Amerge is used for the short term treatment of most migraine attacks in adults. Amerge is not used to prevent migraines, or to decrease the number of migraine attacks. Amerge has not been shown to treat cluster headaches.

Who should not take Amerge?

You should not take Amerge if you have any of following conditions:

• History of heart or circulatory disease, including heart attack, angina (chest pain), or stroke.
• Uncontrolled high blood pressure.
• Severe kidney or liver disease.
• Hemiplegic or basilar migraine.
• You have taken other migraine medications in the same class as Amerge, or medications containing ergotamine, dihydroergotamine, or methysergide within the past 24 hours.
• You have had an allergic reaction to the drug or its ingredients.

General Precautions: 

If you have the following conditions your health care provider will evaluate you to decide if Amerge is right for you:

• Risk factors for heart disease including, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, smoking, strong family history of heart disease, or if you are postmenopausal, or a male over 40
• Mild to moderate kidney or liver disease

What are some possible side effects of Amerge? (This is NOT a complete list of side effects reported with Amerge. Your health care provider can discuss with you a more complete list of side effects.)

Some signs of rare but serious side effects include:

• Pain or tightness in the chest or throat. If severe, or does not go away, call your health care provider right away. If this happens at all, discuss with your health care provider before taking any more Amerge.
• Rarely, people have a serious allergic reaction to Amerge. This could cause shortness of breath, wheeziness, heart throbbing, swelling of eyelids, face, or lips, or a skin rash, lumps or hives. If this happens, tell your health care provider right away.

Other side effects may include:

• Feelings of tingling, heat, or flushing
• Chest heaviness, or pressure
• Feeling tired
• Dizziness

Reports of patients’ experience after Amerge became available:

• peripheral vascular ischemia which is a tightening of the blood vessels in the limbs (often the legs).  The classic symptom is cramps.
• colonic ischemia which is a tightening of the blood vessels in the colon.  Symptoms may include bloody diarrhea and abdominal pain.

For more detailed information about Amerge, ask your health care provider.