Cafergot

Ergotamine tartrate (1mg) and Caffeine (100mg) Tablets

What Cafergot is used for

Cafergot is used to treat attacks of migraine with or without aura.

These headaches are thought to be caused by temporary changes in the size of small blood vessels in the brain. These blood vessels swell, causing the pain and visual disturbances that often happen during an attack. Cafergot stops the attack by causing the blood vessels to constrict (shrink) back to normal size.

Cafergot is only taken to treat migraine attacks. It is not taken to prevent attacks from happening.

There are some types of headaches which must not be treated with Cafergot. Your physician will determine the best treatment for your headache.

Cafergot tablets contain the active ingredients, ergotamine tartrate and caffeine. Ergotamine belongs to a group of medicines known as the "ergot alkaloids." Caffeine helps ergotamine work better and faster by increasing its absorption into the body.

Ask your physician if you have any questions about why this medicine has been prescribed for you. Your physician may have prescribed it for another reason.

There is not enough information to recommend this medicine for children under 6 years of age.

When you must not take Cafergot

Do not take Cafergot if you have ever had an allergic reaction to any of the following:

• ergotamine or caffeine, the active ingredients in Cafergot tablets
• any of the other ingredients listed at the end of this page
• any other ergot alkaloids (e.g. Ergodryl�, Ergometrine�, Syntometrine�).

Some of the symptoms of an allergic reaction may include shortness of breath, wheezing or difficulty breathing; swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body; rash, itching or hives on the skin.

Do not take Cafergot if you have any of the following health problems/medical conditions:

Do not take Cafergot if you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant. This medicine may affect your developing baby if you take it while you are pregnant. Do not breast-feed if you are using Cafergot. The active ingredients in Cafergot may pass into breast milk and may affect your baby.

Before you start to take Cafergot

Tell your physician if you smoke. Nicotine in cigarettes may increase the chance of you having an unwanted side effect called "ergotism" (excessive constriction of blood vessels). See Side Effects section for more information.

Tell your physician if you are allergic to any other medicines, foods, dyes or preservatives. Your physician will want to know if you are prone to allergies.

Tell your physician if you are taking any other medicines, including any that you buy without a prescription from a pharmacy, supermarket or health food store. Some medicines and Cafergot may interfere with each other. These include:

• some medicines used to treat HIV/AIDS, including ritonavir, nelfinavir, indinavir, delavirdine or saquinavir
• some medicines for infections, including ketoconazole, itraconazole, fluconazole, voriconazole, clotrimazole, erythromycin, clarithromycin, troleandomycin
• some medicines used to treat mental disorders, including nefazodone, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine
• other ergot alkaloids
• other medicines used to treat migraine such as sumatriptan
• nicotine in medicines used to help you quit smoking, such as nicotine patches or chewing gum
• beta-blocker medicines such as propranolol, which are used to prevent migraine and also to treat heart problems and high blood pressure
• any other medicine that can cause blood vessels to contract (shrink).

You may need to take different amounts of your medicines or to take different medicines while you are using Cafergot. Your physician and pharmacist have more information.

If you have not told your physician about any of these things, tell him/her before you start using this medicine.

How to use Cafergot

Follow all directions given to you by your physician and pharmacist carefully.

Adults: At the first sign of a migraine attack, swallow two Cafergot tablets. This dose is usually enough to stop an attack but, if the migraine doesn't go away, you can have another dose every half an hour to a maximum of 6 tablets in one day. Do not take more than 10 tablets in one week.

Children: At the first sign of a migraine attack, swallow one Cafergot tablet. This dose is usually enough to stop an attack but, if the migraine doesn't go away, you can have another dose every half an hour to a maximum of 3 tablets in one day. Do not take more than 5 tablets in one week.

If you take too much Cafergot or if you take it too often, you may have an increased risk of serious side effects such as "ergotism" or retroperitoneal or pleuropulmonary fibrosis (see Side Effects section for more information). You may also have side effects such as headaches, tiredness, runny nose and muscle pain when you stop using it.

Do not take sumatriptan, zolmitriptan or naratriptan or any medicine containing ergot alkaloids (e.g. Dihydergot� or Ergodryl�) at the same time as you take Cafergot. If you wish to take one of these other medicines following a dose of Cafergot, your physician or pharmacist can advise you how long to wait before you take it.

Things you must do while taking Cafergot

If you become pregnant while using Cafergot, tell your physician. Your physician can discuss with you the risks of using it while you are pregnant.

If you are about to be started on any new medicine, remind your physician and pharmacist that you are using Cafergot.

Tell any other physician, dentist or pharmacist who treats you that you are using Cafergot.

Things you must not do while taking Cafergot

Do not take Cafergot to prevent a migraine attack from happening. This medicine should only be taken to treat a migraine once it has started.

Do not give this medicine to anyone else, even if their condition seems similar to yours.

Do not take it to treat any other complaints unless your physician tells you to.

This medicine is not appropriate for common 'tension' headaches.

Things to be careful of while taking Cafergot

Be careful driving, operating machinery or doing jobs that require you to be alert until you know how Cafergot affects you. This medicine may cause dizziness or vertigo (spinning sensation) in some people. Make sure you know how it affects you before you drive a car, operate machinery, or do anything else that could be dangerous.

Side effects

Tell your physician or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are using Cafergot, even if you do not think it is connected with the medicine. All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, but most of the time they are not. You may need medical treatment if you get some of the side effects. Do not be alarmed by these lists of possible side effects. You may not experience any of them. Ask your physician or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have.

Stop using Cafergot and tell your physician immediately if you notice any of the following:

• signs of allergy such as rash, itching or hives on the skin; swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other part of the body; wheezing or troubled breathing
• signs of "ergotism" (excessive constriction of blood vessels) such as numbness, coldness, tingling or a pale or bluish colour in the fingers or toes, pain or spasms in muscles, weakness in the lower legs, chest pain
• pain in the lower back or side, associated with difficulty in passing urine or pain on urinating, which may be a sign of retroperitoneal fibrosis, a thickening of the abdominal lining that can cause obstruction of the urinary tract
• shortness of breath, dry cough, pain in the chest or rib area, which may be a sign of pleuropulmonary fibrosis, a scarring and thickening of lung tissue

The above are serious side effects that need medical attention.

Tell your physician if you notice any of the following and they worry you:

• nausea (feeling sick) or vomiting
• stomach pain
• diarrhoea
• dizziness
• dull headaches
• fast, slow or irregular heart beat

Tell your physician if you notice anything else that is making you feel unwell. Some people may have other side effects not yet known or mentioned.

Cafergot ingredients

Cafergot tablets contain 1 mg of ergotamine tartrate and 100 mg of caffeine. They also contain the following inactive ingredients:

• tartaric acid
• magnesium stearic
• purified talc
• maize starch
• cellulose, microcrystalline
• iron oxide yellow (E172)
• talc

Delivery Time: 7-14 Days