Sumatriptan tablets

• Do you have problems with your liver or kidneys?
• Do you have problems with high blood pressure (hypertension)?
• Have you had a heart attack or do you get angina (chest pain)?
• Have you had a stroke or do you get transient ischemic attacks?
• Are you pregnant or breastfeeding?
• Have you ever had a seizure?
• Are you taking medicine for depression?

If so, it’s important that you tell your healthcare provider or pharmacist before you start sumatriptan. Sometimes a medicine isn’t suitable for a person with certain conditions, or it can only be used with extra care.

Always use sumatriptan tablets exactly as your healthcare provider has told you. The pharmacy label on your medicine will tell you how much to use, how often to use it and any special instructions. Here is some guidance:

• In adults, the usual dose is 1 tablet (50 mg or 100 mg) at the start of the migraine attack. It should work within 30 minutes.
• If your migraine improves but then comes back, wait at least 2 hours before taking another tablet (50 mg or 100 mg).
• Don't take more than 300 mg in 24 hours (6 of the 50 mg tablets or 3 of the 100 mg tablets).
• If the first sumatriptan dose doesn't relieve your symptoms or help your migraine, don't take another sumatriptan dose for the same attack. It's unlikely to work.
  
  

Monthly limit

Don't use sumatriptan for more than 9 days per month. Using sumatriptan too frequently can cause medication-overuse headache or rebound headache. This headache is caused by overuse of painkillers to treat headache, including the use of triptans for migraine. The symptoms include a tension-type headache or migraine-like attack. 

Headaches often improve within 7 to 10 days after sumatriptan has been stopped. Symptoms may be worse before an improvement is seen. Read more about medication-overuse headache.

If you need to regularly use sumatriptan more than 2 times a week talk to your healthcare provider. There are other medicines that can be taken every day to prevent migraines. Read more about medicines to prevent migraines.

How to take sumatriptan tablets

• Timing: It's best to take sumatriptan as soon as you notice headache symptoms, but you can take it after a migraine has already begun. Sumatriptan tablets usually start to work within 30 minutes after taking the tablet but may take up to 4 hours.
• Food: Sumatriptan can be taken with or without food.
• Swallow the tablet whole with a glass of water: Don't crush or chew sumatriptan tablets.

Here are some things to know when you're taking sumatriptan tablets. Other things may be important as well, so ask your healthcare provider what you should know about.

• Other medicines: Sumatriptan interacts with some medicines, herbal supplements and rongoā Māori, so check with your healthcare provider or pharmacist before starting sumatriptan and before starting any new products.
• Driving: Sumatriptan and/or migraines can make you feel tired or dizzy. Be careful when driving or using tools until you know how this medicine affects you. Limit or avoid drinking alcohol while taking sumatriptan as alcohol may increase these side-effects.
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding: Talk to your healthcare provider if you're pregnant, planning a pregnancy or want to breastfeed.
• Don't give sumatriptan to anyone else even if they also have migraines.

Like all medicines, sumatriptan can cause side effects, although not everyone gets them. If you're concerned about any symptoms you think might be related to your medicine, talk to your healthcare provider. The following information offers some guidance but doesn't include all possible side effects.

Common side effects

Tell your healthcare provider if these side effects bother you.

• Feeling sleepy, tired or dizzy: Be careful when driving or using tools until you know how this medicine affects you. Don’t drink alcohol.
• Nausea (feeling sick) or vomiting (being sick): This may be due to the migraine attack. Avoid eating until this feeling passes.

Tell your healthcare provider immediately or phone Healthline free on 0800 611 116 if these occur

• Intense or ongoing pain, or tightness in your chest, jaw or throat.
• Signs of serotonin syndrome(external link): Feeling agitated and restless, heavy sweating, shivering, fast heart rate or irregular heartbeat, headache, diarrhoea (runny poo) and rigid or twitching muscles. You’re at increased risk of serotonin syndrome if you recently started taking sumatriptan, recently increased the dose or are taking other medicines that can also cause serotonin syndrome.

   

Phone 111 for an ambulance or go to your nearest accident and emergency (A&E) clinic if these occur

• Signs of an allergic reaction such as itchy skin, and rash, swollen lips or tongue, problems breathing, like a tight chest or shortness of breath.

Read more about medicines and side effects and reporting a reaction you think might be a side effect.