Sumatriptan nasal spray is intended to relieve your migraine, but not to prevent or reduce the number of attacks you experience. Use sumatriptan nasal spray only to treat an actual migraine attack.
Important Questions to Consider Before Taking Sumatriptan
If the answer to any of the following questions is YES or if you do not know the answer, then please discuss with your doctor before you use sumatriptan succinate injection, tablets, or nasal spray.
- Are you pregnant?
- Do you think you might be pregnant?
- Are you trying to become pregnant? Are you using inadequate contraception? Are you breast-feeding?
- Do you have any chest pain, heart disease, shortness of breath, or irregular heartbeats?
- Have you had a heart attack?
- Do you have risk factors for heart disease (such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, smoking, strong family history of heart disease, or you are postmenopausal or a male over 40)?
- Have you had a stroke, transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) or Raynaud syndrome?
- Do you have high blood pressure?
- Have you ever had to stop taking this or any other medication because of an allergy or any other problems?
- Are you taking any other medications, including other 5-HT1 agonists or any other migraine medications containing ergotamine, dihydroergotamine, or methysergide?
- Are you taking any medication for depression (monoamine oxidase inhibitors or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors [SSRIs])?
- Have you had, or do you have, any disease of the liver or kidney?
- Have you had, or do you have, epilepsy or seizures?
- Is this headache different from your usual migraine attacks?
Remember, if you answered YES to any of the above questions, then discuss it with your doctor.
The Use of Sumatriptan Succinate During Pregnancy
Do not use sumatriptan succinate injection, tablets, or nasal spray if you are pregnant, think you might be pregnant, are trying to become pregnant, or are not using adequate contraception, unless you have discussed this with your doctor.
How to Use Sumatriptan Succinate?
Injection
Before injecting sumatriptan succinate, check with your doctor on acceptable injection sites and see the instructions (on or inside the carton) on discarding empty syringes and loading an autoinjector device. Never reuse a syringe.
For adults, the usual dose is a single injection given just below the skin. It should be given as soon as the symptoms of your migraine appear, but may be given at any time during an attack. A second injection may be given if your symptoms of migraine come back. If your symptoms do not improve following the first injection, do not give a second injection for the same attack without first consulting with your doctor. Do not have more than two injections in any 24 hours and allow at least 1 hour between each dose.
Tablets
For adults, the usual dose is a single tablet taken whole with fluids. A second tablet may be taken if your symptoms of migraine come back or if you have a partial response to the initial dose, but not sooner than 2 hours following the first tablet. For a given attack, if you have no response to the first tablet, do not take a second tablet without first consulting with your doctor. Do not take more than a total of 200 mg of sumatriptan succinate tablets in any 24-hour period. The safety of treating an average of more than four headaches in a 30-day period has not been established.
Nasal Spray
Before using sumatriptan nasal spray, see the enclosed instruction pamphlet. For adults, the usual dose is a single nasal spray administered into one nostril. If your headache comes back, a second nasal spray may be administered anytime after 2 hours of administering the first spray. For any attack where you have no response to the first nasal spray, do not take a second nasal spray without first consulting with your doctor. Do not administer more than a total of 40 mg of sumatriptan nasal spray in any 24-hour period. The effects of long-term repeated use of sumatriptan nasal spray on the surfaces of the nose and throat have not been specifically studied. The safety of treating an average of more than four headaches in a 30-day period has not been established.
Side Effects
Some patients experience pain or tightness in the chest or throat when using sumatriptan succinate injection, tablets, or nasal spray. If this happens to you, then discuss it with your doctor before using any more sumatriptan succinate. If the chest pain is severe or does not go away, call your doctor immediately.
If you have sudden and/or severe abdominal pain following sumatriptan succinate, call your doctor immediately.
Shortness of breath; wheeziness; heart throbbing; swelling of eyelids, face, or lips; or a skin rash, skin lumps, or hives happen rarely. If it happens to you, then tell your doctor immediately. Do not take any more sumatriptan succinate injection, tablets, or nasal spray unless your doctor tells you to do so.
Some people may have feelings of tingling, heat, flushing (redness of face lasting a short time), heaviness or pressure after treatment with sumatriptan succinate injection, tablets, or nasal spray. A few people may feel drowsy, dizzy, tired or sick, (or experience nasal irritation with the nasal spray only). Tell your doctor of these symptoms at your next visit.
If you should feel unwell in any other way or have symptoms that you do not understand, you should contact your doctor immediately.
NOTE for Injection: You may experience pain or redness at site of injection, but this usually lasts less than an hour.
What to do if an Overdose is Taken
If you have taken more medication than you have been told, contact either your doctor, hospital emergency department, or nearest poison control center immediately.
Storing Your Medicine
Keep your medicine in a safe place where children cannot reach it. It may be harmful to children.
Store your medication from heat and light.
Tablets and Nasal Spray: Do not store at temperatures above 30°C (86°F) or below 2°C (36°F).
If your medication has expired (the expiration date is printed on the treatment pack), throw it away as instructed.
If your doctor decides to stop treatment, do not keep any leftover medicine unless your doctor tells you to. Throw away your medicine as instructed.
For Injection
Do not throw away your autoinjector. Keep your medication in the case provided and do not store at temperatures above 30°C (86°F).
|
