Nurtec ODT contains one active ingredient, rimegepant sulfate, at a strength of 75 mg per tablet. It also contains ten inactive ingredients that give the tablet its structure, flavor, and ability to dissolve on your tongue. The medication is FDA-approved for both stopping a migraine attack in progress and preventing episodic migraines.
The Active Ingredient: Rimegepant
Each Nurtec tablet contains 85.65 mg of rimegepant sulfate, which is equivalent to 75 mg of the active drug (rimegepant free base). The difference in those numbers comes from the sulfate salt form, which helps stabilize the compound but doesn’t contribute to the therapeutic effect.
Rimegepant works by blocking a receptor for a protein called CGRP (calcitonin gene-related peptide). During a migraine, CGRP levels spike and trigger pain signaling and inflammation in the brain. By sitting on the CGRP receptor and preventing the protein from binding, rimegepant interrupts that cascade. This is a different approach from older migraine drugs like triptans, which work by narrowing blood vessels.
Full List of Inactive Ingredients
Beyond the active drug, Nurtec contains ten inactive ingredients. Some create the tablet’s structure, others add flavor, and a few help it dissolve quickly in your mouth:
- Gelatin and mannitol form the base of the orally disintegrating tablet, giving it enough structure to hold together in the package while still breaking apart rapidly on your tongue.
- Sucralose is an artificial sweetener that makes the tablet palatable as it dissolves.
- Menthol, menthone, menthyl acetate, and eucalyptol provide a cool, minty flavor profile.
- Vanillin adds a subtle vanilla note.
- Limonene is a citrus-derived flavoring compound.
- Benzyl alcohol serves as a preservative.
If you have a known allergy to any of these ingredients, or to rimegepant itself, the medication is contraindicated. Hypersensitivity reactions including anaphylaxis have been reported, though they are rare.
How the Tablet Works Physically
Nurtec is an orally disintegrating tablet (ODT), meaning you don’t swallow it with water like a standard pill. You place it on your tongue or under your tongue, and it dissolves in your saliva within seconds. This is particularly useful during a migraine, when nausea can make swallowing a regular tablet difficult. The tablets are white to off-white, round, and come individually sealed in blister packs.
Common Side Effects
Nurtec has a relatively mild side effect profile. In clinical trials, nausea was the most frequently reported issue, affecting about 2 to 2.7% of people taking rimegepant compared to less than 1% on placebo. Stomach pain and indigestion occurred in roughly 2.4% of treated patients versus 0.8% on placebo. Most people tolerate it without noticeable problems.
Drug Interactions That Affect How It Works
Rimegepant is broken down in the body primarily by a liver enzyme called CYP3A4. Medications that strongly inhibit this enzyme can cause rimegepant to build up to roughly four times its normal levels in your blood. Common strong CYP3A4 inhibitors include certain antifungals and some HIV medications. On the flip side, drugs that rev up CYP3A4 activity (strong inducers like rifampin, used for tuberculosis) can slash rimegepant levels by as much as 80%, potentially making it ineffective.
Rimegepant is also a substrate of two transport proteins (P-gp and BCRP) that help move drugs through cell membranes. Medications that block these transporters can similarly increase how much rimegepant your body absorbs. If you take any of these types of medications regularly, your prescriber will need to adjust your dosing schedule or consider alternatives.