What is Relpax?
Relpax is a type of medication called a triptan, which is formulated specifically to help you with the symptoms of migraine attacks. It’s a tablet treatment that you take when you start to notice the symptoms of a migraine attack - it won’t prevent migraines from occurring if you take it on a scheduled basis.
Migraine symptoms are thought to happen as a result of temporary changes to your brain's chemistry, instigated by a ‘trigger’. It can vary from person to person what triggers their migraine, for some it can be as a result of stress or lack of sleep, whereas some women get migraines as they’re coming on their period.
How does Relpax work?
When someone experiences a migraine, the blood vessels in their brain widen, allowing the transmission of more pain signals.
Relpax, like other triptans, works by binding to the serotonin receptors in your brain. This then causes the blood vessels in your brain to narrow, reducing the transmission of pain signals and improving your migraine symptoms.
What doses of Relpax are there?
There are two doses of Relpax: 20mg and 40mg. You’ll likely be prescribed the 40mg tablet unless you have a kidney impairment, in which case you’ll be recommended the 20mg dose.
It’s not recommended that you exceed 80mg (two tablets) a day. If you often feel like 40mg doesn’t help with your symptoms as you’d hoped, speak to our clinician. You might find another treatment to be more effective.