Cafergot ergotamine tartrate and caffeine 1 mg; 100 mg Tablet, Film Coated, 40-count
🆔 Identity & classification
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🏷️ RxNorm drug class
This medicine belongs to the Central Nervous System Stimulant class.
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🏭 Manufacturer & labeler
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🩺 Clinical
The combination of ergotamine and caffeine is used to prevent and treat migraine headaches. Caffeine is a CNS stimulant. It works by changing the amounts of certain natural substances in the brain. Ergotamine is in a class of medications called ergot alkaloids. It works together with caffeine to prevent blood vessels in the head from expanding and causing headaches.
Read the full MedlinePlus article ↗- Take it at the very first sign of an attack — even if you're not sure it's a full migraine yet. The earlier you take it, the better it works. Waiting until the headache is at its w...
- When exactly should I take this medication once a migraine starts?
- No — and this is really important. Neither the tablets nor the Migergot suppositories are meant for daily, long-term use. Using them too often has been linked to serious complicati...
- Can I use this every day to prevent migraines?
Patient education
Supplement & herbal interactions
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💊 What it looks like
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🧪 Inactive Ingredients / Excipients
Inactive ingredients, also called excipients, are components of the drug product other than the active ingredient. They may include fillers, dyes, coatings, preservatives, flavors, or other formulation ingredients.
💡 Tap an ingredient (hover on desktop) to see what it is and why it’s used.
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UNII OP1R32D61U
Microcrystalline cellulose is a purified form of cellulose, a natural fiber from plant sources. It acts as a binder and filler in tablets and capsules, helping hold ingredients together and give the medicine its shape and size.
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UNII 68401960MK
Crospovidone is a synthetic polymer made from polyvinylpyrrolidone. It acts as a disintegrant, helping tablets break apart quickly in the stomach so the medicine dissolves and absorbs into the body.
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UNII L06K8R7DQK
A synthetic blue dye approved by the FDA for use in medications and foods. It serves as a colorant to make pills and liquids visually distinct and easier to identify.
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UNII WZB9127XOA
A synthetic red dye used to color medications and make them easier to identify. It serves as a colorant in tablets, capsules, and liquid formulations.
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UNII I753WB2F1M
FD&C Yellow No. 5 is a synthetic yellow colorant approved by the FDA. It is added to medicines to make pills, tablets, or liquids visually distinct and easier to identify.
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UNII 70097M6I30
Magnesium stearate is a salt made from magnesium and stearic acid, a fatty substance. It's used in tablets and capsules as a lubricant and glidant to help ingredients flow smoothly during manufacturing and prevent sticking.
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UNII 3WJQ0SDW1A
Polyethylene glycol is a synthetic liquid or solid polymer used in medicines as a solvent, lubricant, and humectant. It helps dissolve active ingredients, reduces friction during manufacturing, and retains moisture in the final product.
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UNII 532B59J990
Polyvinyl alcohol is a synthetic polymer made from plant-derived materials. It's used as a binder to hold ingredients together, a film-former in coatings, and a thickener in liquid formulations.
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UNII ETJ7Z6XBU4
Silicon dioxide is a naturally occurring mineral used as a glidant and anti-caking agent. It helps powder ingredients flow smoothly and prevents clumping during manufacturing and storage.
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UNII 7SEV7J4R1U
A powder made from a naturally occurring mineral. In medicines, talc works as a glidant and anti-caking agent, helping tablets and capsules flow smoothly during manufacturing and preventing clumping.
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UNII 15FIX9V2JP
Titanium dioxide is a bright white mineral powder commonly used as a colorant and opacifying agent. It makes pills and tablets white or lighter in color and helps make coatings non-transparent.
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UNII 059QF0KO0R
Water is a liquid solvent that dissolves and mixes ingredients together in liquid medicines, syrups, and injections. It helps distribute the active drug evenly throughout the product.
12 inactive ingredients listed in the exact product block matched to this NDC.
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ingredient classCode="IACT" elements from the exact product block matched by this NDC. Label-section narrative from DailyMed / the openFDA label index is shown separately when available.Inactive ingredient FAQ
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💲 Pricing
A drug doesn't have one price. Each row is a different public payment system, and none is what you'd pay at the counter — that depends on your insurance. The ⓘ on each row explains what it measures.
| Price system | Per each | Per package |
|---|---|---|
| Retail pharmacies payNADAC · weekly | Not in the retail survey — common for institutional, discontinued, or low-volume packs. | |
| Medicaid paysCMS SDUD · 12 mo | No recent Medicaid claims on file for this NDC — rare and low-volume NDCs are suppressed in the public data. | |
| Medicare drug plans payPart D · quarterly | No Part D plan price is available for this NDC in our data. | |
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🔁 Therapeutic equivalents
| Product | Labeler | Pack | NADAC/unit | TE | Status | Price vs. this |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ergotamine tartrate and caffeine 1 mg/1; 100 mg 24470-0917-10 | Cintex | 100 tablets | — | — | FDA listed | — |
| Cafergot 1 mg/1; 100 mgthis 73352-0917-40 | Trifluent | 40 tablets | — | — | FDA listed | — |
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⏳ Availability & generic status
This product is an FDA-approved generic. Other versions of the same drug are listed under Therapeutic equivalents, least expensive first.
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🔬 Reported adverse events (FAERS)
Top reported reactions
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📦 Packaging — all sizes for this product
| Package NDC | Description | Marketing start | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 73352-0917-40 You're viewing this | 40 TABLET, FILM COATED in 1 BOTTLE, PLASTIC (73352-917-40) | 2026-03-23 | Active |
🧭 About this NDC listing & data coverage
What data is (and isn’t) available for this NDC — tap to expand
| NDC identity (package / product / labeler codes) | ✓ Available |
| Labeler | ✓ Available |
| Product & package description | ✓ Available |
| Marketing category & status | ✓ Available |
| Active ingredient / dosage form / route | ✓ Available |
| FDA label (SPL via DailyMed) | ✓ Available |
| Package photos | ✓ Available |
| Inactive ingredients (structured) | ✓ Available |
| NADAC pharmacy acquisition price (CMS) | — Not published for this NDC CMS publishes NADAC only for NDCs reported in its retail-pharmacy survey. |
| Orange Book / therapeutic-equivalence data | — Not published for this NDC Applies only to products approved under an NDA/ANDA; many listings are out of scope. |
| HCPCS J-code billing crosswalk | — Not published for this NDC Most self-administered / retail products have no J-code — that is normal. |
| Medicaid utilization (CMS SDUD) | — Not published for this NDC CMS reports utilization only for NDCs with Medicaid claims above its privacy threshold. |
Questions about this listing
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📄 Full prescribing information FDA SPL
🚨 Boxed Warning ▾
WARNING Serious and/or life-threatening peripheral ischemia has been associated with the coadministration of ergotamine tartrate and caffeine tablets with potent CYP 3A4 inhibitors including protease inhibitors and macrolide antibiotics. Because CYP 3A4 inhibition elevates the serum levels of ergotamine tartrate and caffeine tablets, the risk for vasospasm leading to cerebral ischemia and/or ischemia of the extremities is increased. Hence, concomitant use of these medications is contraindicated (see also CONTRAINDICATIONS and WARNINGS sections).
🎯 Indications and Usage ▾
INDICATIONS AND USAGE Ergotamine tartrate and caffeine tablets are indicated as therapy to abort or prevent vascular headache; e.g., migraine, migraine variants or so-called “histaminic cephalalgia.”
⏱️ Dosage and Administration ▾
DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Procedure: For the best results, dosage should start at the first sign of an attack. Adults: Take 2 tablets at the start of attack; 1 additional tablet every ½ hour, if needed for full relief (maximum 6 tablets per attack, 10 per week). Maximum Adult Dosage: Total daily dose for any one attack should not exceed 6 tablets.
Total weekly dosage should not exceed 10 tablets. Ergotamine tartrate and caffeine tablets should not be used for chronic daily administration. In carefully selected patients, with due consideration of maximum dosage recommendations, administration of the drug at bedtime may be an appropriate short-term preventive measure.
⛔ Contraindications ▾
CONTRAINDICATIONS Coadministration of ergotamine with potent CYP 3A4 inhibitors (ritonavir, nelfinavir, indinavir, erythromycin, clarithromycin, and troleandomycin) has been associated with acute ergot toxicity (ergotism) characterized by vasospasm and ischemia of the extremities (see PRECAUTIONS : Drug Interactions ), with some cases resulting in amputation. There have been rare reports of cerebral ischemia in patients on protease inhibitor therapy when ergotamine tartrate and caffeine tablets was coadministered, at least one resulting in death.
Because of the increased risk of ergotism and other serious vasospastic adverse events, ergotamine use is contraindicated with these drugs and other potent inhibitors of CYP 3A4 (e.g., ketoconazole, itraconazole) (see WARNINGS : CYP 3A4 Inhibitors ). Ergotamine tartrate and caffeine tablets may cause fetal harm when administered to pregnant women. Ergotamine tartrate and caffeine tablets is contraindicated in women who are or may become pregnant.
If this drug is used during pregnancy or if the patient becomes pregnant while taking this product, the patient should be apprised of the potential hazard to the fetus. Peripheral vascular disease, coronary heart disease, hypertension, impaired hepatic or renal function and sepsis. Hypersensitivity to any of the components.
⚠️ Warnings ▾
WARNINGS - CYP 3A4 Inhibitors (e.g. Macrolide Antibiotics and Protease Inhibitors) Coadministration of ergotamine with potent CYP 3A4 inhibitors such as protease inhibitors or macrolide antibiotics has been associated with serious adverse events; for this reason, these drugs should not be given concomitantly with ergotamine (See CONTRAINDICATIONS ) . While these reactions have not been reported with less potent CYP 3A4 inhibitors, there is a potential risk for serious toxicity including vasospasm when these drugs are used with ergotamine.
Examples of less potent CYP 3A4 inhibitors include: saquinavir, nefazodone, fluconazole, fluoxetine, grapefruit juice, fluvoxamine, zileuton, metronidazole, and clotrimazole. These lists are not exhaustive, and the prescriber should consider the effects on CYP 3A4 of other agents being considered for concomitant use with ergotamine. Fibrotic Complications There have been a few reports of patients on ergotamine tartrate and caffeine therapy developing retroperitoneal and/or pleuropulmonary fibrosis.
There have also been rare reports of fibrotic thickening of the aortic, mitral, tricuspid, and/or pulmonary valves with long-term continuous use of ergotamine tartrate and caffeine. Ergotamine tartrate and caffeine tablets should not be used for chronic daily administration (see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION ).
🤒 Adverse Reactions ▾
ADVERSE REACTIONS Cardiovascular: Vasoconstrictive complications of a serious nature may occur at times. These include ischemia, cyanosis, absence of pulse, cold extremities, gangrene, precordial distress and pain, EKG changes and muscle pains. Although these effects occur most commonly with long-term therapy at relatively high doses, they have also been reported with short-term or normal doses.
Other cardiovascular adverse effects include transient tachycardia or bradycardia and hypertension. Gastrointestinal: Nausea and vomiting Neurological: Paresthesias, numbness, weakness, and vertigo Allergic: Localized edema and itching. Fibrotic Complications: (see WARNINGS ).
To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Trifluent Pharma at 1-888-927-5191, or contact FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.
🔄 Drug Interactions ▾
Drug Interactions - CYP 3A4 Inhibitors (e.g. Macrolide Antibiotics and Protease Inhibitors) See CONTRAINDICATIONS and WARNINGS . Ergotamine tartrate and caffeine tablets should not be administered with other vasoconstrictors.
Use with sympathomimetics (pressor agents) may cause extreme elevation of blood pressure. The beta-blocker Inderal (propranolol) has been reported to potentiate the vasoconstrictive action of ergotamine tartrate and caffeine tablets by blocking the vasodilating property of epinephrine. Nicotine may provoke vasoconstriction in some patients, predisposing to a greater ischemic response to ergot therapy.
The blood levels of ergotamine-containing drugs are reported to be elevated by the concomitant administration of macrolide antibiotics and vasospastic reactions have been reported with therapeutic doses of the ergotamine-containing drugs when coadministered with these antibiotics.
🤰 Pregnancy ▾
Pregnancy - Teratogenic Effects - Pregnancy Category X There are no studies on the placental transfer or teratogenicity of the combined products of ergotamine tartrate and caffeine tablets. Caffeine is known to cross the placenta and has been shown to be teratogenic in animals. Ergotamine crosses the placenta in small amounts, although it does not appear to be embryotoxic in this quantity.
However, prolonged vasoconstriction of the uterine vessels and/or increased myometrial tone leading to reduced myometrial and placental blood flow may have contributed to fetal growth retardation observed in animals (see CONTRAINDICATIONS ). Nonteratogenic Effects Ergotamine tartrate and caffeine tablets is contraindicated in pregnancy due to the oxytocic effects of ergotamine (see CONTRAINDICATIONS ).
🧒 Pediatric Use ▾
Pediatric Use Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients have not been established.
🆘 Overdosage ▾
OVERDOSAGE The toxic effects of an acute overdosage of ergotamine tartrate and caffeine tablets are due primarily to the ergotamine component. The amount of caffeine is such that its toxic effects will be overshadowed by those of ergotamine. Symptoms include vomiting; numbness, tingling, pain and cyanosis of the extremities associated with diminished or absent peripheral pulses; hypertension or hypotension; drowsiness, stupor, coma, convulsions and shock.
A case has been reported of reversible bilateral papillitis with ring scotomata in a patient who received five times the recommended daily adult dose over a period of 14 days. Treatment consists of removal of the offending drug by induction of emesis, gastric lavage, and catharsis. Maintenance of adequate pulmonary ventilation, correction of hypotension, and control of convulsions and blood pressure are important considerations.
Treatment of peripheral vasospasm should consist of warmth, but not heat, and protection of the ischemic limbs. Vasodilators may be beneficial but caution must be exercised to avoid aggravating an already existent hypotension.
🧬 Clinical Pharmacology ▾
CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY Ergotamine is an alpha adrenergic blocking agent with a direct stimulating effect on the smooth muscle of peripheral and cranial blood vessels and produces depression of central vasomotor centers. The compound also has the properties of serotonin antagonism. In comparison to hydrogenated ergotamine, the adrenergic blocking actions are less pronounced and vasoconstrictive actions are greater.
Caffeine, also a cranial vasoconstrictor, is added to further enhance the vasoconstrictive effect without the necessity of increasing ergotamine dosage. Many migraine patients experience excessive nausea and vomiting during attacks, making it impossible for them to retain any oral medication. In such cases, therefore, the only practical means of medication is through the rectal route where medication may reach the cranial vessels directly, evading the splanchnic vasculature and the liver.
Pharmacokinetics Interactions : Pharmacokinetic interactions (increased blood levels of ergotamine) have been reported in patients treated orally with ergotamine and macrolide antibiotics (e.g., troleandomycin, clarithromycin, erythromycin), and in patients treated orally with ergotamine and protease inhibitors (e.g. ritonavir) presumably due to inhibition of cytochrome P450 3A metabolism of ergotamine (see CONTRAINDICATIONS ). Ergotamine has also been shown to be an inhibitor of cytochrome P450 3A catalyzed reactions.
No pharmacokinetic interactions involving other cytochrome P450 isoenzymes are known.
📦 How Supplied / Storage and Handling ▾
HOW SUPPLIED Cafergot® (ergotamine tartrate and caffeine) tablets, USP for oral administration are available as: 1 mg/100 mg: beige (film coated), round, convex face tablets, debossed “123” on one side and “MH” on the other side. Bottles of 40 .......NDC 73352-917-40 Store at 20° to 25°C (68° to 77°F) (see USP Controlled Room Temperature). Dispense in a tight, light-resistant container.
KEEP OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN. Distributed by Trifluent Pharma, LLC San Antonio, TX 78213 Rev. 01 01/2026
📋 Description ▾
DESCRIPTION Each tablet for oral administration contains 1 mg ergotamine tartrate, USP, and 100 mg caffeine, USP. ERGOTAMINE TARTRATE: (C 33 H 35 N 5 O 5 ) 2 • C 4 H 6 O 6 M.W. 1313.41 Ergotaman-3’,6’,18-trione, 12’-hydroxy-2’-methyl-5’-(phenyl-methyl)-, (5’α), [R-(R*, R*)]-2,3-dihydroxy-butanedioate (2:1) (salt) CAFFEINE: C 8 H 10 N 4 O 2 (anhydrous) M.W.
194.19 1 H -Purine-2,6-dione, 3,7-dihydro-1,3,7-trimethyl- Inactive ingredients include colloidal silicon dioxide, crospovidone, magnesium stearate, and microcrystalline cellulose. Film coating includes the following ingredients: macrogol/PEG 3350, polyvinyl alcohol, purified water, talc, titanium dioxide, FD&C blue #2 aluminum lake, FD&C red #40 aluminum lake, and FD&C yellow #5 tartrazine aluminum lake. structure1 structure2
💬 Information for Patients ▾
Information for Patients Patients should be advised that two tablets of ergotamine tartrate and caffeine tablets should be taken at the first sign of a migraine headache. No more than 6 tablets should be taken for any single migraine attack. No more than 10 tablets should be taken during any 7-day period.
Administration of ergotamine tartrate and caffeine tablets should not exceed the dosing guidelines and should not be used for chronic daily administration (see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION ). Ergotamine tartrate and caffeine tablets should be used only for migraine headaches. It is not effective for other types of headaches and it lacks analgesic properties.
Patients should be advised to report to the physician immediately any of the following: numbness or tingling in the fingers and toes, muscle pain in the arms and legs, weakness in the legs, pain in the chest or temporary speeding or slowing of the heart rate, swelling or itching.