; unusual swelling or weakness.

Side Effects by Body System

Gastrointestinal

Gastrointestinal side effects have included nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Cardiovascular

The valvular lesions induced by ergotamine are echocardiographically similar to those seen in rheumatic heart disease, but are more often found on the mitral and aortic valves. A new murmur heard during ergot therapy should prompt evaluation for ergot-induced valvular disease. Rapid discontinuation of ergot therapy may allow the murmur and valvular lesions to regress.

Cardiovascular side effects have included hypertension, tachycardia, bradycardia, precordial distress, chest pain and valvular disease. Arterial spasm, sometimes with resulting distal necrosis, has been reported rarely. The extremities have been most frequently affected and amputation has occasionally been required. Rare vascular side effects have included tongue necrosis, bilateral papillitis, blindness, ischemic pancreatitis, ischemic hepatitis, bowel infarction, renal arteriospasm with acute renal failure, fatal stroke, venous thrombosis, and cerebral arteriopathy.

Musculoskeletal

Musculoskeletal aches, pains, and cramps, as well as general muscular weakness, have been reported.

Nervous system

Nervous system side effects have included drowsiness, paresthesias, headache, peripheral neuropathy, vertigo, tremor, dystonia and reflex sympathetic dystrophy. Headaches may be a symptom of withdrawal, especially after long term use. The headaches during ergotamine withdrawal are often subjectively different in character from the headaches that prompted ergotamine therapy.

Other

Other side effects including retroperitoneal fibrosis and pleuropulmonary fibrosis have been reported rarely with chronic use of ergotamine and other ergot alkaloids.

Local

Local side effects associated with the use of ergotamine suppositories have included solitary rectal ulcers, anovaginal fistulae, and rectovaginal fistulae.

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