Sumatriptan: Fast facts for migraine relief

If you get migraines, sumatriptan is one of the most commonly prescribed rescue medicines. It’s a triptan drug that targets the brain chemicals and blood vessels involved in a migraine attack. For many people, it reduces pain, nausea, and light sensitivity within 1–2 hours when taken at the start of an attack.

How sumatriptan works and common forms

Sumatriptan narrows dilated blood vessels and blocks pain signals in the brain. That’s why it helps once a migraine starts — it’s not a preventive. You’ll find it as oral tablets (25, 50, 100 mg), a nasal spray, and a subcutaneous injection. The injection works fastest and is useful if vomiting makes tablets a poor option. Nasal spray is a middle ground for people who can’t swallow pills and don’t want injections.

Which form you use depends on how fast your migraine hits and how severe your nausea is. If you often vomit during attacks, the injection or nasal spray can be more reliable.

Dosing, side effects, and safety

Typical adult dosing for the tablet is one 50 mg or 100 mg at migraine onset; you can repeat once after 2 hours if needed, but do not exceed 200 mg in 24 hours. For the injection, the usual single dose is 6 mg under the skin; your doctor will tell you if a second dose is okay. Always follow your prescriber’s directions.

Common side effects are tingling, flushing, chest or throat pressure, dizziness, and drowsiness. These usually pass within an hour. Rare but serious risks include heart attack, stroke, and serotonin syndrome (especially if mixed with certain antidepressants). If you get chest pain, severe shortness of breath, sudden weakness, speech trouble, or vision problems after taking sumatriptan, get emergency care right away.

Avoid sumatriptan if you have uncontrolled high blood pressure, known heart disease, a history of stroke or transient ischemic attack, or certain types of migraine (hemiplegic or basilar). Also don’t combine it with ergotamine drugs within 24 hours or with MAO inhibitors; check with your doctor about recent antidepressant use.

Practical tips: take sumatriptan as early in the attack as possible for best effect; keep a small dose with you if attacks start away from home; and track what form and dose works best so you can tell your clinician. Buy from pharmacies that require a prescription and have clear contact info—avoid sites that skip prescriptions or offer suspiciously low prices.

If your migraines don’t respond to sumatriptan, or you need it frequently, talk to a headache specialist about other triptans, different doses, or preventive treatments. That way you get a plan that fits your life and lowers how often you need rescue meds.