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Ergotamine Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of ergotamine include headache, nausea, and migraine, based on 306 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 7.8% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Ergotamine side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for ergotamine.

1
Drug Ineffective7.8%24
2
Headache6.2%19
3
Nausea4.2%13
4
Migraine4.2%13
5
Drug Hypersensitivity4.2%13
6
Nausea3.3%10
7
Headache3.3%10
8
Migraine3.3%10
9
Drug Ineffective2.9%9
10
Dyspnoea2.9%9
11
Fatigue2.9%9
12
Vomiting2.6%8
13
Fatigue2.6%8
14
Ergot Poisoning2.6%8
15
Pain2.3%7

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that ergotamine caused these reactions.

Report severity

66.7%Serious204 reports
28.1%Hospitalizations86 reports
4.2%Fatal13 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Ergotamine drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside ergotamine. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Caffeine42.8%131
2
Sumatriptan8.2%25
3
Acetaminophen4.9%15
4
Dihydroergotamine-mesylate3.3%10
5
Zolmitriptan3.3%10
6
Aspirin2.9%9
7
Naproxen2.9%9
8
Erythromycin2.6%8
9
Sodium-oxybate2.3%7
10
Topiramate2.3%7
11
Amitriptyline-hydrochloride2.3%7
12
Eletriptan-hydrobromide2.0%6
13
Gabapentin2.0%6
14
Duloxetine-hydrochloride2.0%6
15
Ethinyl-estradiol2.0%6

Taken alongside

1
Caffeine46.7%143
2
Acetaminophen17.3%53
3
Levothyroxine-sodium10.1%31
4
Aspirin9.2%28
5
Hydrocodone7.5%23
6
Atorvastatin-calcium7.5%23
7
Simvastatin6.5%20
8
Diazepam6.5%20
9
Albuterol6.2%19
10
Omeprazole5.9%18
11
Oxycodone5.2%16
12
Amitriptyline-hydrochloride5.2%16
13
Fluticasone5.2%16
14
Hydrochlorothiazide5.2%16
15
Ergocalciferol5.2%16

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports ergotamine side effects

70.3% of ergotamine adverse event reports involve female patients and 19.6% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 68%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female70.3%
Male19.6%
Unknown10.1%

Age group

< 20.5%
2–110.0%
12–170.5%
18–6467.5%
65+31.4%

What is ergotamine used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking ergotamine when the adverse event was reported.

Analgesic TherapyAutonomic Failure SyndromeCluster HeadacheDizzinessDrug Use For Unknown IndicationHeadacheHeadacheMigraineMigraine ProphylaxisMigraine With AuraMigraine Without AuraMigraineNauseaNephropathyPain

Showing 15 of 18 indications

Ergotamine brand names and reporting trend

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking ergotamine with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.