• Basic Info
• Top Questions
• Clinical Info
• Interactions

What is naratriptan?
Naratriptan is a headache medicine. It is believed to work by narrowing the blood vessels around the brain. Naratriptan also reduces substances in the body that can trigger headache pain, nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, and other migraine symptoms. Naratriptan is used to treat migraine headaches. Naratriptan will only treat a headache that has already begun. It will not prevent headaches or reduce the number of attacks. Naratriptan may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

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What is the price of this medication and similar alternatives?

This pricing information is subject to change at the sole discretion of DS Pharmacy. For the most current and up-to-date pricing information, please visit drugstore.com.

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What are the possible side effects of naratriptan?

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using naratriptan and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• chest pain or heavy feeling, pain spreading to the arm or shoulder, nausea, sweating, general ill feeling;

• sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body;

• sudden headache, confusion, problems with vision, speech, or balance;

• fast heart rate, agitation, muscle stiffness, hallucinations, lack of coordination, with nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea;

• sudden and severe stomach pain and bloody diarrhea;

• numbness or tingling and a pale or blue-colored appearance in your fingers or toes; or

• sore throat, ear pain, fever, cold symptoms.

Less serious side effects may include:

• upset stomach, drooling;

• feeling too warm or too cold;

• feeling of pain or pressure in your neck and throat;

• dizziness, sleepiness; or

• sweating.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Tell your doctor about any unusual or bothersome side effect.

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How should I use naratriptan?
Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the instructions on your prescription label. Take naratriptan as soon as you notice headache symptoms, or after an attack has already begun. Your doctor may want to give your first dose of this medicine in a hospital or clinic setting to see if you have any serious side effects. Take one naratriptan tablet whole with a full glass of water.

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What is the most important information I should know about naratriptan?
Naratriptan can cause serious side effects on the heart, including heart attack or stroke. Although these side effects are rare, do not use this medication if you have a history of heart disease, angina (chest pain), blood circulation problems, ischemic bowel disease, severe or uncontrolled high blood pressure, or history of a heart attack or stroke. Before using naratriptan, tell your doctor if you have coronary artery disease, or risk factors for coronary artery disease (such as diabetes, menopause, smoking, being overweight, having high blood pressure or high cholesterol, having a family history of coronary artery disease, being older than 40 and a man, or being a woman who has had a hysterectomy).

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What happens if I miss a dose?
Since naratriptan is used as needed, it does not have a daily dosing schedule. Call your doctor promptly if your symptoms do not improve after using naratriptan. After taking a naratriptan tablet, you must wait four (4) hours before taking a second tablet. Do not take more than two (2) naratriptan tablets in 24 hours.

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What other drugs will affect naratriptan?
Before using naratriptan, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs: an antidepressant such as citalopram (Celexa), duloxetine (Cymbalta), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft), or venlafaxine (Effexor); another migraine medicine such as almotriptan (Axert), eletriptan (Relpax), frovatriptan (Frova), sumatriptan (Imitrex), rizatriptan (Maxalt), or zolmitriptan (Zomig). This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with naratriptan. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

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Can I take this if I am pregnant or trying to get pregnant or if I am breastfeeding?

Naratriptan has been assigned to pregnancy category C by the FDA. Animal tests have reported developmental toxicity (embryolethality, fetal abnormalities, pup mortality, and offspring growth retardation), dose-related increases in embryonic death, and fetal structural variations (incomplete/irregular ossification of skull bones, sternebrae, and ribs). High doses in animals have been reported to have lead to fused sternebrae, increased incidences of embryonic death, and fetal variations (major blood vessel variations, supernumerary ribs, and incomplete skeletal ossification). Treatment in animals during late gestation and lactation has been reported to have lead to offspring behavioral impairment (tremors), and decreased offspring viability and growth. There are no controlled data in human pregnancy. Naratriptan should only be given during pregnancy when benefit outweighs risk.

There are no data on the excretion of naratriptan into human milk.

The manufacturer has reported that naratriptan related material is excreted in the milk of rats.

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Who should NOT use this medication?

• Known or suspected ischemic heart disease (e.g., angina pectoris, history of MI, documented silent ischemia).
• Coronary artery vasospasm (e.g., Prinzmetal variant angina).
• Other serious underlying cardiovascular disease (e.g., uncontrolled hypertension).
• Cerebrovascular syndromes (e.g., stroke syndrome, TIAs).
• Peripheral vascular ischemia (e.g., ischemic colitis).
• Severe hepatic impairment (e.g., Child-Pugh grade C).
• Severe renal impairment (e.g., Cl_cr ≤15 mL/minute).
• Hemiplegic or basilar migraine.
• Treatment within previous 24 hours with another 5-HT₁ receptor agonist or an ergot alkaloid. (See Specific Drugs under Interactions.)
• Known hypersensitivity to naratriptan or any ingredient in the formulation.

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What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. Overdose symptoms may include severe headache, blurred vision, trouble concentrating, chest pain, numbness, seizure (convulsions), neck stiffness, tiredness, lack of coordination, feeling light-headed, or fainting.

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What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before using naratriptan?
Do not use this medication if you are allergic to naratriptan, or if you have: a history of heart disease, angina (chest pain), blood circulation problems, or history of a heart attack or stroke; severe kidney disease; severe liver disease; ischemic bowel disease; severe or uncontrolled high blood pressure; or a headache that is not like other headaches you have had. Do not use naratriptan within 24 hours after taking any of the following medicines: almotriptan (Axert), eletriptan (Relpax), frovatriptan (Frova), sumatriptan (Imitrex), rizatriptan (Maxalt), or zolmitriptan (Zomig); or

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Can I stop taking the medication if I feel better?
If you are taking an analgesic for pain and you are no longer experiencing the pain you may stop using the medication. In general, pain medications are to be used on an as needed basis.

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I am on so many medications; do I have to take them all?
This is called polypharmacy—many different medications being used at the same time by one person. Sometimes, being on multiple medications is acceptable and appropriate but at other times it may be problematic. If you are receiving your medications from multiple physicians you need to ensure that they all know what medications you are taking. The best way to do this is to make a list of all the medications you are currently using, including all nutritional supplements, homeopathic remedies, vitamins and over-the-counter drugs (if possible, also include all the diseases you have been diagnosed with). Give a copy to every doctor who takes care of you so they have it on file, this way they can avoid duplicating medications and perhaps even try to consolidate some. After every doctor's visit remember to update the list accordingly. Also, as much as you possibly can, try to use the same pharmacy to fill all your prescriptions, this way any potential drug interactions can be caught and averted.

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Where can I get more information?
More Information

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