Maxalt (Rizatriptan) for Migraine

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Maxalt (rizatriptan) is a prescription medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults and children ages 6 to 17 years.

What Members Say

MHT logo These insights are based on 785 comments about Maxalt from MyMigraineTeam members. These are the experiences of a small number of individuals and are not meant to be medical advice.

Benefits:

Maxalt often eases migraine pain within about two hours.
Maxalt can work best when taken early, at the first sign of migraine.
A second dose after two hours can help when symptoms return.

Considerations:

Somnolence (sleepiness), dizziness, and fatigue can limit driving, work, or daily activities.
Chest, neck, throat, or jaw pressure can occur and needs medical attention if concerning.
Using Maxalt too often can worsen headaches from medication overuse.

How Maxalt Works and How It’s Taken

Maxalt is a type of medication called a triptan that works by attaching to serotonin receptors on blood vessels and pain-sensing nerves in the head. This action may narrow swollen blood vessels and calm nerve signals linked to migraine pain during an attack.

Doctors prescribe Maxalt when adults and children ages 6 to 17 years have a clear diagnosis of migraine and need treatment for an attack that is already happening. It can be used for migraine with or without aura.

Maxalt is given as a tablet by mouth, typically taken when a migraine attack starts. In adults, a second dose may be taken at least two hours later if the migraine returns.

Typical Dosing for Migraine

In adults, the recommended dose of Maxalt is 5 milligrams or 10 milligrams taken by mouth as needed. A second dose may be taken at least two hours later if the migraine returns. The maximum dose in a 24-hour period is 30 milligrams.

In children ages 6 to 17 years, the recommended dose of Maxalt is 5 milligrams if they weigh less than 40 kilograms (88 pounds) and 10 milligrams if they weigh 40 kilograms (88 pounds) or more. This weight-based dosing means the dose is chosen based on body weight, which is a standard way healthcare providers determine the right dose for children.

This information is based on the prescribing information, but your healthcare provider may tailor your treatment plan. Always follow their guidance.

Top Advice From Members on Maxalt

These insights are based on 785 comments about Maxalt from MyMigraineTeam members.

Members who use Maxalt often say timing, side effects, and limits on how often they can take it shape how helpful it feels day to day. Many also describe working with a neurologist or headache specialist when Maxalt stops working well, causes bothersome reactions, or is hard to get through insurance.

1

Take Maxalt as early as possible.
“If I catch it within about five to 10 minutes, as soon as I feel it coming on, it does help get rid of it!”
2

Plan for drowsiness.
“My only ‘complaint’ about it is that it has this hangover feeling that doesn’t go away for about six hours.”
3

Tell your doctor about side effects or unusual reactions.
“Maxalt has been my rescue med; however, I can no longer take it due to chest pain.”
4

Talk to your doctor about how often you can use it.
“Maxalt has helped me for years; however, I have ended up having medication overuse with it causing more migraines, so please be aware of this.”

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Maxalt Side Effects

In clinical trials of Maxalt for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults and in children ages 6 to 17, the most common side effects occurred more often than placebo and happened in about 5 percent to 20 percent of people. They include:

Fatigue (tiredness or weakness)
Somnolence (sleepiness)
Dizziness
Pain, tightness, pressure, or heaviness sensations, including in the chest, throat, neck, or jaw

Serious Side Effects and Warnings

Maxalt can cause serious side effects that may require immediate medical attention. These include:

Heart blood flow problems, heart attack, or coronary artery spasm — These can cause chest pain, pressure, or shortness of breath.
Dangerous heart rhythm problems — Arrhythmias, such as very fast or irregular heartbeat, can occur.
Stroke or other blood flow problems in the brain — These can cause sudden weakness, trouble speaking, or severe headache.
Other blood vessel spasms — Reduced blood flow to areas like the arms, legs, stomach, intestines, or eyes can occur and may include Raynaud’s syndrome.
Vision loss — Transient or permanent blindness or partial vision loss can occur.
Medication overuse headache — Worsening headaches can occur from using acute migraine medicines 10 or more days per month.
Serotonin syndrome — This serious reaction can cause confusion, agitation, sweating, fast heartbeat, muscle twitching, or diarrhea, especially when Maxalt is taken with certain antidepressants.
Severely increased blood pressure — This can include hypertensive crisis.

Get medical help right away if you think you are having a serious reaction.

What To Know Before Taking Maxalt

Before starting Maxalt, if you have multiple risk factors for heart disease and have never taken a triptan before, your doctor should do a heart check.

Tell your doctor if you have any allergies to rizatriptan or any ingredients in Maxalt. Do not take Maxalt if you have had a serious allergic reaction to rizatriptan or any of its ingredients.

Tell your doctor about all medicines you take, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, and supplements. Do not take Maxalt if you have used another triptan, an ergot-containing medicine, or an ergot-type medicine within the last 24 hours.

Do not take Maxalt if you take an MAO-A inhibitor or have stopped one within the last two weeks.

Do not take Maxalt if you have:

Ischemic coronary artery disease or other serious heart disease
Coronary artery vasospasm, including Prinzmetal’s angina
A history of stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA)
Peripheral vascular disease
Ischemic bowel disease
Uncontrolled high blood pressure
Hemiplegic or basilar migraine

If you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding while taking Maxalt, talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits. Maxalt may cause fetal harm and should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus.

Community FAQs

These answers are fact-checked by our editorial staff.

How effective is Maxalt?

In studies with adults, Maxalt worked better than a placebo (an inactive treatment). About 60 percent to 77 percent of people who took 5 milligrams or 10 milligrams had relief from headache pain at two hours. In comparison, about 23 percent to 40 percent of people taking a placebo had relief.

How long does Maxalt take to work for migraine?

In clinical studies, doctors checked how well the medicine worked at two hours after taking a dose. It is not known how quickly Maxalt works for each individual.

Can Maxalt cause sleepiness or dizziness when used for migraine?

Yes. Maxalt can cause sleepiness and dizziness. In studies, sleepiness happened in about 4 percent of people taking 5 milligrams and 8 percent taking 10 milligrams.

Dizziness happened in about 4 percent of people taking 5 milligrams and 9 percent taking 10 milligrams. Because Maxalt may cause sleepiness and dizziness, people should assess their ability to do complex tasks after taking it.