Sumitriptan for migraine

I have tried Sumitriptan for a severe migraine .
It worked and it did so very quickly
But to be honest , after some experimenting : my migraines respond very quickly to a mixture of paracetamol , ibuprofen and codeine taken with a hot drink and something sweet whilst sitting down quietly without noise or a screen .
I get visual disturbances which come on without any warning .
If I don't address the situation I can't see properly .
The headache is always a cluster headache in one eye and without visual disturbances .
One of my friends can only get relief from Sumitriptan and has a prescription .
If you fill out a form in Boots and the pharmacist might allow you this drug without a prescription .
You could then request it at your surgery .
I have two friends whose migraines are so severe that they had to have anti emetic injections as they couldn't stop vomiting .
As they've gone past menopause the migraines have finally stopped .
Everyone is different and only a professional medical opinion will determine your needs .

I have taken it for years.

It was a life saver for me. Luckily, there were no side effects either.

Since l retired, the migraines have reduced so l don't need them as much but they are the only medication that has ever worked for me.

Oh sorry to read re migraine. Not nice at all, I took Imigran so sounds same sort of drug. Made me feel worse for 20 mins after taking and then gone! The relief was immense but did feel washed out after. After the menopause never had another migraine thankfully.

I take a different triptan from the same family. They are effective although sometimes I need another. I try prescription cocodamol first and if that doesn’t work, I use a triptan. I’ve not noticed any side effects.

I cannot take any codeine based drugs, Sumatriptan has been a life changer for me.

Its worked very well for me when migraine was at its worst and I found it hard to cope. I only get them occasionally now and it still works very well.

Sumatriptan is wonderful. Wouldn’t be without it.

Fist time I took it, it worked! I was actually overcome with emotion that my migraine cleared, I phoned the medical practice and asked them to pass thanks for prescribing something that actually worked.
Never in my life did I or have I done that before.
Amazing,

Yes, I agree with Imarocker, brilliant stuff. I much prefer nasal spray to the pills. Sometimes need two over a couple of hours.

Sumatriptan has been a lifesaver for me. I’ve suffered from migraines since I was 5 and until my 40s. I had to grin and bear the aura followed by the most painful headache imaginable. Now, I take a sumatriptan when the aura starts and it takes half an hour to work. I generally don’t even get a headache anymore. I’ve even cut down from 100 mg to 50 mg.

Thank you so much everyone for your comments. Next time I get a nasty migraine I'll take one. I tried codeine today as that great wall of rain came at us but it did not even touch the pain. In the end I went to bed and listened to a long meditation on You Tube then fell asleep.

Sumatriptan is amazing! I have had horrendous migraines since I was a child and was eventually prescribed sumatriptan nasal spray in my late thirties. The relief I felt the first time I used it was indescribable. After a while I struggled to tolerate the nasal spray and was then prescribed injections. I don't know how I would manage without them as they really do stop my migraines (although I do feel worse immediately after the injection) and enable me to to carry on, even if I feel sluggish for the rest of the day. I have recently come off hrt and am hoping that my migraines may ease as a result. I just wish my lovely Mum had been prescribed them as she endured dreadful migraines.

I did stop having migraines after the menopause. Possibly one upside of getting old.

I was one of those exceptions to the rule and still get migraines at 71!

I have taken sumatriptan for years. I usually only need to take one or two to avoid what otherwise would be a 3 day migraine.

I take sumatriptan for migraine and find it works within the hour. The only problem I find with it is that it makes me pee. Still I'd rather that to the migraine. Unfortunately I am also one of the exceptions and still get them at 71

I still get the occasional migraine..and I’m 76!!
As soon as I have the horrid visual disturbance I take two pink migraleves…they seem to stop the pain..although I feel washed out afterwards.

I am 70 and had migraines since the age of 10. I have Rizatriptan to take along with metoclopramide for the sickness. I have medical Botox (31 injections into head, neck and between eyes) every 3 months as I get really bad side effects with most preventative medications. Fortunately this mostly keeps the migraines at bay. I used to have Sumatriptan but it wasn’t strong enough for me. I hope it helps you.

At 76 I get about 4 or 5 aura migraines a year, usually without warning, and usually brought about by either the relief of stress, or rose perfume . (I have no idea what brought about yesterday's which came on suddenly whilst watching a film!) I am very envious of those who find Sumatriptan effective!! Unfortunately, the only medication which ever worked for me was Migril which contained ergotamine, and, so I was told by my GP, is now no longer prescribed in the UK. Having experienced total failure with any other medication my GP prescribed, often which had side effects worse than the migraine, I now rely on a combination of paracetamol, very strong black coffee (aka caffeine), and maybe ibuprofen if things are very bad, along with a couple of hours in a darkened room!! (No codeine, as I hallucinate on codeine....)

I have been using sumatriptan for a few years. It works for me usually within 30 minutes but I am left with what feels like a heavy head, like a dull ache. I usually then take a couple of paracetamol to combat that.
As others have said I’m so grateful for sumatriptan because it gets rid of the horrible aura that I get which was making it difficult for me to do anything.

I take Sumatriptan and it works brilliantly. It has made a huge difference to my life I thoroughly recommend it.

Goodness, other migraine sufferers in their 70’s. I thought I was alone in this as I don’t know anyone in real life who still gets them. I was told when I was 11yo that I’d grow out of them. I’m still waiting, 59 years on!

One combination of painkillers that sometimes wards off a migraine for me is soluble paracetamol or Solpadeine dissolved in a glass of full-fat Coca-Cola. Some of mine are due to low blood sugar I think, as eating something sweet can stop it.

Absolutely brilliant… Went to various migraine clinics tried loads of meds, worked for a while then stopped. Hospital for injections… until GP prescribed them… I ended up having a medical discharge from work due to the migraines…

Interesting to see the later ages that we are here taking the Imigran/Sumatriptan. It’s been bothering me a little and I haven’t yet brought it up with gp or pharmacist but it isn’t actually recommended after 65.
I too have now managed to reduce to a 50 mg from 100 but will take 2 if necessary. But I really don’t want to stop being allowed to have them.