All About Nurtec ODT

What are Nurtec ODT’s side effects?

Like most drugs, Nurtec ODT may cause mild or serious side effects in adults. The lists below describe some of the more common side effects that Nurtec ODT may cause. These lists don’t include all possible side effects.

Keep in mind that side effects of a drug can depend on:

• your age
• other health conditions you have
• other medications you take

For more information on the side effects of Nurtec ODT, see this article. Your doctor or pharmacist can also discuss the drug’s side effects with you and suggest ways to help ease them.

Mild side effects

Here’s a list of some of the mild side effects that Nurtec ODT can cause. To learn about other mild side effects, talk with your doctor or pharmacist, or read Nurtec ODT’s prescribing information.

Mild side effects of Nurtec ODT that have been reported include:

• nausea
• abdominal pain
• upset stomach
• mild allergic reaction*

Mild side effects of many drugs may go away within a few days to a couple of weeks. But if they become bothersome, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

* To learn more about this side effect, see the “Allergic reaction” section below.

Serious side effects

Serious side effects from Nurtec ODT can occur, but they aren’t common. If you have serious side effects from Nurtec ODT, call your doctor right away. But if you think you’re having a medical emergency, you should call 911 or your local emergency number.

The only serious side effect reported in studies of Nurtec ODT was severe allergic reaction. To learn more about this side effect, see the “Allergic reaction” section below.

Allergic reaction

Some people may have an allergic reaction to Nurtec ODT. This side effect was rare in the drug’s studies.

Symptoms of a mild allergic reaction can include:

• skin rash
• itchiness
• flushing (temporary warmth, redness, or deepening of skin color)
• shortness of breath

A more severe allergic reaction is rare but possible. Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction can include swelling under your skin, usually in your eyelids, lips, hands, or feet. They can also include swelling of your tongue, mouth, or throat, which can cause trouble breathing.

Call your doctor right away if you have an allergic reaction to Nurtec ODT. But if you think you’re having a medical emergency, call 911 or your local emergency number.

Is Nurtec ODT used for migraine?

Nurtec ODT is prescribed for these uses in adults:

• to help prevent migraine symptoms due to episodic migraine
• to treat migraine episodes as they occur

About migraine

Migraine is a long-term condition. Migraine episodes can cause reoccurring severe headaches, nausea, vomiting, and difficulty speaking. Other symptoms include sensitivity to light and sound or difficulty thinking.

Migraine can be episodic or chronic. With episodic migraine, a person has migraine headaches fewer than 15 days per month. Chronic migraine occurs when a person has migraine headaches 15 or more days per month for at least 3 months.

It’s not understood what exactly causes migraine or why certain people are affected by it. It’s believed that atypical chemical and electrical signaling in the brain causes this condition.

About Nurtec ODT

Nurtec ODT may be taken daily to help prevent migraine symptoms in adults with episodic migraine. It is not used for this purpose in people with chronic migraine. The drug can also be prescribed and used as needed to treat migraine episodes in adults.

Nurtec ODT treats or helps prevent migraine by blocking the actions of a protein called calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). Among other actions, CGRP causes blood vessels in your head to widen, which is thought to lead to migraine symptoms.

What are some frequently asked questions about Nurtec ODT?

Find answers below to some commonly asked questions about Nurtec ODT.

How does Nurtec ODT compare with the alternatives Ubrelvy, Imitrex, and Maxalt?

The table below lists basic information comparing Nurtec ODT with the migraine drugs Ubrelvy, Imitrex, and Maxalt or Maxalt-MLT. To learn more about which of these drugs may be the right treatment option for you, talk with your pharmacist or doctor.

* An active ingredient is what makes a drug work.
† For more details about Nurtec ODT’s uses, see the “Is Nurtec ODT used for migraine?” section above.

What is Nurtec ODT’s mechanism of action?

A drug’s mechanism of action is how the drug works.

Nurtec ODT treats or helps prevent migraine by blocking the actions of a protein called calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). Among other actions, CGRP causes blood vessels in your head to widen, which is thought to lead to migraine symptoms.

If you’re interested in learning more about Nurtec ODT’s mechanism of action, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Can Nurtec ODT be used to treat cluster headaches?

No, Nurtec ODT isn’t approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat cluster headaches.

Certain drugs approved to treat migraine may also be approved to treat cluster headaches. An example is galcanezumab-gnlm (Emgality).

And other migraine drugs, such as erenumab-aooe (Aimovig), may be prescribed off-label for this condition. “Off-label” refers to when a doctor prescribes a drug to treat a condition that it hasn’t been approved by the FDA to treat.

If you’d like to learn more about treatment options for cluster headaches, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Nurtec ODT cost and coupons

Whether you have health insurance or not, cost may be a factor when you’re considering Nurtec ODT. What you’ll pay for Nurtec ODT may depend on several things, such as your treatment plan and the pharmacy you use.

Here are a few things to consider regarding cost:

• Cost information and savings coupons: You can visit Optum Perks* to get price estimates of what you’d pay for Nurtec ODT when using coupons from the site.
• Savings program: If you have questions about how to pay for your prescription, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. A program called Nurtec OneSource may also be available.

You can also check out this article to learn more about saving money on prescriptions.

* Optum Perks is a sister site of Healthline. Optum Perks coupons cannot be used with any insurance copays or benefits.

To save money on your Nurtec ODT prescription, explore these Optum Perks coupons.

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Retail price refers to the manufacturer’s published list price and is up to date as of 3/2023. Retail and discounted prices are U.S.-only and can vary based on region and pharmacy. We cannot guarantee that the discounted price listed here will exactly match the price at your pharmacy. Please contact your pharmacy for the exact price.

Optum Perks and Healthline are subsidiaries of RVO Health.

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What is Nurtec ODT’s dosage?

Your doctor will recommend the dosage of Nurtec ODT that’s right for you. Below are commonly used dosages, but always take the dosage your doctor prescribes.

Form and strength (75 mg)

Nurtec ODT comes as orally disintegrating tablets. You’ll place these tablets on or under your tongue, where they dissolve.

Nurtec ODT tablets are available in one strength: 75 milligrams (mg).

Recommended dosing

Listed below are the recommended dosages for Nurtec ODT:

• For treating migraine episodes as they happen, take one tablet when symptoms begin.
• For helping to prevent migraine episodes, take one tablet every other day.

The maximum dosage for Nurtec ODT is 75 mg over 24 hours. This means you should not take more than one dose of Nurtec ODT per day.

It’s not known whether it’s safe to take more than 18 doses of Nurtec ODT within a 30-day period. Talk with your doctor if your migraine episodes aren’t managed with the recommended dosing for Nurtec ODT.

For more information on Nurtec ODT’s dosage, see this article.

Questions about Nurtec ODT’s dosage

Below are some common questions about Nurtec ODT’s dosage.

• What if I miss a dose of Nurtec ODT? If you’re taking Nurtec ODT to help prevent migraine episodes, and you miss a dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. But if it’s closer to the time of your next dose, simply skip the missed dose. Take your next dose as regularly scheduled. Do not take more than one dose of Nurtec ODT at a time to make up for a missed dose.
• Will I need to use Nurtec ODT long term? If you and your doctor agree that Nurtec ODT is working well for you, you’ll likely use the drug long term.
• How long does Nurtec ODT take to work? After taking a Nurtec ODT dose to treat a migraine episode, most people feel their symptoms ease within 1–2 hours. If you’re using Nurtec ODT to help prevent migraine episodes, it may take several weeks before you notice an improvement in your condition.

What should be considered before taking Nurtec ODT?

Certain factors can affect whether Nurtec ODT is a safe and effective treatment option for you.

Before beginning treatment with Nurtec ODT, discuss your overall health and any medical conditions you have with your doctor. You should also tell your doctor about all medications you may take, including any over-the-counter medications.

These factors and others to consider before starting Nurtec ODT treatment are discussed below.

Interactions

Taking a medication with certain vaccines, foods, and other things can affect how the medication works. These effects are called interactions.

Before taking Nurtec ODT, be sure to tell your doctor about all medications you take, including prescription and over-the-counter types. Also describe any vitamins, herbs, or supplements you use. Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you about any interactions these items may cause with Nurtec ODT.

For information about drug-condition interactions, see the “Warnings” section below.

Interactions with drugs or supplements

Nurtec ODT can interact with several types of drugs.

Due to the severity of some interactions, doctors usually will not prescribe certain drugs with Nurtec ODT. These include:

• the antibiotics clarithromycin and rifampin (Rimactane)
• the antifungal itraconazole (Sporanox, Tolsura)
• the antiepileptic drugs carbamazepine (Tegretol) and phenytoin (Dilantin)
• the supplement St. John’s wort

Other interactions are less severe. Your doctor can tell you more about whether it’s safe for you to take the following drugs with Nurtec ODT:

• the heart medications amiodarone (Pacerone) and diltiazem (Cardizem CD)
• the transplant medication cyclosporine (Gengraf)
• the heart drugs ranolazine (Ranexa) and quinidine

This list does not contain all of the kinds of drugs that may interact with Nurtec ODT. Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you more about these interactions and any others that may occur with the use of Nurtec ODT.

Warnings

Nurtec ODT may not be right for you if you have certain medical conditions. Other factors may also affect whether Nurtec ODT is a good treatment option for you.

Talk with your doctor about your health history before you take Nurtec ODT. Factors to consider include those in the list below.

• Severe kidney or liver problems. Having severe kidney or liver problems can make it harder for your body to rid itself of Nurtec ODT after you take a dose. If you have severe kidney or liver problems, your doctor likely won’t prescribe Nurtec ODT. They can discuss other treatments that are safe for your condition.
• Allergic reaction. If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Nurtec ODT or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe Nurtec ODT. Ask them what other medications may be better options for you.

Nurtec ODT and alcohol

There’s no known interaction between using Nurtec ODT and consuming alcohol.

But alcohol can be a migraine trigger for some people. In such cases, alcohol may cause Nurtec ODT to not work as well as it should.

If you drink alcohol, your doctor can tell you how much, if any, is safe for you to drink while taking Nurtec ODT.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

It’s not known whether it’s safe to take Nurtec ODT while pregnant or breastfeeding. If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant or breastfeed, talk with your doctor. You can discuss the risks and benefits of taking the drug during this time.

If you and your doctor decide you’ll take Nurtec ODT while pregnant, consider joining the Nurtec ODT pregnancy registry. Pregnancy registries collect data on the safety of using medications such as Nurtec ODT while pregnant. This data helps doctors and patients make decisions about which treatments to use. To learn more or sign up for the registry, call 877-366-0324 or visit the registry website.

How is Nurtec ODT taken?

Your doctor will explain how you should take Nurtec ODT. They’ll also explain how much to take and how often. Be sure to follow your doctor’s instructions.

Taking Nurtec ODT

Nurtec ODT comes as orally disintegrating tablets. You’ll place these tablets on or under your tongue, where they’ll dissolve. No water is needed, as the tablets will dissolve on their own.

Be sure that your hands are dry before handling Nurtec ODT, as moisture could cause the tablets to disintegrate.

Accessible medication containers and labels

Certain pharmacies may provide medication labels that:

• have large print
• use braille
• contain a code you can scan with a smartphone to change the text into audio

Your doctor or pharmacist may be able to recommend a pharmacy that offers these options if your current pharmacy doesn’t.

Questions about taking Nurtec ODT

Below are some common questions about taking Nurtec ODT.

• Can Nurtec ODT be chewed, crushed, or split? No, you should not chew, crush, or split Nurtec ODT tablets. They’re meant to dissolve within seconds after placing the tablets on or under your tongue.
• Should I take Nurtec ODT with food? You can eat before or after taking a dose of Nurtec ODT. But don’t take the drug while you have food in your mouth. If you’re taking Nurtec ODT before eating, wait for the drug to completely dissolve first.
• Is there a best time of day to take Nurtec ODT? There’s no best time of day to take Nurtec ODT. If you’re using Nurtec ODT to help prevent migraine episodes, take it every other day as your doctor directs. If you’re using Nurtec ODT to treat a migraine episode, take your dose as soon as you feel migraine symptoms.

Questions for your doctor

You may have questions about Nurtec ODT and your treatment plan. It’s important to discuss all your concerns with your doctor.

Here are a few tips that might help guide your discussion:

• Before your appointment, write down questions such as:
  • How will Nurtec ODT affect my body, mood, or lifestyle?
• Bring someone with you to your appointment if doing so will help you feel more comfortable.
• If you don’t understand something related to your condition or treatment, ask your doctor to explain it to you.

Remember, your doctor and other healthcare professionals are available to help you. And they want you to get the best care possible. So don’t be afraid to ask questions or offer feedback on your treatment.

What should be done in case of overdose?

Do not take more Nurtec ODT than your doctor prescribes. Taking more than this can lead to serious side effects.

What to do in case you take too much Nurtec ODT

Call your doctor if you think you’ve taken too much Nurtec ODT. You can also call 800-222-1222 to reach America’s Poison Centers or use its online resource. But if you have severe symptoms, immediately call 911 or your local emergency number. Or go to the nearest emergency room.