Common questions about sumatriptan - Brand names: Imigran, Migraitan, Boots Migraine Relief

Sumatriptan belongs to a group of medicines called triptans, or serotonin (5-HT1) agonists.

We do not yet understand what causes migraines and cluster headaches. However, your symptoms may be due to the temporary widening of blood vessels in your head.

Sumatriptan works on the serotonin (or 5-HT) receptors located on blood vessels in your brain. This causes them to narrow.

This helps take away the headache and eases other symptoms such as feeling or being sick and sensitivity to light and sound.

Sumatriptan tablets should work within 30 to 60 minutes. The injections start to work within 10 to 15 minutes and the nasal spray works in about 15 minutes.

It's important not to use sumatriptan too often. See your doctor if your headache does not go away, or if you have frequent migraines or cluster headaches.

Sumatriptan is used to treat migraine or cluster headaches once the pain has started, but there are other medicines available that may help to reduce the number and frequency of attacks. Talk to your doctor about these.

Taking too many migraine medicines or taking them too often is linked to something called medication overuse headaches. 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.

Migraine headaches can often be treated with paracetamol (preferably soluble) or ibuprofen. Alternatively, you can take aspirin (again, preferably soluble) if you are aged 16 or older.

There are also medicines that help you stop feeling or being sick when you have a headache. 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.

If you have at least 4 migraine days per month and have tried at least 3 oral preventative treatments, you may be prescribed monoclonal antibodies to treat them more effectively. If they are suitable for you they will be prescribed by a specialist.

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 take sumatriptan if you're going to be put to sleep (having a general anaesthetic), or you're having any kind of operation.

Your doctor may advise you to stop taking sumatriptan for 24 hours before surgery.

Sumatriptan will not stop your contraception working.

However the combined pill is not usually recommended if you have migraines with symptoms called an aura. Talk to your doctor if you have migraines and take (or want to take) a hormonal contraceptive.

If sumatriptan makes you sick (vomit), your contraceptive pills may not protect you from pregnancy. Check the pill packet to find out what to do.

Find out more:

• what to do if you're sick or have diarrhoea when taking the combined pill
• what to do if you're sick or have diarrhoea when taking the progestogen-only pill

You can feel very dizzy or tired when you take sumatriptan. Migraines can also have this effect.

If you feel this way, do not drive a car, ride a bike or operate machinery until you feel OK again.

It's an offence to drive a car if your ability to drive safely is affected. It's your responsibility to decide if it's safe to drive. If you're in any doubt, do not drive.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you're unsure whether it's safe for you to drive while taking sumatriptan. GOV.UK has more information on the law on drugs and driving.

Alcohol does not affect how sumatriptan works.

However, it's best not to drink alcohol during a headache attack. Migraines and cluster headaches can sometimes be triggered by alcohol.

You can eat and drink normally while taking sumatriptan.

However, it's best to avoid drinking alcohol during a headache attack.

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. Record 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.

You do not need to stop playing sports if you take sumatriptan.

However, be careful playing sports if you get migraine aura that affects 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 feeling dizzy, tired, sick or weak, or having shortness of breath.

There are steps you can take to help prevent severe headaches or migraines.

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.