Almotriptan Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Dec 27, 2024.

Applies to almotriptan: oral tablet.

Precautions

It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits. This will allow your doctor to see if the medicine is working properly and to decide if you should continue to take it.

Check with your doctor if you used this medicine and your migraine did not go away, or if your migraine got worse or started occurring more often.

You should not take this medicine if you have used other triptan or ergot-type migraine medicines within the past 24 hours. Some examples of triptan medicines are frovatriptan (Frova®), naratriptan (Amerge®), rizatriptan (Maxalt®), sumatriptan (Imitrex®, Treximet®), and zolmitriptan (Zomig®). Some examples of ergot-type medicines are dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45®, Migranal®), ergotamine (Bellergal®, Cafergot®, Ergomar®, or Wigraine®), and methysergide (Sansert®).

This medicine may cause problems if you have heart disease. If your doctor thinks you might have a problem with this medicine, he or she may want you to take your first dose in the doctor’s office or clinic.

This medicine may increase your risk of having a heart attack, angina, or stroke. This is more likely to occur if you or a family member already have heart disease, if you smoke, if you are male and over 40 years of age, or if you are female and have gone through menopause. Call your doctor right away if you have any symptoms of a heart problem, such as chest pain or discomfort, an irregular heartbeat, nausea or vomiting, pain or discomfort in the shoulders, arms, jaw, back, or neck, shortness of breath, or sweating. Call your doctor right away if you have any symptoms of a stroke, such as confusion, difficulty with speaking, double vision, headaches, an inability to move the arms, legs, or facial muscles, an inability to speak, or slow speech.

Check with your doctor right away if you have chest discomfort, jaw or neck tightness after taking this medicine. Also, tell your doctor if you have sudden or severe abdominal or stomach pain or bloody diarrhea after using this medicine.

Make sure your doctor knows about all the other medicines you are using. Almotriptan may cause a serious condition called serotonin syndrome when taken with some medicines. This includes medicines to treat depression, such as citalopram (Celexa®), duloxetine (Cymbalta®), escitalopram (Lexapro®), fluoxetine (Prozac®, Sarafem®, or Symbyax®), fluvoxamine (Luvox®), paroxetine (Paxil®), sertraline (Zoloft®), or venlafaxine (Effexor®). Check with your doctor right away if you have agitation, confusion, diarrhea, excitement while talking that is not normal, fever, overactive reflexes, poor coordination, restlessness, shivering, sweating, trembling or shaking that you cannot control, or twitching. These could be symptoms of serotonin syndrome.

Using almotriptan alone or in combination with other migraine medicines for 10 or more days per month may lead to worsening of headache. You may keep a headache diary to record your headache frequency and drug use.

Check with your doctor right away if you have blurred vision, difficulty with reading, or any other change in vision while you are using this medicine. Your doctor may want you to have your eyes checked by an ophthalmologist (eye doctor).

Almotriptan may cause drowsiness, dizziness, or trouble with your vision. Make sure you know how you react to this medicine before you drive, use machines, or do anything else that requires you to be alert and able to see well.

Do not take other medicines unless they have been discussed with your doctor. This includes prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicines and herbal or vitamin supplements.

Common side effects of almotriptan

Some side effects of almotriptan may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects.

Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

Serious side effects of almotriptan

Along with its needed effects, almotriptan may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking almotriptan:

For healthcare professionals

Applies to almotriptan: oral tablet.

General adverse events

The most common adverse reactions in adults included nausea, dry mouth, and paresthesia. The most common adverse reactions in adolescents included dizziness, somnolence, headache, paresthesia, nausea, and vomiting.^[Ref]

Cardiovascular

• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Chest pain, vasodilation, palpitations, tachycardia
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Hypertension, syncope
• Frequency not reported: Coronary artery vasospasm, transient myocardial ischemia, myocardial infarction, ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, sensation of pain, tightness, pressure in the chest and/or throat, neck and jaw, peripheral vascular ischemia
• Postmarketing reports: Acute myocardial infarction, coronary artery vasospasm, angina pectoris, tachycardia^[Ref]

At least 1 case of coronary vasospasm has been reported in a patient with no cardiac history and with documented absence of coronary artery disease (CAD) following administration of this drug. During clinical trials (n=3865), a 48-year old female patient who had previously taken 3-doses for earlier migraine attacks was hospitalized after an ECG found negative T-waves on the left leads 48 hours after receiving almotriptan 6.25 mg. Myocardial enzymes were normal. The patient had a family history of CAD. A coronary angiography and an ECG done 2 days later were normal.

Mean increases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure were observed in normotensive healthy subjects (0.21 and 1.35 mmHg) and patients with hypertension controlled by medication (4.87 and 0.26 mmHg), respectively, over the first 4 hours after receiving almotriptan 12.5 mg.^[Ref]

Nervous system

• Common (1% to 10%): Somnolence, headache, paresthesia, dizziness
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Tremor, hypoesthesia, CNS stimulation, shakiness
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Impaired concentration, abnormal coordination, hyperreflexia, hypertonia, neuropathy, nystagmus, insomnia, parosmia, taste alteration
• Postmarketing reports: Hemiplegia, hypoesthesia, seizures^[Ref]

Gastrointestinal

• Common (1% to 10%): Nausea, dry mouth, vomiting
• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Abdominal cramp or pain, diarrhea, dyspepsia, gastroenteritis, increased thirst
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Colitis, gastritis, esophageal reflux, increased salivation
• Frequency not reported: Colonic ischemia
• Postmarketing reports: Abdominal discomfort, abdominal pain, upper abdominal pain, colitis, hypoesthesia oral, swollen tongue^[Ref]

Hypersensitivity

• Postmarketing reports: Hypersensitivity reactions including angioedema, anaphylactic reactions and anaphylactic shock^[Ref]

Musculoskeletal

• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Neck pain, rigid neck, back pain, myalgia, bone pain
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Arthralgia, arthritis, myopathy, muscle weakness
• Postmarketing reports: Arthralgia, myalgia, extremity pain^[Ref]

Respiratory

• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Pharyngitis, rhinitis, dyspnea, laryngismus, sinusitis, bronchitis, throat tightness
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Hyperventilation, laryngitis, sneezing, epistaxis^[Ref]

Other

• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Asthenia, chills, fatigue, ear pain, tinnitus
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Fever, otitis media, hyperacusis
• Postmarketing reports: Malaise, peripheral coldness, vertigo^[Ref]

Genitourinary

• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Dysmenorrhea^[Ref]

Psychiatric

• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Anxiety, restlessness
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Changes in dreams, depressive symptoms, euphoria, nervousness, nightmares, insomnia
• Postmarketing reports: Confusional state, restlessness^[Ref]

Metabolic

• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Hyperglycemia, increased serum creatine phosphokinase
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Hypercholesterolemia^[Ref]

Hepatic

• Rare (less than 0.1%): Increased gamma glutamyl transpeptidase^[Ref]

Ocular

• Rare (less than 0.1%): Diplopia, dry eyes, eye pain, scotoma, conjunctivitis, eye irritation
• Postmarketing reports: Blepharospasm, visual impairment, blurred vision^[Ref]

Dermatologic

• Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Diaphoresis, pruritus, rash
• Rare (less than 0.1%): Photosensitivity reaction, dermatitis, erythema
• Postmarketing reports: Cold sweat, erythema, hyperhidrosis^[Ref]

Endocrine

• Postmarketing reports: Breast pain^[Ref]

See also:

Further information

Almotriptan side effects can vary depending on the individual. Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

Note: Medication side effects may be underreported. If you are experiencing side effects that are not listed, submit a report to the FDA by following this guide.

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