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Sumatriptan is a headache medicine that narrows blood vessels around the brain. Sumatriptan also reduces substances in the body that can trigger headache pain, nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, and other migraine symptoms.
Sumatriptan is used to treat migraines and cluster headaches in adults. Sumatriptan will only treat a headache. sumatriptan will not prevent headaches or reduce the number of attacks.
Sumatriptan should not be used to treat a common tension headache, or a headache that causes loss of movement on one side of your body. Use this medicine only if your condition has been confirmed by a doctor as migraine headaches.
Sumatriptan may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
You should not use sumatriptan if you have ever had heart disease, coronary artery disease, blood circulation problems, Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, uncontrolled high blood pressure, severe liver disease, a heart attack or stroke, or if your headache seems to be different from your usual migraine headaches.
Do not use this medicine if you have used an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days, such as isocarboxazid, linezolid, methylene blue injection, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, or tranylcypromine.
Do not use sumatriptan within 24 hours before or after using another migraine headache medicine.
You should not use sumatriptan if you are allergic to it, if you have a headache that seems different from your usual migraine headaches, or if you have ever had:
heart problems, or a stroke (including "mini-stroke");
coronary artery disease, angina (chest pain), blood circulation problems, lack of blood supply to the heart;
circulation problems affecting your legs, arms, stomach, intestines, or kidneys;
a heart disorder called Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome;
uncontrolled high blood pressure; or
severe liver disease.
Do not use sumatriptan if you have used an MAO inhibitor in the past 14 days. A dangerous drug interaction could occur. MAO inhibitors include isocarboxazid, linezolid, methylene blue injection, phenelzine, rasagiline, selegiline, tranylcypromine, and others.
Tell your doctor if you have ever had:
liver or kidney disease;
epilepsy or other seizure disorder;
high blood pressure, a heart rhythm disorder; or
risk factors for coronary artery disease (such as diabetes, menopause, smoking, being overweight, having high blood pressure or high cholesterol, having a family history of coronary artery disease, or being older than 40 and a man).
It is not known whether sumatriptan will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
Sumatriptan can pass into breast milk. Do not breast-feed within 12 hours after using sumatriptan. If you use a breast pump during this time, throw out any milk you collect. Do not feed it to your baby.
Sumatriptan injection is not approved for use by anyone younger than 18 years old.
Use sumatriptan as soon as you notice headache symptoms. Follow all directions on your prescription label and read all medication guides or instruction sheets. Use the medicine exactly as directed.
Never use more than your recommended dose. Overuse of migraine headache medicine can make headaches worse. Tell your doctor if the medicine seems to stop working as well in treating your migraine attacks.
Sumatriptan is injected under the skin. A healthcare provider may teach you how to properly use the medication by yourself.
This medicine comes in a vial (bottle), a needle-free injector device, or a prefilled cartridge for an auto-injector syringe. Each type is for one use only.
Read and carefully follow any Instructions for Use provided with your medicine. Do not use sumatriptan if you don't understand all instructions for proper use. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have questions.
Prepare your injection only when you are ready to give it. Do not use a vial if the medicine looks cloudy, has changed colors, or has particles in it. Call your pharmacist for new medicine.
After an injection: If your headache does not completely go away, call your doctor before using a second injection. If your headache goes away and then comes back, use a second injection if it has been at least 1 hour since your first injection. Do not use more than 2 injections in 24 hours. Call your doctor if your symptoms do not improve.
Store at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light. Throw away any unused medicine after the expiration date on the label has passed.
Use a needle and syringe only once and then place them in a puncture-proof "sharps" container. Follow state or local laws about how to dispose of this container. Keep it out of the reach of children and pets.
Since sumatriptan is used when needed, it does not have a daily dosing schedule. Call your doctor if your symptoms do not improve after using sumatriptan.
Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.
Overdose symptoms may include tremors, skin redness in your arms or legs, weakness, loss of coordination, breathing problems, blue-colored lips or fingernails, vision problems, or a seizure (convulsions).
Do not use sumatriptan within 24 hours before or after using another migraine headache medicine, including:
sumatriptan tablets or nasal spray, almotriptan, eletriptan, frovatriptan, naratriptan, rizatriptan, zolmitriptan; or
ergot medicine such as dihydroergotamine, ergotamine, ergonovine, or methylergonovine.
Avoid driving or hazardous activity until you know how sumatriptan will affect you. Your reactions could be impaired.
Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Stop using sumatriptan and call your doctor at once if you have:
sudden and severe stomach pain and bloody diarrhea;
severe chest pain, shortness of breath, irregular heartbeats;
a seizure (convulsions);
blood circulation problems in your legs or feet--cramps, tight or heavy feeling, numbness or tingling, muscle weakness, burning pain, cold feeling, color changes (pale or blue), hip pain;
heart attack symptoms--chest pain or pressure, pain spreading to your jaw or shoulder, nausea, sweating;
high levels of serotonin in the body--agitation, hallucinations, fever, fast heart rate, overactive reflexes, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of coordination, fainting;
increased blood pressure--severe headache, blurred vision, pounding in your neck or ears, anxiety, nosebleed; or
signs of a stroke--sudden numbness or weakness (especially on one side of the body), sudden severe headache, slurred speech, problems with vision or balance.
Common side effects may include:
numbness, tingling, warmth, redness, or burning sensation;
pressure or heavy feeling in any part of your body;
dizziness, drowsiness, feeling weak or tired;
neck pain or stiffness; or
pain or redness where the medicine was injected.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Using sumatriptan while you are using certain other medicines can cause high levels of serotonin to build up in your body, a condition called "serotonin syndrome," which can be fatal. Tell your doctor if you also use:
medicine to treat depression or a psychiatric disorder;
medicine for Parkinson's disease;
medicine for serious infections;
herbal products;
stimulant medicine;
opioid medicine; or
medicine to prevent nausea and vomiting.
This list is not complete. Other drugs may affect sumatriptan, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible drug interactions are listed here.
Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.
Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.
Medically reviewed by USARx EDITORIAL TEAM Last updated on 1/1/2020.
Source: Drugs.com Sumatriptan Succinate (www.drugs.com/sumatriptan.html).
Commonly reported side effects of sumatriptan include: dizziness, injection site reaction, vertigo, nausea and vomiting, flushing sensation, tingling sensation, and unpleasant taste. Other side effects include: asthenia, burning sensation, chest discomfort, neck pain, neck stiffness, numbness, throat irritation, feeling of heaviness, flushing, sensation of pressure, and sensation of tightness. See below for a comprehensive list of adverse effects.
Applies to sumatriptan: oral tablet
Other dosage forms:
Along with its needed effects, sumatriptan may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.
Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking sumatriptan:
Less common
Rare
Incidence not known
Some side effects of sumatriptan may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:
Less common
Rare
Applies to sumatriptan: nasal capsule, nasal spray, oral tablet, subcutaneous kit, subcutaneous solution, transdermal film extended release
The more commonly observed adverse reactions have included those of pressure sensation, flushing, tingling, dizziness/vertigo, warm/hot sensation, burning sensation, flushing, and numbness; formulation specific events including injection site reactions, application site pain, and nasal discomfort have been reported.
Life-threatening disturbances of cardiac rhythm, such as ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation leading to death, and rare reports of acute myocardial infarction, have been reported within a few hours after administration of 5-HT1 agonists.
Chest discomfort is usually noncardiac in origin. A survey of 453 migraine patients found chest symptoms occurred in up to 58% of patients in at least some attacks and in up to 42% of patients in all attacks.
One study of 735 consecutive migraine patients reported that chest symptoms are frequent, but rarely important adverse effects of (primarily subcutaneous) sumatriptan. The risk of chest symptoms was reported to be patient dependent and not related, even opposite, to cardiovascular disease. This report contradicts the hypothesis that chest symptoms after sumatriptan are caused by cardiac ischemia.
Another study of 125 patients concluded that panic-like symptoms may explain the chest pain and related side effects after sumatriptan administration in patients with high levels of anxiety.
Common (1% to 10%): Chest pain/tightness/pressure and/or heaviness, flushing, neck/throat/jaw pain/tightness/pressure, transient increases in blood pressure (arising soon after treatment)
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Bradycardia, hypertension, hypotension, palpitations, pulsating sensations, tachycardia, various transient ECG changes (nonspecific ST or T-wave changes, prolongation of PR or QTc intervals, sinus arrhythmia, nonsustained ventricular premature beats, isolated junctional ectopic beats, atrial ectopic beats, delayed activation of the right ventricle)
Rare (less than 0.1%): Abnormal pulse, arrhythmia, pallor, Raynaud's phenomenon, vasodilation
Frequency not reported: Abdominal aortic aneurysm, angina, atherosclerosis, cerebrovascular lesion, coronary artery vasospasm, edema, heart block, peripheral cyanosis, phlebitis, thrombosis, transient myocardial ischemia
Postmarketing reports: Cyanosis, hypotension, myocardial infarction, palpitations
Very common (10% or more): Dizziness (10%), abnormal taste (20%; nasal powder)
Common (1% to 10%): Bad/unusual taste, drowsiness/sedation, dystonia, headache, hypoesthesia, paraesthesia (all types), tremor
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Syncope
Rare (less than 0.1%): Difficulties in concentration, disturbances of smell, dysarthria, dysesthesia, hyperesthesia, monoplegia/diplegia, myoclonia, transient hemiplegia
Frequency not reported: Bradylogia, cerebral ischemia, cerebrovascular lesion, cluster headache, convulsions, facial paralysis, incoordination, increased alertness, memory disturbance, migraine, motor dysfunction, neuralgia, nystagmus, paralysis, radiculopathy, raised intracranial pressure, seizures, speech disturbance
Postmarketing reports: Central nervous system vasculitis, cerebellar infarction, cerebrovascular accident, subarachnoid hemorrhage, serotonin syndrome, temporal arteritis
Cerebral hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and stroke have occurred with 5-HT1 treatment; some have resulted in fatalities. One case of sumatriptan-induced cortical stroke has been reported in a patient with sagittal sinus thrombosis. In some cases, it appears possible that the cerebrovascular events were primary, and the 5-HT1 agonist administered in the belief that presenting symptoms were due to migraine when they were not. Patients with migraine may also be at an increased risk of certain cerebrovascular events such as stroke, hemorrhage, and transient ischemic attacks.
Medication overuse headache may present as migraine-like headaches or as a marked increase in frequency of migraine attacks.
Serotonin syndrome is characterized by mental status changes (e.g., agitation, hallucinations, coma), autonomic instability (e.g., tachycardia, labile blood pressure, hyperthermia), neuromuscular aberrations (e.g., hyperreflexia, incoordination), and/or gastrointestinal symptoms (e.g., nausea, vomiting, diarrhea). The onset of symptoms generally occurs within minutes to hours of receiving a new or a greater dose of a serotoninergic medications.
Seizures have been reported in patients with either a history of seizures or concurrent conditions predisposing to seizures and also in patients where no such predisposing factors are apparent.
Common (1% to 10%): Abdominal discomfort, dysphagia, nausea and/or vomiting
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Diarrhea, gastroesophageal reflux
Rare (less than 0.1%): Flatulence/eructation, gallstones, peptic ulcer, retching
Frequency not reported: Abdominal distention, colitis, constipation, dental pain, disorder of mouth and tongue (e.g., burning of tongue, numbness of tongue, dry mouth), dyspeptic symptoms, feelings of gastrointestinal pressure, gastritis, gastroenteritis, gastrointestinal bleeding, gastrointestinal pain, hematemesis, hypersalivation, hyposalivation, intestinal obstruction, ischemic colitis, melena, oral itching and irritation, pancreatitis, salivary gland swelling, swallowing disorders
It is unclear whether the nausea and vomiting is related to sumatriptan therapy or to the underlying condition.
One report has suggested that "throat tightness" and chest pain associated with sumatriptan may sometimes be attributable to changes in esophageal motility.
Very common (10% or more): Atypical sensations such as tingling, warm or hot sensations, vertigo
Common (1% to 10%): Atypical sensations such as burning sensation, chills, facial pain, fatigue, feeling of pressure, feeling strange, jaw discomfort, malaise, neck pain/stiffness, numbness, pain and other pressure sensations, pain where the location is specified, prickling sensations, stinging sensations, sensation of lightness, tight feeling in head, tightness or heaviness, weakness
Rare (less than 0.1%): Fever, intoxication, simultaneous hot and cold sensations, swelling of the extremities, tickling sensations
Frequency not reported: Abortion, contusions, ear infection, ear, nose, and throat hemorrhage, external otitis, feeling of fullness in the ear(s), hearing disturbances, hearing loss, Meniere's disease, otalgia, overdose, photophobia, sensitivity to noise, swelling of face, tinnitus
Postmarketing reports: Deafness
Very common (10% or more): Application site pain (26%; transdermal patch)
Common (1% to 10%): Sweating, allergic contact dermatitis and application site paresthesia/pruritus/warmth/discomfort/irritation/site discoloration (transdermal patch)
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Eruptions, erythema, pruritus, skin rashes
Rare (less than 0.1%): Skin tenderness
Frequency not reported: Dry/scaly skin, eczema, hematoma, hyperhidrosis, seborrheic dermatitis, skin nodules, tightness of skin, wrinkling of skin
Postmarketing reports: Allergic vasculitis, angioedema, exacerbation of sunburn, photosensitivity, urticaria, burns scars, severe redness, pain, skin discoloration, blistering and cracked skin with the iontophoretic transdermal system
Burns and scars have been reported on the skin where the transdermal iontophoretic transdermal system has been worn. These reports describe severe redness, pain, skin discoloration, blistering, and cracked skin. On June 13, 2016, the manufacturer of the patch suspended sales and distribution of the patch to investigate the cause of these reports.
Frequency not reported: Elevated thyrotropin stimulating hormone (TSH) levels, endocrine cysts, lumps, and masses, hypothyroidism
Rare (less than 0.1%): Dysmenorrhea, dysuria
Frequency not reported: Abnormal menstrual cycle, bladder inflammation, breast swelling, breast tenderness, cysts, disorder of breasts, endometriosis, galactorrhea, hematuria, increased urination, inflammation of fallopian tubes, intermenstrual bleeding, lumps, masses of breasts, menstruation symptoms, micturition disorders, nipple discharge, urethritis, urinary infections
Frequency not reported: Anemia, lymphadenopathy
Postmarketing reports: Hemolytic anemia, pancytopenia, thrombocytopenia
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Minor disturbances in liver function tests
Frequency not reported: Hypersensitivity reactions ranging from cutaneous hypersensitivity to anaphylaxis
Rare (less than 0.1%): Influenza
Frequency not reported: Herpes
Very common (10% or more): Injection site reaction
Common (1% to 10%): Burning sensation (nasal administration)
Frequency not reported: Injection site stinging/burning, swelling, erythema, bruising, and bleeding
Postmarketing reports:
-Following subcutaneous administration: Contusion, induration, lipoatrophy, lipohypertrophy, pain, redness, stinging, subcutaneous bleeding, swelling
Local irritative symptoms were reported in clinical trials with sumatriptan nasal spray in approximately 5% of patients, and were severe in about 1% of cases. Symptoms were noted as being transient and generally resolved in less than 2 hours.
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Thirst
Rare (less than 0.1%): Dehydration, hunger, polydipsia, reduced appetite
Frequency not reported: Fluid disturbances, fluid retention, hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, weight gain, weight loss
Common (1% to 10%): Muscle cramps, myalgia
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Joint disturbances (pain, stiffness, swelling, ache)
Rare (less than 0.1%): Backache, muscle stiffness, muscle tiredness, need to flex calf muscles
Frequency not reported: Acquired musculoskeletal deformity, arthralgia, arthritis, articular rheumatitis, difficulty in walking, intervertebral disc disorder, muscle atrophy, muscle tightness and rigidity, musculoskeletal inflammation, rigidity, tetany, twitching
Loss of vision included reports of permanent defects. Causality has not been established as visual disorders may occur during a migraine attack itself.
Common (1% to 10%): Vision alterations
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Irritation of the eye, lacrimation, photophobia
Frequency not reported: Accommodation disorders, blindness, conjunctivitis, diplopia. disorders of sclera, low vision, eye edema and swelling, eye hemorrhage, eye itching, eye pain, external ocular muscle disorders, flickering, keratitis, mydriasis, scotoma, visual disturbances
Postmarketing reports: Ischaemic optic neuropathy, retinal artery occlusion, retinal vein thrombosis
Frequency not reported: Neoplasm of pituitary, primary malignant breast neoplasm
Common (1% to 10%): Anxiety
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Agitation, euphoria, mental confusion, relaxation
Rare (less than 0.1%): Depression, globus hystericus, hysteria, sleep disturbance
Frequency not reported: Aggressiveness, apathy, depressive disorders, detachment, disturbance of emotions, drug abuse, hallucinations, neurotic disorders, personality change, phobia, psychomotor disorders, stress, suicide
Rare (less than 0.1%): Renal calculus
Postmarketing reports: Acute renal failure
The consequences of repeated and prolonged use of the nasal spray on nasal and/or respiratory mucosa have not been established.
Very common (10% or more): Nasal discomfort (up to 11%; nasal powder)
Common (1% to 10%): Bronchospasm, disorder/discomfort of nasal cavity/sinuses (nasal administration, subcutaneous administration), dyspnea, throat discomfort (nasal administration); rhinitis (nasal administration), rhinorrhea (nasal administration)
Rare (less than 0.1%): Diseases of the lower respiratory tract, hiccoughs, yawning
Frequency not reported: Allergic rhinitis, asthma, breathing disorder, bronchitis, cough, nasal inflammation, sinusitis, upper respiratory tract inflammation, voice disturbances
Postmarketing reports: Shortness of breath (as part of hypersensitivity reaction)
Medically reviewed by USARx EDITORIAL TEAM Last updated on 1/1/2020.
Source: Drugs.com Sumatriptan Succinate (www.drugs.com/sumatriptan.html).
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