Frovatriptan Tablet: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Frovatriptan Tablet (frovatriptan succinate) is a prescription medicine belonging to the triptan class, used to treat acute migraine headaches in adults. It works by narrowing widened blood vessels in the head and blocking pain and other nerve signals, which relieves migraine pain and symptoms like light and sound sensitivity. It is taken as needed to treat a migraine attack that has already started, not to prevent migraines.

What is Frovatriptan Tablet

Frovatriptan is a prescription tablet used to treat migraine headaches in adults. It belongs to a group of medicines called triptans, which are selective serotonin (5-HT1) receptor agonists.

Frovatriptan Tablet uses

• Acute migraine with aura.
• Acute migraine without aura.
• Migraine attacks with moderate to severe pain.
• Migraine attacks with light sensitivity.
• Migraine attacks with sound sensitivity.

Benefits of Frovatriptan Tablet

• Relieves migraine headache pain.
• Reduces headache severity.
• May ease sensitivity to light.
• May ease sensitivity to sound.
• Helps improve function during a migraine attack.

How Frovatriptan Tablet works

Migraines are believed to happen because blood vessels in the head widen. Frovatriptan narrows these blood vessels and blocks pain signals and other nerve signals that cause nausea and sensitivity to light and sound, which relieves migraine symptoms.

Frovatriptan Tablet dosage

Take this medicine by mouth with liquids. Take it as soon as possible after a migraine starts, though it still works if taken later. Do not use it to prevent migraines or reduce how many you get — only use it to treat an attack that has already started.

If your first dose does not relieve the headache, do not take a second dose for the same attack without talking to your healthcare professional first. If the headache improves then comes back, a second tablet may be taken only after waiting several hours, if your healthcare professional agrees.

If you are taking this medicine for the first time, your healthcare professional may want you to take the first dose in a medical setting. Do not take this medicine more often or for longer than prescribed, as this can make headaches worse or more frequent. Keep a diary of your headaches and when you take the medicine.

Available forms and strengths

• Tablet (film-coated), 2.5 mg

Side effects of Frovatriptan Tablet

Common

• Dizziness
• Tiredness or lack of energy
• Headache (not the migraine itself)
• Tingling or numbness sensations
• Flushing (temporary redness of the skin)
• Feeling hot or cold
• Dry mouth
• Indigestion or upset stomach
• Bone or joint pain
• Chest discomfort

Serious

• Chest, throat, neck, or jaw pain, pressure, tightness, or heaviness
• Signs of a heart attack or stroke, such as sudden weakness on one side of the body, slurred speech, or severe chest pain
• Irregular, fast, or slow heartbeat
• Signs of poor blood flow, such as burning or aching pain in the feet or toes, leg cramping, or color changes in fingers and toes
• Signs of a severe allergic reaction, such as difficulty breathing or swallowing, swelling of the face/lips/tongue/throat, hives or rash
• Signs of serotonin toxicity (serotonin syndrome), such as agitation, restlessness, hallucinations, fast heartbeat, heavy sweating, high body temperature, muscle twitching, or rigid muscles
• Severe or sudden stomach pain, bloody diarrhea, or unexplained weight loss
• Headaches that get worse or happen more often (medication overuse headache)
• Signs of high blood pressure, such as sudden severe headache, chest pain, vision changes, or confusion

Warnings and precautions

• Do not take this medicine if you have had certain heart problems, including angina, heart attack, irregular heartbeat, or other serious heart or blood vessel disease.
• Do not take this medicine if you have severe or uncontrolled high blood pressure, as it may raise blood pressure further.
• Do not take this medicine if you have had a stroke or mini-stroke (transient ischemic attack).
• Do not take this medicine if you have certain rare migraine types (hemiplegic, ophthalmoplegic, or basilar migraine), because of a higher risk of stroke.
• Do not take another triptan medicine or an ergotamine-type medicine within 24 hours of taking this medicine, as it can cause serious or life-threatening side effects.
• This medicine can cause serotonin toxicity (serotonin syndrome), a rare but potentially life-threatening condition, especially when combined with certain antidepressants or other migraine medicines.
• Taking this medicine too often can make headaches worse or more frequent (medication overuse headache).
• Serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, have been reported with this medicine and can be life-threatening.
• This medicine should not be used by people with poor blood flow to the limbs or organs, such as ischemic bowel disease or Raynaud's syndrome, as it may worsen these conditions.
• There is not enough information to know if this medicine is safe during pregnancy. Animal studies showed harm to the developing fetus at high doses. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, think you might be pregnant, or are planning pregnancy; this medicine should only be used during pregnancy if the benefits outweigh the risks.
• It is not known if this medicine passes into human breast milk. It does pass into the milk of nursing rats at higher levels than in blood. 
• Caution is advised if you are breastfeeding, and you should talk to your doctor about whether to use it.
• No dose change is needed for people with kidney problems, based on studies showing the medicine's levels in the body were not significantly different in people with impaired kidney function.
• No dose change is needed for mild to moderate liver problems. 
• This medicine must not be used by people with severe liver impairment because there is no safety data for this group.
• It is not known for certain how alcohol affects this medicine, but drinking alcohol may increase dizziness and drowsiness, and alcohol can also trigger migraines in some people.
• This medicine may cause dizziness or drowsiness. 
• Do not drive a car, operate machinery, or do anything requiring alertness until you know how this medicine affects you.

Storage

• Store between 15°C and 30°C.
• Protect from moisture.
• Do not use after the expiry date.
• If your doctor decides to stop your treatment, do not keep any leftover tablets.
• You should take all expired or unused medicines to your pharmacy for safe disposal.
• Keep out of reach and sight of children.

When to see a doctor

• Get emergency help right away if you have chest, throat, neck, or jaw pain, tightness, pressure, or heaviness, or an unusually fast or slow heartbeat — these can be signs of a serious heart problem.
• Get emergency help right away if you have difficulty swallowing or breathing, wheezing, nausea and vomiting, hives or rash, or swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat — these can be signs of a serious allergic reaction.
• Get emergency help right away if you develop symptoms of serotonin toxicity, such as agitation or restlessness, flushing, muscle twitching, involuntary eye movements, heavy sweating, high body temperature, or rigid muscles.
• If you think you or someone else has taken too much of this medicine, contact a healthcare professional, hospital emergency department, or regional poison control center immediately, even if there are no symptoms.
• Call your doctor if your headaches do not improve or happen more often after taking this medicine.
• Call your doctor if you need to use this medicine for more than four headaches in a one-month period.

Alternatives

• Eletriptan
• Rizatriptan
• Sumatriptan