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Maxalt (Rizatriptan) Drug Can Be Taken Later in Migraine Attack
Ususally, the prescription migraine drug Maxalt (rizatriptan) is taken at the first sign of a migraine attack.
But a recent study showed that the drug is also effective when administered any time after headache onset, according to data presented recently at the 52nd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.
Dr. Marc Berger, a neurologist with the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, and colleagues elsewhere, found that the medication relieved migraine symptoms when administered at the onset of headache or when headache progressed to moderate or severe. What's more, no outcome differences were observed two hours after treatment.
The study included 1,919 migraine patients who were treated with either a rizatriptan tablet or an orally disintegrating tablet for two migraine attacks. Patients chose which formulation to take first. Overall, 3,450 migraine episodes were evaluated.
Participants in the study were on average 41 years old, and 88% were women. Most of those studied reported about one migraine attack per week.
Twenty three percent of patients who took the medication at the start of their migraine episode had headache relief within 30 minutes of treatment compared with 18% of those who waited until their headache became moderate or severe.
Likewise, significantly more patients in the so-called early drug use group reported feeling better and returned to their usual activities one hour after treatment. No difference was observed with respect to headache severity two hours after treatment; 65% of patients in the early drug use group and 67% of those in the delayed drug use group reported no pain or only mild pain.
Results also showed that about 60% of migraine attacks were not treated until the headache progressed to moderate or severe.