What is Ergotamine?
Ergotamine, an ergot alkaloid drug, is used for the treatment or prevention of a vascular migraine.Ergotamine should not be used daily and does not relieve headache pain. Use ergotamine only for tension headaches.Ergotamine can be used in other ways not mentioned in this guide.
Side effects of Ergotamine
If you experience any of the following symptoms of an allergic reaction, seek immediate medical attention: hives, difficulty breathing, swelling of your lips, face, tongue, or throat.
Ergotamine may cause serious side effects. If you experience:
- Numbness, tingling, or a pallid appearance on your fingers or toes
- Muscle pain in your arms or legs
leg weakness; - Fast or slow heartbeats
- Chest pain and shortness of breath.
- You may notice discoloration of the skin on your hands and feet.
Ergotamine can cause the following side effects:
- Numbness, tingling, weakness;
- Dizziness, spinning sensation;
- Nausea, vomiting,
- You may experience swelling or itching anywhere on your body.
There may be other side effects. For medical advice on side effects, call your doctor. The FDA can be contacted at 1-800-FDA-1088 to report side effects.
Similar/related drugs
Ubrelvy, Botox, Diclofenac, Celecoxib, Sumatriptan, Metoclopramide, and Reglan
Warnings
Inform your doctor of all the medications you are taking and those that you stop or start using. Ergotamine can interact with many drugs to cause serious side effects.
Before you take this drug
If you have an allergy to ergotamine or are currently taking it, or:
- Peripheral arterial disease is a circulation problem.
- High blood pressure
- Coronary heart disease
- Liver or kidney disease
- Sepsis is a severe reaction to an infection.
Many drugs can cause harmful interactions. Ergotamine and some drugs shouldn't be taken together. If you are also taking certain drugs, such as:
- Nefazodone;
- An antibiotic—clarithromycin, erythromycin, telithromycin;
- Antifungal medicine: itraconazole, ketoconazole, posaconazole, and voriconazole;
- Antiviral medicines to treat hiv and hepatitis c are boceprevir (cobicistat), dasabuvir (elvitegravir), ombitasvir (paritaprevir), saquinavir (telaprevir), saquinavir (telaprevir), telaprevir, or tipranavir.
- Certain cancer medicines—ceritinib, idelalisib, ribociclib, and tucatinib;
These medicines can cause a decrease in blood flow to your arms and legs when taken with ergotamine. This has caused tissue damage in some cases, or even amputations.Ergotamine may affect the blood flow to your uterus. Avoid using it if pregnant. Consult your doctor about a better medicine for migraine headaches.Do not breastfeed while using ergotamine.
How to take Ergotamine?
Read all instructions or guides that come with your medication and follow all instructions on the label. Follow the directions on the label.As soon as you start experiencing migraine symptoms, take ergotamine.Place the tablet under your lips and allow it to dissolve. As needed, take one tablet every thirty minutes. Use no more than three tablets in a 24-hour period. Use no more than five tablets per week.If your migraines are getting worse, call your doctor.You should not share your ergotamine, even if you both have the same symptoms.Store away from moisture, heat, and light at room temperature.
Details on dosage
Adult dose for migraine:
Initial dose: sublingually 2 mg at the first sign of migraine; repeat dose every half hour, but not exceeding the maximum dose.
Maximum daily dose: 6 mg; 7-day period maximum dosage is 10 mg.
Comments:
This drug should not have a daily, chronic administration.
Use: To prevent or abort vascular headaches such as migraines or migraine variants.
What happens if I miss the dose?
Ergotamine should only be used when necessary and not as a daily dosage.Take no more than three tablets per day or five tablets per week.
What happens if I overdose?
Call 1-800-222-1222 for poison help or seek immediate medical attention.An overdose can lead to drowsiness or vomiting. It may also cause pounding in the neck or ears or numbness, tingling, or pain in your fingers or feet.
Avoid this
You should not take ergotamine for 24 hours after taking another migraine headache medication.This includes dihydroergotamine or methylergonovine as well as "triptan medicine", such as Amerge Imitrex Maxalt Zomig.Grapefruit can interact with ergotamine, causing side effects. Avoid consuming grapefruit products.
Interaction with other drug
Many drugs interact with ergotamine and should not be taken together. Inform your doctor of all the medicines you are taking and those that you have stopped using. Included are prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. This list does not include all possible interactions.
