However, most people find their migraine or cluster headache is much improved within 2 hours of taking a dose. Imitrex tablets typically start to work within 30 minutes, while the nasal spray can start to work in about 15 minutes. Both forms can take up to 2 hours to have their full effect.
The Imitrex injection can start working within 5 to 10 minutes. It usually reaches its full effect within 1 hour. Imitrex will work for a few hours after you take a dose. However, its effect will gradually lessen as the drug is broken down by your body.
It can take about 10 to 12 hours before Imitrex is fully out of your system. Narcotics are strong, opioid-based pain relievers, such as morphine. NSAIDs are pain relievers, such as ibuprofen , that reduce inflammation swelling. Imitrex is a type of drug called a triptan. It narrows swollen blood vessels in the brain.
Unlike narcotics and NSAIDs, it only relieves the pain associated with migraine or cluster headaches. Controlled substances are drugs that have a high potential for being misused. They also have a high risk for people becoming dependent on the drug. This means your body needs the drug to feel normal.
Because of these risks, there are special rules around how controlled substances are prescribed and dispensed. However, if you take Imitrex too often, it can lead to medication overuse headache. This is also called a rebound headache. A medication overuse headache occurs when taking too much Imitrex causes you to get migraine or cluster headaches every day, or more often than usual. It can lead to a cycle of taking extra Imitrex to relieve these headaches, which in turn causes more headaches. Talk with your doctor if you find you need to take it more often than that.
Your doctor can help you break the cycle of medication overuse. They may also recommend ways to help prevent migraine. Some people may find that blood thinners such as warfarin Coumadin help relieve their migraines. However, taking too much Imitrex or taking it too often could make your headaches worse. This can lead to medication overuse rebound headaches.
When this occurs, you get migraine or cluster headaches every day, or more often than usual. In rare cases, taking Imitrex can cause serious side effects that could seem like your migraine or cluster headache is getting worse. These serious side effects include bleeding in your brain and very high blood pressure.
If your headache gets worse after taking a dose of Imitrex, call your doctor right away. You should check with your doctor about taking Imitrex before surgery. Imitrex works by narrowing your blood vessels, and it can sometimes cause changes to your blood pressure. This could be dangerous during surgery.
Talk with your doctor if you have a surgery scheduled. They can tell you if you should stop taking Imitrex in the days before the surgery. You may take Imitrex with certain other drugs to treat or prevent migraine or cluster headaches.
However, you should only take Imitrex with other drugs if your doctor recommends it. These may include:. Taking pain relievers of any kind too often can lead to medication overuse headache.
This occurs when you have migraines or cluster headaches every day, or more often than usual. If you use pain relievers to treat migraine or cluster headaches 10 or more days a month, talk with your doctor.
If you have nausea with your migraine, your doctor may recommend taking nausea medications, such as:. If you get frequent migraine or cluster headaches, your doctor may prescribe medication that you take on a regular basis to help prevent headaches.
Examples of medications you may take to prevent migraine or cluster headaches include:. Other drugs are available that can treat your condition. Some may be a better fit for you than others. They can tell you about other medications that may work well for you.
Note: Some of the drugs listed here are used off-label to treat these specific conditions. You may wonder how Imitrex compares with other medications that are prescribed for similar uses. Here we look at how Imitrex and Maxalt are alike and different.
Imitrex and Maxalt are both FDA-approved to treat migraine with or without aura in adults. Maxalt can also be used in children ages 6 to 17 years. The Imitrex injection is also approved to treat cluster headaches in adults. Neither drug should be used to prevent migraine or cluster headaches. Maxalt comes as a tablet that you swallow. It also comes as a tablet that dissolves on your tongue, called Maxalt-MLT. With both Imitrex and Maxalt, you take a dose when you have migraine.
For adults, if you take one dose and still have migraine symptoms 2 hours later, you can take a second dose. Imitrex and Maxalt have some similar side effects and others that vary. Below are examples of these side effects. These lists contain examples of the most common mild side effects that can occur with Imitrex, with Maxalt, or with both drugs when taken individually.
These lists contain examples of serious side effects that can occur with Imitrex, with Maxalt, or with both drugs when taken individually. The use of Imitrex and Maxalt in treating migraine has been directly compared in a number of clinical studies. A review of studies concluded that Maxalt was more effective for treating migraine than Imitrex. People who took Maxalt were more likely to have relief from headache and nausea 2 hours after taking a dose compared with people who took Imitrex.
According to estimates on GoodRx. However, Imitrex taken by nasal spray or injection may cost more than Maxalt. Imitrex and Maxalt are both brand-name drugs. Generic forms of both drugs are available. Imitrex is available as the generic drug sumatriptan, and Maxalt is available as the generic drug rizatriptan.
Generics usually cost less than brand-name drugs. Like Maxalt above , the drug Relpax has uses similar to those of Imitrex. Imitrex and Relpax are both FDA-approved to treat migraine with or without aura in adults. With both Imitrex and Relpax, you take a dose when you have migraine.
If you take one dose and still have migraine symptoms 2 hours later, you can take a second dose. Imitrex and Relpax have some similar side effects and others that vary. These lists contain examples of the most common mild side effects that can occur with Imitrex, with Relpax, or with both drugs when taken individually.
These lists contain examples of serious side effects that can occur with Imitrex, with Relpax, or with both drugs when taken individually. The use of Imitrex and Relpax in treating migraine has been directly compared in a clinical study. In this study, mg Imitrex tablets were compared with mg Relpax tablets and with a placebo a treatment containing no active drug. Relpax was found more effective for relieving migraine than Imitrex.
The severity of the migraine headache was reduced to mild or no headache within 2 hours of treatment in:. In this study, Relpax was also more effective than Imitrex at reducing nausea and sensitivity to light or sound. Imitrex and Relpax are both brand-name drugs. Imitrex is available as the generic drug sumatriptan, and Relpax is available as the generic drug eletriptan. Imitrex may also be used off-label for other conditions. Imitrex is FDA-approved to treat migraine with or without aura in adults.
Migraine is a neurological condition, which means it affects the nervous system. With migraine, you get a severe, throbbing headache. The pain usually affects one side of the head. This headache can last several hours or even days. Also, check with your doctor if your migraine headaches are worse or if they are occurring more often since you started using this medicine.
Do not use this medicine if you have taken other triptan migraine medicines or ergot-type medicines within the past 24 hours. Some examples of ergot-type medicines are dihydroergotamine D. This medicine may cause problems if you have heart disease. This medicine may increase your risk of having abnormal heart rhythm, heart attack, angina, or stroke.
This is more likely to occur if you or a family member already has heart disease, if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or if you smoke.
Call your doctor right away if you have any symptoms of a heart problem, such as chest pain or discomfort, an uneven heartbeat, nausea or vomiting, pain or discomfort in the shoulders, arms, jaw, back, or neck, shortness of breath, or sweating. Call your doctor right away if you have any symptoms of a stroke, such as confusion, difficulty with speaking, double vision, headaches, an inability to move the arms, legs, or facial muscles, an inability to speak, or slow speech.
Check with your doctor right away if you have chest discomfort, jaw or neck tightness after using this medicine. Also, tell your doctor if you have sudden or severe abdominal or stomach pain or bloody diarrhea after using this medicine. Check with your doctor immediately if blurred vision, difficulty in reading, or any other change in vision occurs during or after your treatment. Your eyes may need to be checked by an ophthalmologist eye doctor.
Using sumatriptan alone or in combination with other migraine medicines for 10 or more days per month may lead to worsening of headache. You may keep a headache diary to record your headache frequency and drug use. Make sure your doctor knows about all the other medicines you are using. Sumatriptan may cause a serious condition called serotonin syndrome when taken with some medicines. Check with your doctor right away if you have agitation, confusion, diarrhea, excitement while talking that is not normal, fever, overactive reflexes, poor coordination, restlessness, shivering, sweating, trembling or shaking that you cannot control, or twitching.
These could be symptoms of serotonin syndrome. This medicine may cause a serious type of allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis requires immediate medical attention. The most serious signs of this reaction are very fast or irregular breathing, gasping for breath, wheezing, or fainting. Other signs may include changes in color of the skin of the face, very fast but irregular heartbeat or pulse, hive-like swellings on the skin, and puffiness or swellings of the eyelids or around the eyes.
If these effects occur, get emergency help at once. 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 dizzy or drowsy during or after a migraine, or using sumatriptan to relieve a migraine. As long as you are feeling dizzy or drowsy, do not drive, use machines, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are dizzy or not alert.
There are no such reports in New Zealand, but there are two reports of angina. Sumatriptan is also contraindicated for 24 hours after using ergotamine preparations, and ergotamine should not be used within six hours after using sumatriptan.
The combination may be strongly vasospastic. The great majority of reports of cardiac dysrhythmia are described as tachycardia or palpitations. No serious problems have been reported. These may reflect an autonomic disturbance which is also likely to be responsible for the episodes of dizziness and syncope or hot and cold feelings, shivering or sweating. Some patients have experienced strange feelings, such as depersonalisation, after sumatriptan use. Patients should be warned of this possibility.
In general, adverse reactions to the use of sumatriptan are common but minor, and most last for only a very short period of time. This is when medicines make your headaches worse. Your headaches may be more severe and you may get them more often. If you're worried that you may have medication overuse headaches, make an appointment to see your doctor. Your choice of migraine treatment will usually depend on how well a treatment has worked for you in the past and how severe your headaches are.
Alternatively you can take aspirin again, preferably soluble if you are aged 16 or older. These are called antiemetics. If painkillers or anti-inflammatories do not help a migraine, then a specific antimigraine medicine such as a triptan serotonin 5-HT1-receptor agonist may work.
Ergotamine tartrate a type of medicine called an ergot is rarely used for migraine because of its side effects. Ergots and opioids such as codeine and morphine are not recommended for treating migraines.
Ordinary painkillers do not help with cluster headaches because they take too long to work. The headache is often gone before the painkiller starts to take effect.
Cluster headaches are usually treated with oxygen therapy , either on its own or together with a triptan such as sumatriptan or zolmatriptan. Sumatriptan comes as injections or a nasal spray for cluster headaches and zolmatriptan comes as a nasal spray. The tablets and capsules will not work for cluster headaches. Opioids such as codeine and morphine or ergots such as ergotamine are not recommended for treating cluster headaches.
Tell your doctor that you use sumatriptan if you're going to be put to sleep having a general anaesthetic , or you're having any kind of operation.
Migraines and cluster headaches can sometimes be triggered by alcohol. There are many possible migraine triggers including eating cheese, chocolate, red wine citrus fruits, foods containing an additive called tyramine such as smoked salmon and salami and not drinking enough water. Keeping a migraine diary may help you work out what your triggers are. Recor when and where each migraine attack started, what you were doing at the time, and what you ate that day. Eating a healthy, balanced diet and avoiding trigger foods or drinks may help if you have migraines or cluster headaches.
However the combined pill is not usually recommended if you have migraines with symptoms called an aura. Speak to your doctor if you're trying for a baby or you're having problems getting pregnant while taking sumatriptan. However, be careful playing sports if you get migraine aura that affect your sight and reactions. If you have taken sumatriptan, some of the side effects may have an impact on you when you're playing sport. These include dizziness, tiredness, feeling sick or weak and shortness of breath.
If you feel this way, do not drive a car, ride a bike or operate machinery until you feel OK again. This includes working out what things trigger an attack so you can avoid them.
Keeping a migraine diary can help. If you smoke, it's a good idea to quit. People who smoke seem to have a higher risk of getting cluster headaches. Eating a healthy, balanced diet and avoiding trigger foods or drinks can also help.
Page last reviewed: 18 October Next review due: 18 October Sumatriptan On this page About Key facts Who can and cannot take sumatriptan How and when to take it Side effects How to cope with side effects Pregnancy and breastfeeding Cautions with other medicines Common questions. About Sumatriptan is a medicine to treat migraines and cluster headaches.
It belongs to a group of medicines called triptans, or serotonin 5-HT1 agonists. Take sumatriptan as soon as a migraine or cluster headache starts. The tablets usually work within 30 to 60 minutes. The spray and injection work quicker. Common side effects include feeling or being sick , feeling sleepy or dizzy. Do not take migraine medicines such as ergotamine or other triptans when taking sumatriptan.
To make sure it's safe for you, tell your doctor if you: have had an allergic reaction to sumatriptan or any other medicine in the past have a heart problem such as coronary heart disease , chest pain angina , heart rhythm problems arrhythmia or you've had a heart attack have circulation problems in your legs peripheral vascular disease have had a stroke or "mini stroke" transient ischaemic attack have liver disease or other liver problems have seizures or fits are trying to get pregnant, are already pregnant or breastfeeding are a heavy smoker or use nicotine replacement therapy particularly if you've been through menopause, or if you're a man over the age of 40 have high blood pressure You may be able to use sumatriptan if you've had high blood pressure in the past and it is now well controlled with treatment.
Important If you have a latex allergy, check with your doctor or a pharmacist before having sumatriptan injections. Always follow your doctor's instructions when taking this medicine. Take your first dose as soon as the pain starts. Tablets for migraine only Swallow the tablet whole with a drink of water.
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