treximet

Treximet is a tablet containing a combination of sumatriptan and naproxen.

Sumatriptan is a headache medicine. It is believed to work by narrowing the blood vessels around the brain.

Naproxen is in a group of drugs called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Naproxen works by reducing hormones that cause inflammation and pain in the body.

Treximet is used to treat migraine headaches.

Treximet will only treat a headache that has already begun. It will not prevent headaches or reduce the number of attacks.

Treximet may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

Important information

Do not take more than 2 Treximet tablets in 24 hours.

You should not use Treximet if you are allergic to sumatriptan (Imitrex) or naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox, Naprosyn), or if you have a history of asthma or allergic reaction caused by aspirin or other NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).

Do not take Treximet if you have liver disease, uncontrolled high blood pressure, or a history of heart disease, angina (chest pain), blood circulation problems, heart attack, stroke, or heart bypass surgery.

Do not take Treximet within 24 hours before or after taking any of the following medications: almotriptan (Axert), eletriptan (Relpax), frovatriptan (Frova), naratriptan (Amerge), rizatriptan (Maxalt, Maxalt-MLT), sumatriptan (Imitrex), or zolmitriptan (Zomig), or ergot medicine such as ergotamine (Ergomar, Cafergot, Migergot), dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45, Migranal), or methylergonovine (Methergine).

Before taking this medicine

You should not use Treximet if you are allergic to sumatriptan (Imitrex), naproxen (Aleve, Anaprox, Naprosyn), or if you have a history of asthma or allergic reaction caused by aspirin or other NSAIDs such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), diclofenac (Cataflam, Voltaren), etodolac (Lodine), indomethacin (Indocin), ketoprofen (Orudis), and others.

Do not take Treximet if you have:

• liver disease;

• untreated or uncontrolled high blood pressure; or

• a history of heart disease, angina (chest pain), blood circulation problems, heart attack, stroke, or heart bypass surgery (also called coronary artery bypass graft, or CABG).

Do not take Treximet if you have taken a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) such as furazolidone (Furoxone), isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam, Zelapar), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) in the past 14 days.

Do not take Treximet within 24 hours before or after taking any of the following medicines:

• almotriptan (Axert), eletriptan (Relpax), frovatriptan (Frova), naratriptan (Amerge), rizatriptan (Maxalt, Maxalt-MLT), sumatriptan (Imitrex), or zolmitriptan (Zomig); or

• ergot medicine such as ergotamine (Ergomar, Cafergot, Migergot), dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45, Migranal), or methylergonovine (Methergine).

If you any of these other conditions, you may need a dose adjustment or special tests to safely use Treximet:

• epilepsy or other seizure disorder;

• kidney disease;

• an intestinal disorder such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn"s disease;

• high blood pressure, congestive heart failure; or

• coronary artery disease (or risk factors that include diabetes, menopause, smoking, being overweight, having high blood pressure or 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. Taking naproxen during the last 3 months of pregnancy may harm the unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using this medication. Sumatriptan and naproxen can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. You should not breast-feed while you are taking Treximet.

See also: Pregnancy and breastfeeding warnings (in more detail)

How should I take Treximet?

Use Treximet exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label. Never use more than the recommended dose. Overuse of migraine headache medicine can actually make your headaches worse. Tell your doctor if the medicine seems to stop working as well.

Take one (1) Treximet tablet as soon as you notice headache symptoms, or after an attack has already begun. You may take Treximet with or without food.

Do not crush, chew, or break the tablet. Swallow the pill whole.

After taking a tablet: If your headache does not completely go away, or goes away and comes back, you may take a second tablet two (2) hours after the first.

You must wait at least 2 hours before taking a second tablet. Do not take more than 2 Treximet tablets in 24 hours. If your symptoms have not improved, contact your doctor before taking any more tablets.

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

Naproxen can cause you to have unusual results with certain medical tests. Tell any doctor who treats you if you have taken Treximet within the past 72 hours.

Store Treximet at room temperature away from moisture and heat.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Since Treximet is taken only when needed, it does not have a daily dosing schedule.

Do not take more than 2 Treximet tablets in 24 hours.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

Overdose symptoms may include dizziness, drowsiness, heartburn, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, breathing problems, black or bloody stools, coughing up blood, and seizure (convulsions).

What should I avoid?

Ask a doctor or pharmacist before using any other over-the-counter cold, allergy, or pain medicine.Many combination medicines contain medicines similar to naproxen (such as ibuprofen or ketoprofen). Taking certain products together can cause you to get too much of this type of medicine. Check the label to see if a medicine contains aspirin, ibuprofen, ketoprofen, or naproxen.

Avoid drinking alcohol. It may increase your risk of stomach bleeding caused by naproxen.

Treximet may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert.

Treximet side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction to Treximet: runny or stuffy nose; hives; wheezing or trouble breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Call your doctor at once if you a serious side effect such as:

• chest pain or pressure, tight feeling in your neck or jaw, pain spreading to your arm or shoulder;

• sudden numbness or weakness, confusion, problems with vision, speech, or balance;

• bloody, or tarry stools, coughing up blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds;

• nausea, upper stomach pain, itching, loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);

• swelling or rapid weight gain, urinating less than usual or not at all;

• pale skin, weakness, easy bruising, flu symptoms;

• numbness, tingling, pale or blue-colored appearance in your fingers or toes;

• severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash;

• seizure (convulsions); or

• (if you are also taking an antidepressant) -- agitation, hallucinations, fever, fast heart rate, overactive reflexes, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of coordination, fainting.

Less serious Treximet side effects may include:

• dizziness, drowsiness;

• constipation, upset stomach, dry mouth;

• warmth or tingly feeling, redness in your face;

• tight muscles; or

• mild pressure or heavy feeling in any part of your body.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

See also: Side effects (in more detail)

What other drugs will affect Treximet?

Many drugs can interact with Treximet. Below is just a partial list. Tell your doctor if you are using:

• a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven);

• lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid);

• methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall);

• probenecid (Benemid);

• a diuretic (water pill) such as furosemide (Lasix);

• steroids (prednisone and others);

• aspirin or other NSAIDs such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn, Naprelan), celecoxib (Celebrex), diclofenac (Cataflam, Voltaren), indomethacin (Indocin), meloxicam (Mobic), and others;

• heart or blood pressure medication such as atenolol (Tenormin, Tenoretic), benazepril (Lotensin), enalapril (Vasotec), lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), metoprolol (Dutoprol, Lopressor, Toprol), propranolol (Inderal, InnoPran), quinapril (Accupril), and others; or

• an antidepressant such as citalopram (Celexa), duloxetine (Cymbalta), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem, Symbyax), paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft), or venlafaxine (Effexor).

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with Treximet. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.