Sumatriptan (soo-ma-TRIP-tan) is used to treat severe migraine headaches.
Many people find that their headaches go away completely after they take sumatriptan. Other people find that their headaches are much less painful, and that they are able to go back to their normal activities even though their headaches are not completely gone.
Sumatriptan often relieves other symptoms that occur together with a migraine headache, such as nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, and sensitivity to sound.
Sumatriptan is not an ordinary pain reliever. It will not relieve any kind of pain other than migraine headaches.
This medicine is usually used for people whose headaches are not relieved by acetaminophen, aspirin, or other pain relievers.
Imitrex (Sumatriptan succinate) may also be described as a white to off – white powder that dissolves easily in water and in saline.
Even if you get warning signals of a coming migraine (an aura), you should wait until the headache pain starts before using sumatriptan. Using sumatriptan during the aura probably will not prevent the headache from occurring. However, even if you do not use sumatriptan until your migraine has been present for several hours, the medicine will still work.
A migraine that is not relieved by the first dose of sumatriptan probably will not be relieved by a second dose, either.
Ask your doctor ahead of time about other medicine to be taken if sumatriptan does not work. After taking the other medicine, check with your doctor as soon as possible.
Headaches that are not relieved by sumatriptan are sometimes caused by conditions that need other treatment.
However, even if sumatriptan does not relieve one migraine, it may still relieve the next one.
Sumatriptan tablets are to be swallowed whole with a full glass of water. Do not break, crush, or chew the tablets before swallowing them.
Lying down in a quiet, dark room for a while after you use this medicine may help relieve your migraine.
Side effects caused by sumatriptan go away within a short time (less than 1 hour after an injection or 2 hours after a tablet). However, check with your doctor if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome:
* More common
o Burning, discharge, pain, and/or soreness in the nose; burning, pain, or redness at place of injection; change in sense of taste; discomfort in jaw, mouth, tongue, throat, nose, or sinuses; dizziness; drowsiness; feeling of burning, warmth, heat, numbness, tightness, or tingling; feeling cold, strange, or weak; flushing; lightheadedness; muscle aches, cramps, or stiffness; nausea or vomiting
* Less common or rare
Anxiety; general feeling of illness or tiredness; vision changes
Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your doctor.
Sometimes, Imitrex (Sumatriptan succinate) may even cause angina, severe left arm pain, fainting spells, palpitations and weakness on one entire side of the body.
Moreover, Imitrex (Sumatriptan succinate) may even cause an itching sensation, disorientation, slurred speech, severe abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea.
Furthermore, Imitrex (Sumatriptan succinate) may even cause one’s fingers, toes or nails to turn blue, troubled breathing, changes in one’s hearing capacity, mood swings and seizures.
Lastly, Imitrex (Sumatriptan succinate) may even cause hallucinations, loss of bodily co ordinations, severe rashes and muscle spasms.
Sometimes, Imitrex (Sumatriptan succinate) interacts with various other medications, such as, Paroxetine, Rizatriptan, Duloxetine, Zolmitriptan, Venlafaxine and Citalopram.
Moreover, Imitrex (Sumatriptan succinate) even interacts with various other medications, such as, Furazolidone, Isocarboxazid, Moclobemide, Linezolid, Phenelzine and Procarbazine.
Furthermore, Imitrex (Sumatriptan succinate) even interacts with various other medications, such as, Rasagiline, Selegiline, Tranylcypromine, Sertraline, Venlafaxine and Dihydroergotamine.
Lastly, Imitrex (Sumatriptan succinate) even interacts with various other medications, such as, Methysergide, Thioridazine, Amitriptyline, Fluoxetine and Sibutramine.
In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.
It is very important for the patient to know that before consuming Imitrex (Sumatriptan succinate) they must inform their health care professional if they have ever had a history of or are currently suffering from an ischemic bowel disease, hemiplegic migraine, heart diseases, a transient ischemic attack or hypertension.
Moreover, it is also very important for the patient to know that before consuming Imitrex (Sumatriptan succinate) they must inform their health care professional if they have ever had a history of or are currently suffering from liver diseases, Raynaud`s disease, seizures or basilar migraine.
Lastly, it is also very important for the patient to be aware of the fact that Imitrex (Sumatriptan succinate) does pass into breast milk and may cause grave harm to the nursing infant.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Keep out of the reach of children since overdose is especially dangerous in children.
Store away from heat and direct light.
Check with your doctor if you have used sumatriptan for three headaches, and have not had good relief. Also, check with your doctor if your migraine headaches are worse, or if they are occurring more often, than before you started using sumatriptan.
Drinking alcoholic beverages can make headaches worse or cause new headaches to occur. People who suffer from severe headaches should probably avoid alcoholic beverages, especially during a headache.
Some people feel drowsy or dizzy during or after a migraine, or after taking sumatriptan to relieve a migraine. As long as you are feeling drowsy or dizzy, do not drive, use machines, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are dizzy or are not alert.