The most common side effects of Ubrelvy (ubrogepant) are nausea and tiredness, each affecting roughly 2% to 4% of people who take it. Dry mouth occurs less frequently. Overall, Ubrelvy has a mild side effect profile compared to older migraine medications, and only about 2.5% of patients in clinical trials stopped taking it because of side effects, most often due to nausea.
Common Side Effects
In the two large clinical trials used for FDA approval, which together enrolled over 2,200 people taking Ubrelvy, nausea was the most frequently reported side effect. Tiredness or sleepiness came in second. Dry mouth was reported at lower rates. These side effects were generally mild and resolved on their own. The rate of people who dropped out of the trials due to side effects was low, with only 7 patients across both studies withdrawing for that reason.
Because Ubrelvy works by blocking a specific protein involved in migraine signaling (called CGRP), it doesn’t cause the kind of side effects associated with older migraine drugs. There’s no chest tightness, no tingling in the fingers, and no sensation of pressure in the throat or jaw, all of which are well-known triptan complaints.
Serious Allergic Reactions
Rare but serious hypersensitivity reactions have been reported with Ubrelvy. These include severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), swelling of the face, mouth, tongue, or throat, difficulty breathing, rash, and hives. If you experience swelling around your face or throat or have trouble breathing after taking a dose, that warrants emergency medical attention. Anyone who has had a serious allergic reaction to Ubrelvy should not take it again.
How Ubrelvy Compares to Triptans
If you’ve taken triptans like sumatriptan before, you’ll likely notice that Ubrelvy feels much gentler. Triptans work by narrowing blood vessels, which is why they carry warnings about heart attacks, serious changes in heart rhythm, severe blood pressure spikes, and stroke. Common triptan side effects include tingling or numbness in the fingers and toes, warm or cold sensations, weakness, dizziness, and discomfort or tightness in the neck, throat, jaw, or chest. Those sensations affect anywhere from 1% to 6% of triptan users depending on the specific side effect.
Ubrelvy does not constrict blood vessels at all. This makes it a practical option for people who can’t use triptans because of a history of heart disease, uncontrolled high blood pressure, stroke, or peripheral vascular disease. Its side effect profile centers on the digestive system (nausea, dry mouth) and mild fatigue rather than cardiovascular symptoms.
Drug Interactions That Increase Risk
The biggest safety concern with Ubrelvy isn’t the drug itself but what you take alongside it. Ubrelvy is broken down in the liver by a specific enzyme, and certain medications block that enzyme, causing Ubrelvy to build up to much higher levels in your body than intended. This can intensify side effects.
Ubrelvy is contraindicated with strong inhibitors of that enzyme. The most common examples include ketoconazole and itraconazole (antifungal medications) and clarithromycin (an antibiotic). If you take any of these, you should not use Ubrelvy.
Moderate inhibitors of the same enzyme require a dose adjustment rather than complete avoidance. These include cyclosporine, ciprofloxacin, fluconazole, and fluvoxamine. Grapefruit juice also falls into this category. If you drink grapefruit juice regularly and take Ubrelvy, you should avoid taking a second dose within 24 hours. This is an easy interaction to overlook, so it’s worth knowing about.
What Most People Experience
For the majority of people, Ubrelvy is well tolerated. The clinical trials tested doses of 25 mg, 50 mg, and 100 mg against placebo, and across all dose levels the side effect rates stayed low. Nausea was the only side effect that led to any meaningful number of discontinuations, and even that was uncommon. There was no clear pattern of any single adverse event causing people to stop treatment.
The sleepiness that some people feel can overlap with the fatigue that comes with the migraine itself, making it hard to tell whether the drug or the headache is to blame. If you’re planning to take Ubrelvy during a workday, it’s worth knowing that mild drowsiness is possible, but most people are able to function normally after a dose.