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What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before using naratriptan (Amerge)?

You should not use this medicine if you are allergic to naratriptan, or if you have:

• coronary heart disease, angina (chest pain), blood circulation problems, lack of blood supply to the heart;
• a history of heart disease, heart attack, or stroke, including "mini-stroke";
• severe or uncontrolled high blood pressure;
• severe liver disease;
• severe kidney disease;
• ischemic bowel disease; or
• a headache that seems different from your usual migraine headaches.

To make sure you can safely take naratriptan, tell your doctor if you have any of these other conditions:

• liver disease;
• kidney disease;
• high blood pressure, a heart rhythm disorder; or
• coronary heart disease (or risk factors such as diabetes, menopause, smoking, being overweight, having 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).

FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether naratriptan will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using this medication.

Your name may need to be listed on a naratriptan pregnancy registry when you start using this medication.

Naratriptan can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Do not give this medicine to anyone younger than 18 or older than 65.

How should I use naratriptan (Amerge)?

Take exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Do not take in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. Follow the directions on your prescription label. Overuse of migraine headache medicine can actually make your headaches worse.

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.

If your symptoms have not improved after taking 2 tablets in 24 hours, contact your doctor before taking any more tablets.

Contact your doctor if you have more than four headaches in one month (30 days).

If you use naratriptan long-term, your doctor may want to check your heart function using an electrocardiograph or ECG (sometimes called an EKG), a machine that measures electrical activity of the heart. This will help your doctor determine if it is still safe for you to use this medication. Visit your doctor regularly.

Store at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light.

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