Description
It is given by mouth to adults aged 18 years and over; the recommended dose in the UK is 50 mg, although some patients may require 100 mg. A clinical response can be expected after about 30 minutes. If symptoms recur after an initial response, further doses may be given provided that there is a minimum interval of 2 hours between doses and that not more than 300 mg is taken in any 24-hour period. In the USA a lower dose of 25 mg may be used, although some patients require 50 or 100 mg. This may be followed by a second dose of up to 100 mg if the headache returns or the patient has a partial response provided that the total daily dose does not exceed the recommended maximum of 200 mg. A minimum interval of 2 hours is recommended between doses.
Adverse Effects
The most commonly reported adverse effects of serotonin (5-HT1) agonists such as sumatriptan include dizziness, flushing, weakness, drowsiness, and fatigue. Nausea and vomiting may occur. Pain or sensations of tingling, heaviness, heat, pressure, or tightness have also been commonly reported, can affect any part of the body including the throat and chest, and may be intense. These symptoms may be due to vasospasm, which on rare occasions has resulted in severe cardiovascular events including cardiac arrhythmias, myocardial ischaemia, or myocardial infarction. There have been isolated reports of associated cerebrovascular events in patients receiving sumatriptan. Transient increases in blood pressure may occur soon after treatment. Hypotension, bradycardia or tachycardia, palpitations, Raynaud’s syndrome, and ischaemic colitis have been reported. Visual disturbances have also occurred.
Medication-overuse headache has been reported with sumatriptan and may necessitate withdrawal of the drug. Sumatriptan has occasionally been associated with minor disturbances in liver function. There have also been rare reports of seizures with sumatriptan. Hypersensitivity reactions ranging from skin rashes to, more rarely, anaphylaxis have occurred.
Transient pain at the injection site is common after subcutaneous sumatriptan injections; stinging, burning, erythema, bruising, and bleeding have also been reported. Irritation of the nasal mucosa and throat and epistaxis have been reported after intranasal use.
Adverse Effects
The most commonly reported adverse effects of serotonin (5-HT1) agonists such as sumatriptan include dizziness, flushing, weakness, drowsiness, and fatigue. Nausea and vomiting may occur. Pain or sensations of tingling, heaviness, heat, pressure, or tightness have also been commonly reported, can affect any part of the body including the throat and chest, and may be intense. These symptoms may be due to vasospasm, which on rare occasions has resulted in severe cardiovascular events including cardiac arrhythmias, myocardial ischaemia, or myocardial infarction. There have been isolated reports of associated cerebrovascular events in patients receiving sumatriptan. Transient increases in blood pressure may occur soon after treatment. Hypotension, bradycardia or tachycardia, palpitations, Raynaud’s syndrome, and ischaemic colitis have been reported. Visual disturbances have also occurred.
Medication-overuse headache has been reported with sumatriptan and may necessitate withdrawal of the drug. Sumatriptan has occasionally been associated with minor disturbances in liver function. There have also been rare reports of seizures with sumatriptan. Hypersensitivity reactions ranging from skin rashes to, more rarely, anaphylaxis have occurred.
Transient pain at the injection site is common after subcutaneous sumatriptan injections; stinging, burning, erythema, bruising, and bleeding have also been reported. Irritation of the nasal mucosa and throat and epistaxis have been reported after intranasal use.
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