Sumatriptan: functions, dosage, side effects, how to use

Sumatriptan Drug What?

What is Sumatriptan for?

Sumatriptan is a drug with a function to treat migraines. This medication can help reduce headaches, pain, and other migraine symptoms (including nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light / sound). Prompt medication will help you return to your normal routine and can lower your need for other pain medications. Sumatriptan belongs to a category of drugs known as triptans. This medicine affects a certain natural substance (serotonin) that causes narrowing of the blood vessels in the brain. It can also reduce pain by affecting certain nerves in the brain.

Sumatriptan dosage and side effects of sumatriptan are detailed below.

Sumatriptan does not prevent migraines from coming on or reduce the frequency of migraines.

How to use Sumatriptan?

Follow the rules given by your doctor or pharmacist before starting treatment. If you have any questions, consult your doctor or pharmacist.

Read the patient information leaflet if available from the pharmacist before using sumatriptan and each time you refill it. If you have any questions, please ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Take this medication with or without food as directed by your doctor, at the first sign of a migraine. The dosage is based on the medical condition and response to treatment. If there is no progress, do not increase the dose of this medicine before consulting your doctor. If your pain is only partially cured, or if your headache returns, you can take your next dose at least two hours after the first dose. Do not use more than 200 mg within 24 hours.

This drug can also be used to assist sumatriptan injection. If symptoms only disappear by half or your headache returns, you can take sumatriptan at least two hours after injection, a maximum limit of up to 100 mg within 24 hours.

If you are at high risk of heart problems (see Precautions), your doctor may order heart tests before you use sumatriptan. Your doctor will also recommend that you take the first dose of this drug in the office / clinic to monitor for serious side effects (such as chest pain). Talk to your doctor for more details.

Excessive use of this drug to treat sudden migraine attacks can sometimes make headaches worse or the headaches will recur. Therefore, do not use this medication more often or for longer than recommended. Tell your doctor if you need to use this medication more often, if this medicine doesn't work, or if your headaches are more frequent or get worse. Your doctor may need to change medications or add other drugs to prevent headaches.

How to store Sumatriptan?

This medication is best stored at room temperature, away from direct light and damp places. Don't keep it in the bathroom. Don't freeze it. Other brands of this drug may have different storage rules. Observe the storage instructions on the product package or ask your pharmacist. Keep all medicines away from children and pets.

Do not flush medicines down the toilet or down the drain unless instructed to do so. Discard this product when it has expired or when it is no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company about how to safely dispose of your product.

Sumatriptan dosage

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting treatment.

What is the Sumatriptan dosage for adults?

Standard adult dosage for cluster headaches

Subcutaneous injection:

Initial dose: 6 mg subcutaneously, once. If symptoms return, the dose can be repeated at least 1 hour after the first dose. Maximum dose: 12 mg per 24 hours

Standard adult dosage for migraines:

Oral:

Initial dose: 25 mg, 50 mg, or 100 mg orally, once. If symptoms return, the dose may be repeated at least 2 hours after the first dose. Maximum dose: 200 mg per 24 hours

Nasal spray:

Initial dose: 5 mg, 10 mg, or 20 mg into one nostril, once. If symptoms return, the dose may be repeated at least 2 hours after the first dose. Maximum dose: 40 mg per 24 hours

Subcutaneous injection

Initial dose: 1 to 6 mg subcutaneously, once. If symptoms return, the dose may be repeated at least 1 hour after the first dose. Maximum dose: 12 mg per 24 hours

What is the Sumatriptan dosage for children?

There is no provision for the dosage of this drug for children (less than 18 years). This medicine can be dangerous for children. It is important to understand the safety of drugs before use. Consult your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

In what dosage is Sumatriptan available?

Sumatriptan is available in the following dosages.

6 mg injection

Sumatriptan side effects

What side effects can be experienced due to Sumatriptan?

Seek medical help immediately if you experience an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Stop using sumatriptan and call your doctor if you experience serious side effects such as:

• Feeling pain or stiffness in your jaw, neck, or throat
• Chest pain or tightness, pain radiating to the arm or shoulder, nausea, sweating, general pain
• Sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body
• Severe headaches, problems with vision, problems with speech, or balance
• Severe stomach pain and bloody diarrhea
• Convulsions
• Numbness or tingling and a pale or bluish appearance in the fingers or toes; or
• (if you are also taking an antidepressant) —agitation, hallucinations, fever, fast heartbeat, excessive reflexes, nausea, vomiting, loss of balance, fainting.

Less serious side effects include:

• Mild headaches
• Feeling tight in parts of your body
• Discomfort in the nose or throat
• Dizzy
• Muscle pain, neck or stiffness
• Warm, reddish or tingling under the skin; or
• Pain, redness, bleeding, swelling, or bruising where the drug was injected.

Not everyone experiences the following side effects. There may be some side effects not listed above. If you have concerns about certain side effects, consult your doctor or pharmacist.

Sumatriptan Drug Warnings and Cautions

What should be known before using Sumatriptan?

In deciding to use this drug, the risks of using the drug must be weighed carefully with the benefits that will be obtained later. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this remedy, here's what you need to consider:

Allergy

Tell your doctor if you have had any different reactions or are allergic to this or any other medicine. And tell your doctor if you have certain allergies, such as to food, coloring, preservatives, or animals. For over-the-counter products, read the labels or ingredients on the packaging carefully.

Children

Appropriate studies have not been carried out regarding the relationship of age to the effect of sumatriptan injection in the pediatric population. Safety and efficiency have yet to be determined.

Elderly

The use of sumatriptan injection is not recommended in elderly patients with kidney problems, heart or blood vessel disease, and should not be used in elderly patients with liver problems.

Is Sumatriptan safe for pregnant and lactating women?

There are no adequate studies regarding the risks of using this drug in pregnant or breastfeeding women. Always consult your doctor to weigh the potential benefits and risks before using this medication. This drug is included in the risk of pregnancy category C according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The following references the pregnancy risk categories according to the FDA:

A = No risk, B = not at risk in several studies, C = May be risky, D = There is positive evidence of risk, X = Contraindicated, N = Unknown

Sumatriptan Drug Interactions

What medicines may interact with Sumatriptan?

Drug interactions can change the performance of your medications or increase the risk of serious side effects. Not all possible drug interactions are listed in this document. Keep a list of all the products you use (including prescription / non-prescription drugs and herbal products) and consult your doctor or pharmacist. Do not start, stop, or change the dose of any medication without your doctor's approval.

Although several drugs should not be used simultaneously, in other cases two different drugs may be used simultaneously even if interactions are possible. In this case, your doctor may change the dose, or other precautions may be needed. Tell your doctor if you are taking any other prescription or over-the-counter drugs.

Using this medication with any of the following drugs is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this drug or change some of the medicines you have used.

• Almotriptan
• Bromocriptine
• Dihydroergotamine
• Eletriptan
• Ergoloid Mesylates
• Ergonovine
• Ergotamine
• Frovatriptan
• Furazolidone
• Iproniazid
• Isocarboxazid
• Linezolid
• Methylene Blue
• Methylergonovine
• Methysergide
• Moclobemide
• Naratriptan
• Phenelzine
• Procarbazine
• Rasagiline
• Rizatriptan
• Selegiline
• Tranylcypromine
• Zolmitriptan

Using this medication with any of the following drugs is usually not recommended, but may be needed in some cases. If the two drugs are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or reduce the frequency with which one or both drugs are used.

• Amineptine
• Amitriptyline
• Amitriptylinoxide
• Amoxapine
• Citalopram
• Clomipramine
• Cobicistat
• Desipramine
• Desvenlafaxine
• Dexfenfluramine
• Dibenzepin
• Dolasetron
• Doxepin
• Duloxetine
• Escitalopram
• Fentanyl
• Fluoxetine
• Fluvoxamine
• Granisetron
• Imipramine
• Levomilnacipran
• Lofepramine
• Lorcaserin
• Melitracen
• Meperidine
• Milnacipran
• Mirtazapine
• Nefazodone
• Nortriptyline
• Opipramol
• Palonosetron
• Paroxetine
• Protriptyline
• Reboxetine
• Sertraline
• Sibutramine
• St. John's Wort
• Tapentadol
• Tianeptine
• Tramadol
• Trazodone
• Trimipramine
• Venlafaxine
• Vilazodone
• Vortioxetine

Can food or alcohol interact with Sumatriptan?

Certain drugs should not be used with meals or when eating certain foods because drug interactions can occur. Consuming alcohol or tobacco with certain drugs can also cause interactions to occur. Discuss your use of drugs with food, alcohol, or tobacco with your health care provider.

What health conditions can interact with Sumatriptan?

The presence of other health problems in your body may affect the use of this drug. Tell your doctor if you have other health problems.

• Angina (chest pain)
• Arrhythmia (heart rate problems)
• Basilar migraine (migraine with vision or hearing problems)
• Heart attack
• Heart or blood vessel disease
• Hemiplegic migraine (migraine with paralysis)
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Ischemic bowel disease (low blood supply to the stomach)
• Severe liver disease
• Peripheral vascular disease (blockage of the arteries)
• Stroke
• Transient ischemic attack (TIA)
• Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome (heart rate problem) — Should not be used in patients with this condition
• Bleeding problems
• Heart rate problems (eg, ventricular fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia)
• Seizures or epilepsy
• Bleeding in the stomach or intestines — Use with caution. Can make conditions worse.
• Coronary artery disease
• Diabetes
• Hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol in the blood)
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Obesity
• Raynaud's syndrome - Use with caution. May increase the risk of more serious side effects.

Sumatriptan overdose

What should I do in an emergency or overdose?

In case of an emergency or overdose, contact the local emergency services provider (112) or immediately to the nearest hospital emergency department.

What should I do if I miss a dose?

If you forget a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, when it is nearing the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose and return to the usual dosing schedule. Don't double the dose.