Is Reyvow a controlled substance?

Yes, Reyvow contains the active ingredient lasmiditan, a Schedule V controlled substance (C-V) as determined by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. Reyvow is an oral prescription medicine used to treat migraine headache (with or without aura) in adults.

In studies, patients have reported a “drug-liking” effect when it was compared to a placebo (an inactive agent), but studies have not shown that Reyvow causes withdrawal symptoms after 7 days of use. Due to the potential for abuse, Reyvow should be stored in a safe place to protect it from theft.

Never give this medicine to anyone else, because it may harm them. Selling or giving away Reyvow is against the law. Tell your healthcare provider if you have ever abused or been dependent on alcohol, prescription medicines or street drugs.

Reyvow may also cause significant drowsiness, sedation and fatigue. Do not drive or operate machinery for at least 8 hours after taking a dose.

Why is Reyvow a Schedule V Controlled Substance?

Reyvow is a Schedule C-V controlled substance because it has the potential to be abused. In general, a Schedule C-V controlled substance means that the substance has a low potential for abuse compared to other schedules, but it has a currently accepted medical use in the U.S.

There are five controlled substance schedules at the federal level in the U.S. (Schedules I, II, III, IV, and V) that are used to classify drugs based upon:

• abuse potential
• accepted medical applications
• safety and potential for addiction.

There may be variations in controlled substance schedules between individual states.

Examples of Schedule V substances include: certain codeine cough preparations, some diarrhea products like atropine / diphenoxylate (Lomotil), and the seizure treatments pregabalin (Lyrica) and ezogabine.

Related: List of Controlled Substance Drug Schedules

Does Reyvow cause abuse or withdrawal?

The manufacturer studied the abuse potential of Reyvow. Abuse is defined as the intentional, non-therapeutic use of a drug, even once, for its desirable psychological or physiological effects.

• Single Reyvow doses of 100 mg, 200 mg and 400 mg were compared to a single 2 mg dose of alprazolam (Xanax), a schedule IV controlled substance used to treat anxiety, and a placebo (an inactive agent) in 58 people who used various recreational drugs
• The group taking Reyvow reported a statistically significant higher score of “drug-liking” when compared to a placebo, meaning that a potential for abuse exists with Reyvow. However, when compared to alprazolam (Xanax, CIV), people reported lower “drug-liking” scores.

Euphoric mood can be described as the feelings of pleasure, excitement, happiness and well-being. When Reyvow 200 mg and 400 mg doses were compared to 2 mg of alprazolam (Xanax), a euphoric mood occurred in 43% to 49% in each group. Relaxation was more prevalent with the use of alprazolam (22.6%) compared to any dose of Reyvow (7% to 11%).

In addition, studies conducted by the manufacturer indicated that Reyvow given at treatment doses produced euphoria and hallucinations to a greater extent than placebo, but at a low frequency (in about 1% of patients).

Physical withdrawal was not observed in healthy people after abruptly stopping treatment after 7 daily doses of Reyvow 200 mg or 400 mg.

Clinicians should evaluate patients for risk of drug abuse and observe them for signs of Reyvow misuse or abuse prior to prescribing the medication.

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What is Reyvow used for?

Reyvow (generic name: lasmiditan) was approved in October 2019 for the acute treatment of migraine (with or without aura) in adults. It is not used for the prevention of migraine.

Reyvow is an oral serotonin 5-HT(1F) receptor agonist, a novel class of drugs for the acute treatment of migraine. Reyvow is not used to prevent a migraine headache.

Related: What are the new drugs for the treatment of migraines?

Side Effects with Reyvow

The most common side effects (in at least 5% of patients and more than placebo) were dizziness, fatigue, paresthesia (skin tingling or numbness) and sedation.

Reyvow can significantly impair your ability to drive or operate machinery. Do not drive or operate machinery for at least 8 hours after taking a dose, even if you think you feel well enough to drive. Do not take this medicine if you cannot wait at least 8 hours between taking it and driving or operating machinery. Do not take more than one dose in a 24-hour period.

This is not all the information you need to know about Reyvow (lasmiditan) for safe and effective use and does not take the place of your doctor’s directions. Review the full product information and discuss this information and any questions you have with your doctor or other health care provider.