Cafergot

Drug Name

Cafergot (Caffeine/Ergotamine)

Drug Uses

Cafergot is used for preventing and treating certain kinds of headaches (e.g., migraines, migraine variants, histaminic cephalalgia). It may also be used for other conditions as determined by your doctor.

How Taken

Use Cafergot as directed by your doctor.

Cafergot may be taken with or without food.

Eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice may affect the amount of Cafergot in your blood. Talk with your doctor before including grapefruit or grapefruit juice in your diet.

Cafergot is only to be used as needed for a migraine attack.

Take Cafergot at the first sign of a headache. If the initial dose does not relieve your headache, additional doses may be needed according to your doctor's instructions. Do not take a dose of Cafergot within 30 minutes of your last dose.

Do not take more than 6 tablets for a single migraine headache or more than 10 tablets during any 7-day period without first checking with your doctor.

Ask your health care provider any questions you may have about how to use Cafergot.

Drug Class and Mechanism

Cafergot is a combination of 2 vasoconstrictors. It works by constricting blood vessels in the lining of the brain, which helps to decrease the pain from migraine headaches.

Missed Dose

If you miss a dose of Cafergot and you still have a headache, take it as soon as you remember. Do not take a dose of Cafergot within 30 minutes of your last dose. Do not take 2 doses at once.

Storage

Store Cafergot at room temperature, between 68 and 77 degrees F (20 and 25 degrees C). Store away from heat, moisture, and light. Keep Cafergot out of the reach of children and away from pets.

Warnings/Precautions

Do not use Cafergot if:

• you are allergic to any ingredient in Cafergot.
• you are pregnant or may become pregnant.
• you have blood vessel problems (e.g., peripheral vascular disease), coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, liver or kidney problems, or severe infection (e.g., sepsis).
• you are taking an azole antifungal (e.g., itraconazole, ketoconazole, voriconazole), delavirdine, HIV protease inhibitors (e.g., delavirdine, indinavir, nelfinavir, ritonavir), efavirenz, a ketolide antibiotic (e.g., telithromycin), a macrolide antibiotic (e.g., clarithromycin, erythromycin), or selective 5-HT agonists (e.g., sumatriptan, eletriptan).

Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you.

Important:

Do not exceed the recommended dose or take Cafergot for longer than prescribed without checking with your doctor. Cafergot is not for long-term daily use.

Do not take Cafergot for any other kind of headaches. Cafergot is not effective in treating other types of headaches.

Use of nicotine may increase the risk of severe side effects with Cafergot . Talk to you doctor before using Cafergot if you smoke or use any other kind of nicotine.

Use Cafergot with extreme caution in children. Safety and effectiveness have not been confirmed.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Do not use Cafergot if you are pregnant. If you suspect that you could be pregnant, contact your doctor immediately. Cafergot should not be taken during labor and delivery. Cafergot is excreted in breast milk. If you are or will be breast-feeding while you are using Cafergot , check with your doctor or pharmacist to discuss the risks to your baby.

Possible Side Effects

Check with your doctor if any of these most common side effects persist or become bothersome: nausea.

Seek medical attention right away if any of these severe side effects occur:

• severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue);
• blue color of the fingers or toes;
• chest pain or tightness;
• cold or pale fingers or toes;
• diarrhea; dizziness;
• hallucinations;
• headache;
• irregular heartbeat;
• leg cramps or weakness;
• mental or mood changes;
• muscle pain;
• numbness or tingling of the hands, feet, or skin;
• ringing in the ears;
• seizure;
• severe or persistent nausea or vomiting;
• shortness of breath;
• swelling;
• temporary fast or slow heartbeat; vomiting;
• weak pulse.

More Information

Cafergot is to be used only by the patient for whom it is prescribed. Do not share it with other people.

If your symptoms do not improve or if they become worse, check with your doctor.

What is the shelf life of the pills?

• The expiry date is mentioned on each blister. It is different for different batches. The shelf life is 2 years from the date of manufacture and would differ from batch to batch depending on when they were manufactured.

Other Useful Information:

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The Chinese surgeon Zhong Wei Chen (1929-2004) was the "father of replantation." Dr. Chen was the first to reattach a severed hand with success which he did in 1963. Dr. Chen also developed many microsurgical procedures including techniques for preserving severed extremities, reattaching amputated fingers and thumbs, reconstructing muscles and repairing nerves and blood vessels.

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