Amerge

naratriptan

Amerge, or naratriptan, is in a class of drugs called Triptans. It is used to relieve pain from classic migraine headaches and only works while a patient is having a migraine.

While side effects cannot be anticipated, some common reactions include nausea, sensation of pain and pressure, and strange sensations.

In July 2006, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a public heath advisory warning of a potential life-threatening problem known as serotonin syndrome, which may develop in patients who take Amerge while taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, popular anti-depressants. Both types of drugs are designed to boost the levels of the chemical serotonin in the brain.

In April 2007, GlaxoSmithKline, maker of Amerge, wrote in the pills’ prescribing information about the risk of serotonin syndrome in patients who take Amerge while taking SSRIs. The information also warned of rare heart problems, like heart attacks associated with triptans.

Other triptan drugs include:

• Axert (almotriptan)
• Frova (frovatriptan)
• Imitrex (sumatriptan)
• Maxalt and Malaxt MLT (rizatriptan)
• Relpax (eletriptan)
• Zomig and Zomig ZMG (zolmitriptan)

Some SSRIs that may cause serotonin syndrome when combined with triptan drugs include:

• Celexa (citalopram)
• Fluvoxamine
• Lexapro (escitalopram)
• Paxil (paroxetine)
• Prozac (fluoxetine)
• Symbyax (olanzapine/fuloxetine)
• Zoloft (sertraline)