If you have migraine, your doctor might suggest Treximet as a treatment option for you. It’s a prescription drug used to treat migraine with or without aura in adults and some children.

The active ingredients in Treximet are sumatriptan and naproxen. Active ingredients are what make a drug work.

Treximet comes as a tablet that you swallow when a migraine episode occurs. It’s not meant to be taken every day, but it may be used as needed long term.

For more information about Treximet, including details about its uses, see this in-depth article.

Like other drugs, Treximet can cause mild to serious side effects. Common side effects of Treximet include dry mouth and dizziness. Keep reading to learn more.

Some people may experience mild to serious side effects during their Treximet treatment. Examples of commonly reported side effects include:

These are just a few of the side effects that Treximet may cause. Side effects won’t happen to everyone.

Examples of mild side effects that have been reported with Treximet use include:

In most cases, these side effects should be temporary. And some may be easily managed. But if you have symptoms that are ongoing or bother you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. And don’t stop taking Treximet unless your doctor recommends it.

Treximet may cause mild side effects other than the ones listed above. See the Treximet prescribing information for details.

Note: After the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves a drug, it tracks side effects of the medication. If you’d like to notify the FDA about a side effect you’ve had with Treximet, visit MedWatch.

While rare, Treximet can cause serious side effects.

Serious side effects that have been reported with Treximet use include:

If you develop serious side effects while taking Treximet, call your doctor right away. If the side effects seem life threatening or you think you’re having a medical emergency, immediately call 911 or your local emergency number.

* Treximet has a boxed warning for this side effect. This is the most serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). To learn more, see the “Side effects explained” section below.
† To learn more about this side effect, see the “Side effects explained” section below.
‡ An allergic reaction is possible after taking Treximet. But it’s not clear whether this occurred in studies.

Treximet is used in children ages 12 years and older. Most reported side effects of Treximet occurred in both adults and children, but the following were only reported in children.

Hot flashes

Hot flashes (also called hot flushes) were a rare side effect in children participating in Treximet studies. This side effect happened more often in children who took a higher dosage.

Hot flashes usually last a few minutes and go away on their own. Symptoms of a hot flash include:

What might help

Below are a few tips that may help relieve the discomfort of hot flashes.

  • Have the child sip cool water or ice water.
  • Dress them in layers that are easy to remove.
  • Have them wear cotton or other breathable fabrics.
  • Offer them an ice pack or a cold pack.

If hot flashes happen often or don’t go away, talk with your child’s doctor. They may be able to suggest other ways to make this side effect less bothersome.

Tight muscles

In studies, tight muscles were a rare side effect that happened in children who took the highest dosage of Treximet.

Muscle tightness may be related to how Treximet works to treat migraine. It can also be a sign of a rare condition called serotonin syndrome. (See “Side effects explained” below for more information about this condition.)

What might help

Muscle tightness usually goes away on its own. You can help by having the child get up, move around, and stretch. If getting up is difficult during a migraine episode, try massaging the tight muscle. Staying hydrated also helps prevent muscle tightness.

If the muscle tightness doesn’t go away or becomes too bothersome, call your child’s doctor. If your child has tightness in their chest or jaw, or any other symptoms that might indicate a medical emergency, call 911 or go to your nearest medical facility.

Get answers to some frequently asked questions about Treximet’s side effects.

Can Treximet cause long-term side effects?

Yes, it’s possible for Treximet to cause long-term side effects. This is more likely if you take Treximet over a long period. Serious long-term side effects were rare in studies of Treximet, though.

Long-term side effects could refer to:

  • Side effects that start during the treatment and continue for a long time, possibly after the treatment ends. For example, if you have a rare heart or blood vessel side effect of Treximet, it could need medical care for a long time.
  • Side effects that start after you’ve taken the drug for a long time or after the treatment ends. For example, a medication overuse headache can happen if you’ve taken Treximet too frequently over a period of a few months or longer. This can lead to chronic migraine.

Migraine can be painful and disrupt your life. So the risk of long-term side effects is not usually a reason to avoid treatment. You can learn about the risks and possible benefits of different treatments in this article or by talking with your doctor.

Can Treximet make my migraine episodes worse?

A medication overuse headache is a migraine headache or another headache that gets worse after you take medication to relieve it.

It’s been reported with sumatriptan, one of the active ingredients in Treximet. It usually happens when you take the following types of drugs:

This side effect is more likely if you take these medications on at least 10 days each month. If you need to take Treximet on more than 10 days a month, talk with your doctor. You may benefit from a treatment that may help prevent your migraine headaches.

Will taking sumatriptan and naproxen separately reduce my risk of side effects?

It depends. Sumatriptan and naproxen, the two active ingredients in Treximet, can cause different side effects. Some side effects reported in studies of Treximet are known to stem from only one of the active ingredients. For example:

There are other things to consider, as well. Some people find it easier to keep track of one pill instead of two. Some have better migraine relief when they take both drugs at once. Others do well on naproxen or sumatriptan alone. Talk with your doctor about the best ways to reduce the side effects of your migraine treatment.

Learn more about some of the side effects Treximet may cause.

Risk of heart and blood vessel problems

Treximet has a boxed warning about the risk of heart and blood vessel problems, such as a heart attack or stroke. A boxed warning is the most serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Due to this risk, doctors will not prescribe Treximet if you’ve recently had or are planning to have a heart surgery called a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG).

Treximet contains the active drug naproxen, which is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). In studies of people who’d undergone CABG, NSAIDs such as naproxen increased the risk of a heart attack when taken 10 to 14 days after the surgery.

Treximet also contains the active drug sumatriptan. Taking NSAIDs or drugs such as sumatriptan can increase your risk of serious heart and blood vessel problems. These side effects are more likely to occur in older adults and those with certain other medical conditions. Symptoms of these side effects are below.

Symptoms of stroke include:

  • trouble talking
  • slurred speech
  • drooping on one side of your face
  • arm weakness on one side

Symptoms of a heart attack include:

This is not a complete list of the possible symptoms. And the symptoms of a heart attack are often different in females and males.* Read this article to learn more about the similarities and differences.

* In this article, we use the terms “male” and “female” to refer to someone’s sex assigned at birth. For information about the difference between sex and gender, see this article.

What might help

Due to the risk of heart and blood vessel problems, doctors typically will not prescribe Treximet if you have:

Your doctor will consider your medical history before prescribing Treximet. You may also need to take tests to see if your heart is healthy before starting this treatment. If you have an increased risk of these side effects, your doctor might give you the first dose of Treximet at a medical facility. This is so they can observe your body’s reaction to the drug.

If you think you may be having a heart attack or stroke, this is a medical emergency. You should immediately call 911 (or your local emergency number) or go to the nearest emergency room.

Talk with your doctor about your risk of a serious heart or blood vessel problem during Treximet treatment. These side effects are rare, but it helps to know what symptoms to look for.

Risk of digestive system problems

Treximet has a boxed warning for the risk of digestive system problems. A boxed warning is the most serious warning from the FDA.

One of the active ingredients in Treximet is naproxen, which belongs to a group of drugs called NSAIDs. This boxed warning is based on studies of NSAIDs, but digestive system problems rarely happened in studies of Treximet.

NSAIDs can cause severe problems in your digestive system. You have an increased risk of serious problems if you take an NSAID for a long time. These problems include:

In extreme cases, these problems can be deadly.

Your risk of serious problems is increased if you:

While bleeding in your stomach or intestines is rare, it is serious. Symptoms include:

What might help

Your doctor will consider your medical history before they prescribe Treximet. Talk with them about ways to reduce your risk of side effects.

Risk of blood flow problems in your feet or legs

Blood flow problems in the feet or legs was a rare side effect in studies of triptan medications. Sumatriptan is a triptan and one of the active ingredients in Treximet. (An active ingredient is what makes a drug work.)

Without treatment, blood flow problems can be serious and lead to nerve damage. Symptoms include:

  • a cold feeling in your legs or feet
  • changes in the color of your legs or feet
  • pain or a burning feeling in your toes when you’re not moving
  • heavy or tight leg muscles
  • cramps or pain in your legs or hips
  • numbness, weakness, or tingling in your legs

What might help

Call your doctor right away if you have any of the symptoms above. They may suggest trying a different medication if they confirm that Treximet is causing your symptoms.

There are also ways to improve your circulation. Regular exercise and stretching can help. And if you spend a lot of time sitting or lying down, it can help to take frequent breaks just to move around. If you smoke, quitting can also help improve your circulation.

Treximet may also cause blood flow problems in parts of your body other than your legs and feet. Talk with your doctor about serious signs of heart or blood vessel problems to watch out for.

Serotonin syndrome

Serotonin syndrome (a high level of the chemical serotonin) was a rare side effect in studies of triptan medications. Sumatriptan, one of the active ingredients in Treximet, is a triptan medication.

Your body uses the chemical serotonin to help regulate certain functions, such as:

Symptoms of serotonin syndrome include:

What might help

Serotonin syndrome may be mild to severe. Severe symptoms, such as a seizure or hallucinations, are an emergency and may require immediate treatment at a medical facility.

Talk with your doctor about how to recognize the symptoms of serotonin syndrome. If you think you’re having symptoms of this condition, and any symptom feels life threatening, go to the nearest emergency room or call 911.

Allergic reaction

Like most drugs, Treximet can cause an allergic reaction in some people. While it doesn’t appear that this occurred in studies, it can happen.

Symptoms can be mild to serious and can include:

  • skin rash
  • itchiness
  • flushing (temporary warmth, redness, or deepening of skin color)
  • swelling under your skin, usually in your eyelids, lips, hands, or feet
  • swelling of your mouth, tongue, or throat, which can make it hard to breathe

In rare cases, an allergic reaction to Treximet can involve severe, life threatening skin reactions, including:

Symptoms of these serious skin reactions can include:

  • bleeding or blisters affecting your eyelids, lips, mouth, nose, or genitals
  • blistering or peeling skin
  • red or discolored skin
  • swelling in your face

What might help

If you have mild symptoms of an allergic reaction, such as a mild rash, call your doctor right away. They may suggest a treatment to manage your symptoms. Examples include:

  • an over-the-counter oral antihistamine, such as Benadryl (diphenhydramine)
  • a topical product, such as hydrocortisone cream

If your doctor confirms that you’ve had a mild allergic reaction to Treximet, they’ll decide if you should continue taking it.

If you have symptoms of a severe allergic reaction, such as swelling or trouble breathing, call 911 or your local emergency number right away. These symptoms could be life threatening and require immediate medical care.

If your doctor confirms that you’ve had a serious allergic reaction to Treximet, they may have you switch to a different treatment.

Keeping track of side effects

During your Treximet treatment, consider keeping notes about any side effects you’re having. You can then share this information with your doctor. This is especially helpful when you first start taking new drugs or using a combination of treatments.

Your side effect notes can include things such as:

  • what dosage of the drug you were taking when you had the side effect
  • how soon you experienced it after starting that dosage
  • what your symptoms were
  • how they affected your daily activities
  • any other medications you were taking
  • any other information you feel is important

Taking notes and sharing them with your doctor will help them learn more about how Treximet affects you. They can then use this information to adjust your treatment plan if needed.

Treximet has boxed warnings from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These are serious warnings about risks of the treatment.

Boxed warnings

Treximet has boxed warnings about the risk of heart and blood vessel problems and the risk of digestive system problems. Boxed warnings are the most serious warnings from the FDA.

To learn more about these risks, see the “Side effects explained” section above.

Other warnings

Treximet may not be right for you if you have certain medical conditions or other factors that affect your health. Talk with your doctor about your health history before starting Treximet treatment. The list below includes factors to consider.

Abnormal heart rhythm. If you have a medical condition that affects your heartbeat or heart rhythm, Treximet might not be safe for you. Ask your doctor if this treatment is safe for your heart. They may monitor your heart rhythm or choose a different medication for you.

Heart failure. If you have heart failure, you may be more likely to have side effects of Treximet. Talk with your doctor about how to decrease your risk. They may monitor you closely or choose a different treatment option for you.

High blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, Treximet could make it worse. If your blood pressure isn’t being managed, doctors typically won’t prescribe Treximet for you. Talk with them about keeping track of your blood pressure or treating it with medication.

Liver or kidney problems. Treximet may cause liver damage. People with severe liver damage should not take this drug. And because your kidneys remove the drug from your body, it may not be a safe treatment option if you have kidney damage. Talk with your doctor about your kidney and liver function before you take Treximet.

Asthma that is worsened by aspirin or NSAIDs. Some people have asthma attacks that are triggered by NSAIDs. This is more common with aspirin, which is part of the NSAID group. If your asthma is triggered or worsened by an NSAID, Treximet may not be right for you, since it contains the NSAID naproxen. Talk with your doctor about your risk if you have asthma and are considering Treximet.

Allergic reaction. If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Treximet or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe it for you. Ask them what other medications are better treatment options.

Blood flow problems. Doctors likely will not prescribe Treximet for you if you have a medical condition that causes slow or irregular blood flow, such as:

This is because taking Treximet could make your blood flow problems worse. Talk with your doctor about other migraine treatments if you have blood flow problems.

Alcohol use and Treximet

You should not drink alcohol while taking Treximet. Alcohol and naproxen can increase the risk of bleeding in your stomach.

Talk with your doctor if you have questions about alcohol and your risk of stomach and intestinal bleeding from Treximet.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding while taking Treximet

Treximet is not safe to take after week 30 of pregnancy. It’s known to cause problems with the development of the fetal heart. Treximet may also affect amniotic fluid (liquid that surrounds the fetus) after week 20 of pregnancy. Talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits of this and other migraine treatments during pregnancy.

And talk with your doctor about birth control if you are sexually active while you take Treximet.

Treximet has been shown to be present in breastmilk. Talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking Treximet while breastfeeding, as these may depend on your individual case.

While there are reports that Treximet has caused serious side effects, most side effects are usually mild. You can discuss what to expect with your doctor. Here are a few ideas of questions to ask them.

  • If I take Treximet more often, will my side effects be worse?
  • Does Treximet cause worse side effects than other migraine medications?
  • How long do Treximet side effects usually last?
  • What can I do to help prevent side effects while I take Treximet?

For tips about managing your condition, sign up for Healthline’s migraine newsletter. And if you’re looking for advice and stories from others living with migraine, consider joining Bezzy Migraine, an online community.

Q:

Does Treximet have different side effects from other triptan medications?

Anonymous

A:

Yes, Treximet might have different side effects from other triptans. Treximet contains two active ingredients: sumatriptan and naproxen. Each of these ingredients can cause side effects.

For example, naproxen can cause a rare side effect of bleeding in the stomach or intestines, which isn’t a side effect of sumatriptan when taken alone.

Sumatriptan belongs to a group of migraine medications called triptans. Some examples of triptans include:

This group of drugs usually causes side effects such as dizziness, fatigue, nausea, and rarely, serotonin syndrome or medication overuse headache.

Each triptan drug may have slightly different side effects. These effects also vary, depending on each person’s reaction to a specific drug.

Talk with your doctor or pharmacist to learn more about your treatment options for migraine.

The Healthline Pharmacist TeamAnswers represent the opinions of our medical experts. All content is strictly informational and should not be considered medical advice.

Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.