Axert

A healthcare provider may prescribe Axert to treat migraine headaches. The medicine is not designed to prevent migraines, but it can help to relieve migraine symptoms once they start. Axert comes in a tablet form that should be taken by mouth as soon as the symptoms of a migraine start. A few side effects of Axert include tingling, dry mouth, and nausea. Some of the conditions you should tell your healthcare provider about prior to taking Axert include diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.

 

What Is Axert?

Axert® (almotriptan maleate) is a prescription medication that is used to treat migraine headaches. Axert will not help to prevent migraines, but it can help to treat a migraine that has already started.
 
(Click Axert Uses for more information on what Axert is used for, including possible off-label uses.)
 

Who Makes Axert?

Axert is made by Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceuticals.
 

How Does Axert Work?

Axert is part of a class of migraine medications called 5-HT agonists (or more commonly known as "triptans"). During a migraine headache, some of the blood vessels in the head become dilated (wider than they usually are). Axert works by narrowing these blood vessels, helping them return to their normal state. This action helps to relieve migraine symptoms.
 

Axert Effects

In previous studies, 55.4 percent to 64 percent of people with migraines had no (or mild) pain within two hours of taking Axert tablets, compared to only 33 percent to 40 percent of people who did not take Axert.
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;