A side effect is usually regarded as an undesirable secondary effect that occurs in addition to the desired therapeutic effect of a drug or medication. Side effects may vary for each individual depending on the person’s disease state, age, weight, gender, ethnicity, and general health.
Side effects can occur when commencing, decreasing/increasing dosages, or ending a drug or medication regimen. Side effects may also lead to non-compliance with prescribed treatment. When side effects of a drug or medication are severe, the dosage may be adjusted or a second medication may be prescribed. Lifestyle or dietary changes may also help to minimize side effects.
What is Ubrelvy?
Ubrelvy is an oral, non-narcotic pill taken during a migraine attack. But it’s important to know that Ubrelvy isn’t used to prevent migraine symptoms. With migraine, you can have several symptoms, including severe headaches. Migraine affects an estimated more than 10% of people worldwide, occurs most often among people aged 20 to 50 years, and is about 3 times more common in women than in men. In a large US survey, 17.1% of women and 5.6% of men reported having migraine symptoms.
How Ubrelvy treats migraine
Ubrelvy is approved for the immediate treatment of migraine in adults. The drug isn’t approved to prevent migraine episodes from happening.
Migraine is a condition that often includes a severe headache and other symptoms, such as nausea and sensitivity to sound or light. Migraine can occur with or without an aura. An aura is a group of symptoms that cause sensory disturbances, such as tingling on one side of your body or seeing bright flashes of light.
It isn’t known for sure what causes migraine. But a protein called calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is thought to play a role. A high level of CGRP in your brain can cause swollen blood vessels in your head. This swelling can lead to severe pain and other migraine symptoms.
Ubrelvy belongs to a group of drugs called CGRP antagonists. The drug attaches to CGRP receptors in your brain (Receptors are proteins on the outside of cells that act as docking stations.). This leads to lower levels of CGRP in your brain, which then eases your migraine symptoms.
Most people who take Ubrelvy experience relief from their migraine symptoms within 2 hours of taking a dose.
What are the side effects of Ubrelvy?
Side effects of Ubrelvy include:
- drowsiness
- dry mouth
- nausea
This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.
In the US – Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or at www.fda.gov/medwatch.
In Canada – Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345.
What to do if Ubrelvy does not work?
Sometimes, when a patient says their medicine isn’t working, what they mean is that they have side effects they can’t tolerate. If the problem is side effects, then you definitely need to change treatments, perhaps to a more tolerable drug.
If Ubrelvy does not seem to work for you or the side effects are too severe, talk to your doctor. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Your doctor will likely suggest another medication or preventive treatment drugs that can stop migraines before it starts. It can make what you do feel less severe.
There are also many natural therapies that can be useful too. Your headache specialist may suggest:
- Acupuncture
- Physical therapy
- Cognitive behavior therapy
- Biofeedback
- Stress management (like deep breathing, meditation, and relaxation exercises)
