Triptan (5-HT₁B/1D agonist)

Eletriptan

Brand names: Relpax

Adult dose

Dose: 40mg at onset; may repeat after 2h if recurrence; max 80mg/24h

Route: Oral

Frequency: PRN; max 2 doses per attack

Clinical pearls

NICE NG150: triptan first-line for acute migraine; eletriptan strongest receptor binding among oral triptans
BASH / ABN migraine guidance
Limit use ≤10 days/month to avoid medication overuse headache

Contraindications

IHD
Uncontrolled hypertension
Stroke / TIA
Hemiplegic / basilar migraine
Concurrent or recent MAOI/ergotamine
Severe hepatic impairment
Concurrent strong CYP3A4 inhibitors (avoid)

Side effects

Tightness/pressure (chest, throat)
Dizziness
Drowsiness
Tingling
Medication overuse headache

Interactions

MAOIs
Ergotamine (separate by 24h)
Strong CYP3A4 inhibitors (avoid: clarithromycin, ritonavir, ketoconazole)
Other serotonergics

Monitoring

Headache diary
CV risk factors
MOH risk

Reference: BNF; NICE NG150; BASH; ABN migraine guidance; https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/eletriptan/. Verify against your local formulary and the latest BNF before prescribing.

Curated clinical cross-links plus same-class fallbacks.

Calculators

MIDAS (Migraine Disability Assessment) · Headache

Pathways