Sumatriptan and Naproxen

This information from Lexicomp^® explains what you need to know about this medication, including what it’s used for, how to take it, its side effects, and when to call your healthcare provider.

Brand Names: US

Treximet

Brand Names: Canada

Suvexx

What is this drug used for?

• It is used to treat migraine headaches.

What do I need to tell my doctor BEFORE I take this drug?

• If you are allergic to this drug; any part of this drug; or any other drugs, foods, or substances. Tell your doctor about the allergy and what signs you had.
• If you have an allergy to aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen or naproxen.
• If you have ever had asthma caused by a salicylate drug like aspirin or a drug like this one like NSAIDs.
• If you have any of these health problems: High blood pressure or liver disease.
• If you have any of these health problems: Heart failure (weak heart) or a recent heart attack.
• If you have any of these health problems: GI (gastrointestinal) bleeding or kidney problems.
• If you have ever had any of these health problems: Chest pain or pressure; diseased arteries going to the legs or arms; heart attack; heart disease; poor blood flow in the heart, brain, bowel, or kidney; stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA); certain migraines like hemiplegic or basilar migraines; or an abnormal heartbeat like Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.
• If you are having trouble getting pregnant or you are having your fertility checked.
• If you are taking any other NSAID, a salicylate drug like aspirin, or pemetrexed.
• If you have taken certain drugs used for depression like isocarboxazid, phenelzine, or tranylcypromine in the last 14 days. Taking this drug within 14 days of those drugs can cause severe high blood pressure.
• If you have taken almotriptan, eletriptan, frovatriptan, naratriptan, rizatriptan, or zolmitriptan in the last 24 hours.
• If you have taken ergotamine, methysergide, dihydroergotamine, or any drug like them in the last 24 hours.
• If you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or get pregnant while taking this drug. This drug may cause harm to an unborn baby if taken at 20 weeks or later in pregnancy. If you are between 20 to 30 weeks of pregnancy, only take this drug if your doctor has told you to. Do not take this drug if you are more than 30 weeks pregnant.
• If you are breast-feeding or plan to breast-feed.

This is not a list of all drugs or health problems that interact with this drug.

Tell your doctor and pharmacist about all of your drugs (prescription or OTC, natural products, vitamins) and health problems. You must check to make sure that it is safe for you to take this drug with all of your drugs and health problems. Do not start, stop, or change the dose of any drug without checking with your doctor.

What are some things I need to know or do while I take this drug?

• Tell all of your health care providers that you take this drug. This includes your doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and dentists.
• Avoid driving and doing other tasks or actions that call for you to be alert until you see how this drug affects you.
• If you have a headache that is not like your usual migraine headaches, talk with your doctor before you take this drug.
• This drug is not meant to prevent or lower the number of migraine headaches you get.
• This drug may affect certain lab tests. Tell all of your health care providers and lab workers that you take this drug.
• High blood pressure has happened with drugs like this one. Have your blood pressure checked as you have been told by your doctor.
• Talk with your doctor before you drink alcohol.
• If you smoke, talk with your doctor.
• If you have asthma, talk with your doctor. You may be more sensitive to this drug.
• If you are on a low-sodium or sodium-free diet, talk with your doctor. Some of these products have sodium.
• You may bleed more easily. Be careful and avoid injury. Use a soft toothbrush and an electric razor.
• If you are taking aspirin to help prevent a heart attack, talk with your doctor.
• Use care if you have risks for heart disease (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, overweight, high blood sugar or diabetes, cigarette smoking, male older than 40 years of age, other family members with early heart disease, female after menopause). Talk with your doctor.
• The chance of heart failure is raised with the use of drugs like this one. In people who already have heart failure, the chance of heart attack, having to go to the hospital for heart failure, and death is raised. Talk with the doctor.
• The chance of heart attack and heart-related death is raised in people taking drugs like this one after a recent heart attack. People taking drugs like this one after a first heart attack were also more likely to die in the year after the heart attack compared with people not taking drugs like this one. Talk with the doctor.
• If you are 65 or older, use this drug with care. You could have more side effects.
• NSAIDs like this drug may affect egg release (ovulation). This may affect being able to get pregnant. This goes back to normal when this drug is stopped. Talk with the doctor.

What are some side effects that I need to call my doctor about right away?

WARNING/CAUTION: Even though it may be rare, some people may have very bad and sometimes deadly side effects when taking a drug. Tell your doctor or get medical help right away if you have any of the following signs or symptoms that may be related to a very bad side effect:

• Signs of an allergic reaction, like rash; hives; itching; red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin with or without fever; wheezing; tightness in the chest or throat; trouble breathing, swallowing, or talking; unusual hoarseness; or swelling of the mouth, face, lips, tongue, or throat. Rarely, some allergic reactions have been deadly.
• Signs of bleeding like throwing up or coughing up blood; vomit that looks like coffee grounds; blood in the urine; black, red, or tarry stools; bleeding from the gums; abnormal vaginal bleeding; bruises without a cause or that get bigger; or bleeding you cannot stop.
• Signs of kidney problems like unable to pass urine, change in how much urine is passed, blood in the urine, or a big weight gain.
• Signs of high potassium levels like a heartbeat that does not feel normal; feeling confused; feeling weak, lightheaded, or dizzy; feeling like passing out; numbness or tingling; or shortness of breath.
• Signs of high blood pressure like very bad headache or dizziness, passing out, or change in eyesight.
• Severe stomach pain or bloody diarrhea.
• Change in eyesight, eye pain, or severe eye irritation.
• Loss of eyesight. This can be long-lasting.
• Shortness of breath, a big weight gain, or swelling in the arms or legs.
• Seizures.
• A burning, numbness, or tingling feeling that is not normal.
• Very bad and sometimes deadly heart problems like heart attack and a heartbeat that is not normal have rarely happened within a few hours of taking this drug. Call your doctor right away if you have chest, throat, neck, or jaw tightness, pain, pressure, or heaviness; break out in a cold sweat; shortness of breath; a fast heartbeat; a heartbeat that does not feel normal; or very bad dizziness or passing out.
• Very bad and sometimes deadly brain blood vessel problems like stroke have rarely happened with this drug. Call your doctor right away if you have weakness on 1 side of the body, trouble speaking or thinking, change in balance, drooping on 1 side of the face, or change in eyesight.
• Liver problems have happened with drugs like this one. Sometimes, this has been deadly. Call your doctor right away if you have signs of liver problems like dark urine, tiredness, decreased appetite, upset stomach or stomach pain, light-colored stools, throwing up, or yellow skin or eyes.
• A severe and sometimes deadly problem called serotonin syndrome may happen. The risk may be greater if you also take certain other drugs. Call your doctor right away if you have agitation; change in balance; confusion; hallucinations; fever; fast or abnormal heartbeat; flushing; muscle twitching or stiffness; seizures; shivering or shaking; sweating a lot; severe diarrhea, upset stomach, or throwing up; or very bad headache.
• Severe skin reactions may happen with this drug. These include Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), and other serious reactions. Sometimes, body organs may also be affected. These reactions can be deadly. Get medical help right away if you have signs like red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin; red or irritated eyes; sores in your mouth, throat, nose, eyes, genitals, or any areas of skin; fever; chills; body aches; shortness of breath; or swollen glands.

What are some other side effects of this drug?

All drugs may cause side effects. However, many people have no side effects or only have minor side effects. Call your doctor or get medical help if any of these side effects or any other side effects bother you or do not go away:

• Heartburn.
• Constipation, diarrhea, throwing up, or upset stomach.
• Gas.
• Feeling dizzy, sleepy, tired, or weak.
• Flushing.

These are not all of the side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, call your doctor. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

You may report side effects to your national health agency.

You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-332-1088. You may also report side effects at https://www.fda.gov/medwatch.

How is this drug best taken?

Use this drug as ordered by your doctor. Read all information given to you. Follow all instructions closely.

• Take with or without food. Take with food if it causes an upset stomach.
• Swallow whole. Do not chew, break, or crush.
• Take with liquids as early as you can after the attack has started.
• If your headache does not get any better after the first dose, talk with your doctor. If your headache gets better but comes back or if you only get some relief, you may take 1 more dose if your doctor has told you to do so. Be sure you know how many hours to wait before taking another dose.
• Taking more of this drug (a higher dose, more often) than your doctor told you to take may cause your headaches to become worse.

What do I do if I miss a dose?

• This drug is taken on an as needed basis. Do not take more often than told by the doctor.

How do I store and/or throw out this drug?

• Store at room temperature in a dry place. Do not store in a bathroom.
• Keep all drugs in a safe place. Keep all drugs out of the reach of children and pets.
• Throw away unused or expired drugs. Do not flush down a toilet or pour down a drain unless you are told to do so. Check with your pharmacist if you have questions about the best way to throw out drugs. There may be drug take-back programs in your area.

General drug facts

• If your symptoms or health problems do not get better or if they become worse, call your doctor.
• Do not share your drugs with others and do not take anyone else’s drugs.
• Some drugs may have another patient information leaflet. If you have any questions about this drug, please talk with your doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or other health care provider.
• This drug comes with an extra patient fact sheet called a Medication Guide. Read it with care. Read it again each time this drug is refilled. If you have any questions about this drug, please talk with the doctor, pharmacist, or other health care provider.
• If you think there has been an overdose, call your poison control center or get medical care right away. Be ready to tell or show what was taken, how much, and when it happened.

Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer

This generalized information is a limited summary of diagnosis, treatment, and/or medication information. It is not meant to be comprehensive and should be used as a tool to help the user understand and/or assess potential diagnostic and treatment options. It does NOT include all information about conditions, treatments, medications, side effects, or risks that may apply to a specific patient. It is not intended to be medical advice or a substitute for the medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment of a health care provider based on the health care provider’s examination and assessment of a patient’s specific and unique circumstances. Patients must speak with a health care provider for complete information about their health, medical questions, and treatment options, including any risks or benefits regarding use of medications. This information does not endorse any treatments or medications as safe, effective, or approved for treating a specific patient. UpToDate, Inc. and its affiliates disclaim any warranty or liability relating to this information or the use thereof. The use of this information is governed by the Terms of Use, available at https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/know/clinical-effectiveness-terms.

Last Reviewed Date

2024-04-09

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