Maxalt and Drowsiness: What Users Say

• And...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 21, 2020

For Migraine "Maxalt works. Sometimes I still feel a pounding in my head, but it doesn't hurt. Unfortunately, it does make me insanely tired, where I cannot stay awake. Thirty minutes after taking it, if I try to stay awake, I get woozy, can't walk straight, and can't talk well. Usually resolves after two hours, but most of the time I can't stay awake and sleep for those two hours instead. Usually takes another hour for the grogginess to go away. Makes it hard to take during work hours. I will also get soreness in my muscles, which makes it difficult to work out later in the day. But hey, it works and is better than nothing!"

• shi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 12, 2013

For Migraine "I have tried different medicines for migraines, all just calmed it down a little. It just had to run its three-day duration. I'm seeing another doctor, and she put me on Maxalt yesterday. My migraine was gone within an hour of taking it. I just want to go back and hug her because, after five years of trying, I just accepted my pain. It made me drowsy, but I will take drowsy over pain any day."

• Ima...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 28, 2016

For Migraine "I've had ever-worsening migraines since I was in my 40s (I'm now 73). When they started, all that was available were drugs like Fiorinal and other mind-scrambling drugs. Finally, the triptans came along and saved my life. I started with Imitrex and tried the various other triptans, but Maxalt was the most effective. I would like to share one important observation: When I first started taking triptans, I had very few side effects and was able to function at a high-level job, run home with kids, etc. HOWEVER, as I got older, I realized that side effects emerged which have only gotten stronger over time. e.g. fogginess, sleepiness, nausea, etc. -- so be aware that side effects can increase with age. Still, Maxalt is a life-saver."

• Mmc...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 19, 2016

For Migraine "I have had migraines since I was 11. When people say they are not hereditary... they are wrong. My grandma, mom, sisters, and brothers all have them, they did not even skip a generation... My daughter and nieces as well get them. My physician calls mine sinus migraines. I get stomach pain, vomiting, an aura, light sensitivity. They had me on Demerol, Percocet, Phenergan, Imitrex, nothing helped. I have been on Maxalt a few years, and the one thing I have noticed is that I get pain around the upper jaw area just under the ear... then, all of a sudden, like the snap of a finger, all pain is gone in 15 to 25 minutes. It makes me drowsy. I wake up from my nap feeling great but really thirsty."

• jjo...
• August 25, 2008

For Migraine "I've tried many prescriptions for migraines. Maxalt is the only thing that works for me 99% of the time (I can't remember the last time I had to take a second dose for it to take effect). Within 1 hour of taking it, my migraine goes away. Nothing else comes close to this effectiveness for me. I normally do get one side effect - but it's one I've actually come to welcome. It makes me drowsy - but after having a migraine, I look forward to going to sleep as fast as possible and just sleep away the migraine as the medicine works its way through my system."

• Laz...
• April 19, 2009

For Migraine "Maxalt almost always gets rid of my migraine with one pill. It does make me sleepy, so I take it near bedtime. When I wake up, I am groggy for up to 6 hours. That is the only side effect I have experienced. If I am having what I call a migraine marathon (up to five days), I alternate taking Maxalt and Imitrex."

• sal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 30, 2022

For Migraine "Maxalt made me very, very ill. It was to replace Imitrex, which makes me ill too, but better than this any day! Dizzy, drowsy, nauseated, hot flashes, so tired I can't keep my eyes open and numb. My feet go numb and my hands. It's horrible, and the headache returns in about 5 hours. Do not recommend if you are sensitive to medications!"

• Anonymous
• September 5, 2012

For Migraine "I have suffered from migraines since an auto accident in 2009, sometimes as many as 15 a month. I was prescribed Maxalt this past year (after trying a whole bag of other medicines). It has given me my life back... within thirty minutes after taking Maxalt, the symptoms decrease by 50% and are gone within an hour. Several side effects, very drowsy and increased nausea, but after several hours of sleep, all is good."

• Sar...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• February 17, 2016

For Migraine "I've had migraines since I was 11 and was first prescribed Maxalt when I was 17. It's wonderful. I take it as soon as I start to notice the signs of a migraine, and about 70% of the time the first dose does the job within an hour or less. Occasionally, I take a second dose if the symptoms haven't gone after 2-3 hours. Very occasionally, it doesn't work at all. It has improved my life enormously. I evangelize about it. My migraines used to last up to 3 days - now I get an unkillable one only once or twice a year. Side effects for me are (as someone else has mentioned) one sneeze within a few minutes of taking it, a little drowsiness, and eventually a little euphoria (though maybe that's a rational response to knowing the migraine has gone)."

• Mar...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 14, 2016

For Migraine "I have suffered from migraines since I was 19 (now 23). My migraines were debilitating and caused me to miss a lot of school, so my doctor prescribed me Maxalt. Maxalt almost always cures my migraines within 1-2 hours! The relief is long-lasting; one dose and I am usually pain-free for an entire day. For me, side effects are infrequent and usually very minor (sleepiness, dizziness, “foggy brain”). To elaborate on the “foggy brain” side effect, post-headache I would sometimes experience a feeling of euphoria combined with a difficulty concentrating. Usually, this is not a big deal, but if I was taking an exam, it would slightly affect my performance and concentration. Overall, a great medication that has improved my quality of life!"

• Jen...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 15, 2017

For Migraine "My first time taking it. I have complex partial seizures, and my aura has changed to where I now have migraine headaches afterward. We are doing tests to rule out other problems, but this medicine helped me more than anything so far. Still have that groggy feeling afterward, but I can deal with that. Just do not know how I can take it should I have to at work since I work in a call center 10 hours a day with constant calls."

• The...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 14, 2016

For Migraine "I have suffered from migraines since I was 15, and am now 42. Maxalt has changed my life! I used to be in agony for up to 3 days, but now at the first sign of an attack I take one, very rarely I have had to take another one a few hours after that if it started to come back. It can sometimes make me drowsy, but other times I have no side effects, just relief that there is something that actually works. I'm in Australia, so a pack of 4 costs me $25."

• Lau...
• February 17, 2022

For Migraine "Completely saved my life. I’m in my twenties and have had migraines that completely destroy my day. This medication works within 30 mins for me most of the time. Takes away the pressure and nausea almost immediately. Only negative is a chalky mint taste upon dissolving and drowsiness later on."