Sumatriptan for Cluster Headaches User Reviews

• Mik...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 13, 2019

"I've had cluster headaches for about 10 years. Brutal, soul-crushing headaches maybe 100 to 200 times more painful than a common tension headache. Read about sumatriptan and asked my doctor. He prescribed it about 2 years ago. It's been a miracle for me. Completely gets rid of the headache within 15 to 20 minutes. No side effects of any kind. To those who have experienced side effects, I might suggest taking a half or even a quarter dose. I was prescribed 20 mg, and I usually cut them in half, and 10 mg works great for me. If 10 mg is an effective dose, at least for some people, as I can attest, then I can only imagine what taking 10 times the dose for your body or system might do, as I'm reading some people here were prescribed 50 or even 100 mg. Hope this helps."

• Joh...
• July 2, 2014

Sumatriptan "Imitrex in any form is the best med for cluster headaches by far. High-flow oxygen at first twinge, and the pill at the onset (even if you think it might hurt) is most effective. You all know how fast they come on. It usually works immediately unless late in a cycle. I too wish you could take more than twice in a 24-hour period. After suffering for almost 20 years with no medicine at all for these crippling things. I have tried all Imitrex types: injections, pills, nasal sprays. Injections are fast but so very expensive and painful as well. Nasal spray is nauseating for me, the pill form has always worked well if taken at the very blink of a headache. Because of price and insurance restrictions, I would wait to take the medicine. Not anymore."

• Deb...
• December 4, 2013

Sumatriptan "This is a miracle for me. Cluster headaches would put me out of commission for 2 days. Imitrex gets rid of the intense pain of my eye feeling like it might pop out of my head! The first few times I took it, I had side effects of the heavy feeling on my chest and in my muscles. After 3 times, I can take it with no side effects. I've only taken it 5 times, but it's still working great."

• Clu...
• June 30, 2016

Sumatriptan "Words cannot express how grateful I am for this medicine. I have dealt with these crippling headaches since my mid-20s. Now in my mid-30s, I finally happened upon a physician (at a CareNow of all places) who actually listened to me as I told him of the nightmare I face at least three times a day, every day, for months on end, and prescribed Imitrex for me. If taken at the very first sign of an attack, these little beauties (I take the oral) can save you 30 minutes to several hours of unimaginable pain. I cannot recommend enough that my fellow cluster headache sufferers ask their doctor about considering Imitrex. While there's no cure, this is the closest thing I've found so far that at least makes living with these headaches bearable."

• Jun...
• May 23, 2014

Sumatriptan "Imitrex works very well for my eyeball pain, light and odor, toxic smells, nasal stuffiness that leads to migraines. Migraines. I am sensitive to gluten of all kinds, if I ingest some, I WILL get nasal stuffiness that will lead to a migraine or cluster headaches. Imitrex works in 45 minutes, sometimes sleep is needed to take it away. Sometimes I get migraines for a week or so. Sometimes I take it as a last resort, after trying allergy meds, Tylenol, or Valium. But Imitrex works for me. I eat very healthy, no breads of any kind, no gluten, very little sugar. I read all labels, eat mostly veggies and meat, mostly organic, I'm getting better at that."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 10 years or more
• June 23, 2012

Sumatriptan "I suffered with cluster headaches for about 15 years before finally receiving an Imitrex injection in the hospital ER. My headache was gone within 5-10 minutes, I thought it was a miracle. I do not leave home without it!"

• Lyn...
• June 22, 2014

Sumatriptan "I have been using Imitrex since it first came out in the '90s. It was a godsend. I've had migraines for 42 years. I get about six migraines a month. Imitrex always works, but for me, I pay a price with stomach aches. Sometimes I refrain from taking Imitrex for fear of the stomach pains."

• Dsi...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 25, 2015

Sumatriptan "Imitrex has helped me 100% with my cluster headaches. Certain foods trigger these painful headaches, and even though I know most of the triggers, and even though I try to avoid them, it's impossible to eat and not have at least one or two of these triggers in my food. My doctor tried me on several pain meds for these headaches, but nothing worked. The headaches got so bad I was literally pulling my hair out and was thinking about suicide. Then my doctor gave me Imitrex. As long as I know I have access to Imitrex, I am fine. I finally went to a wonderful neurologist who has been very patient in trying other meds to work with the Imitrex. I do take the generic of Imitrex."

• pho...
• April 24, 2010

Sumatriptan "I have suffered from cluster headaches for over 15 years and have tried almost everything offered by hospitals and over the counter. I recently was given Imitrex in a nasal spray by my doctor, and as long as your nasal passage is clear, I have found that about five to ten minutes after you taste it in your throat, the headaches go away. It is the best medicine I have ever come across for cluster headaches, and my days and nights are much better because of it."

• tri...
• April 28, 2013

Sumatriptan "I've just started taking Imitrex. The first time I took it, I thought I was getting lockjaw. I was quite worried. I took it again the next day, though, because it did take care of my headache. Since the first time I took it, the side effects have been minor. Hopefully, it stays this way."

• Che...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 23, 2020

Sumatriptan "I use Imitrex to treat my cluster headaches. I have episodic clusters. Usually get them once a year for a month or more. I get two to three attacks a day during the cycle. I use Imitrex injections and pills, the injections get rid of the pain in about 10 minutes, and the Imitrex pills take about thirty minutes to work. Don’t know what I would do without them."

• Str...
• June 14, 2016

Sumatriptan "I've suffered from cluster headaches since I was 14 years old. I'm 35 now. My last headache was in 2013, shortly after my mother passed. I thought I had outgrown the headaches, but in May of 2016, here I go again, going into my second month of having them every day. I've tried Imitrex, you name it. Sometimes painkillers work, sometimes they don't, but like many other cluster headache sufferers, I've been through hell. I don't know what to do. I'm a truck driver, and it makes it hard to do my job even after the headaches have gone. I just wanted to share my experience."

• Aqu...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 9, 2017

"I've had cluster headaches for about 14 years now and haven't found any helpful meds until now. Sumatriptan has been extremely helpful for me this cluster period. I use the tablets, so it takes about 30 minutes to feel the effects. I take it as soon as I start to feel tension in the head and neck, with the slight onset of a headache. By the time it starts to work, the attack is almost in full force, but once it kicks in, the pain immediately subsides and begins to quickly go away. It saves me at least a good hour of the intense, tortuous pain - which also saves me a lot of the side effects of the attacks, such as nausea and fatigue. I've found little to no side effects along with the drug, so I'm almost immediately able to function afterwards."

• Zon...
• March 31, 2008

Sumatriptan "Imitrex is a wonderful drug for us cluster heads. I've not been without one on or about my person for the past 17 years. I'm sure that all of us cluster sufferers only wish that they would work a lot faster (like the injections), but I am so thankful for them in any form. A real 'life saver.'"

• Anonymous
• January 25, 2010

Sumatriptan "I consider Imitrex to be the greatest medicine in the world, at least as far as my health is concerned. I am never without the auto injector. When a chronic headache comes on, I inject myself, and 3 to 4 minutes later ... no pain. My muscles are fatigued, and I'm somewhat tired for about 30 minutes, but NO PAIN! ... Yes!"

• jen...
• August 19, 2016

"Very bad experience/reaction with only half a dose! 1) Did not take away headache. 2) Increase in pain, heavy weight feeling on my chest, shortness of breath, cold sweats. This med was a nightmare for me! I felt immediate pain and pressure in my head, neck, and shoulders. The worst, however, was feeling like a one-hundred-pound weight on my chest. Additionally, nausea and cold sweats and feeling like I was in big trouble (practically an ER trip)! Beware of this med, it may not be for everyone! Will go back to 3 Advil and a Coke or my Fioricet. The cure is worse than the disease in this case for me!"

• Dmy...
• April 13, 2010

Sumatriptan "Injections are expensive, but they are the only thing that I have found that works for my cluster headaches. Truly a lifesaver. The burning sensation is ugly, but better than the viciousness ripping of my head to pieces."

• Sma...
• July 29, 2013

"I'm 46 years old and was diagnosed with cluster headaches in my late 20s. I was prescribed sumatriptan last week due to my new spell, which started 2 weeks ago, and the medicine is working great for me. When one is coming on, I take a 50 mg pill, and it starts working within minutes. I feel and hear crackling noises in my head, as well as my nasal cavity and eye socket, and miraculously it starts to lift away. In some cases, though, I had to take a second pill because the first didn't work completely, but within 30 to 45 minutes, I'm relaxed and pain-free. Since they've taken Cafergot off the market, I've been without any medicine at all, trying steroids my neurologist experimented with, which didn't work at all. Sumatriptan is working."

• Bee...
• August 12, 2019

"I go to a headache clinic to deal with my intense cluster/migraine headache bouts. My doctor asked me to try sumatriptan as an option for dealing with the worst headaches as soon as I feel them come on. I liked the idea of having something to take only during headache periods, as opposed to daily. I had the opportunity to give it a shot this weekend and... whoa. Sumatriptan does NOT agree with my system. Shortly after taking it, my scalp at the crown of my head felt like it was on fire. So painful. The back of my neck also seized up, and I had to lie down, even though it was impossible to get comfortable. The good thing is that this medication has a short half-life (two hours), so my discomfort, though intense, was short-lived. Did my headache fade away? Absolutely, but the discomfort it was swapped out for was arguably worse and so scary. I'm returning the remainder of this prescription to the pharmacy for disposal."

• Yor...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 24, 2017

"After suffering with cluster headaches for two years, I was prescribed sumatriptan 100 mg tablets, which were effective if taken on an empty stomach. They got to work in about 20-30 min, which saved a good hour or so of debilitating pain, so were great. When the next bout hit, I asked about the injections as the tablets didn't always work/work quickly enough. The doctor agreed, and I got Imigran 6 mg. Wow. Just wow. Aborts the headache within a couple of minutes of injection (which is simple and easy). They are a lifesaver, and I would recommend anybody who suffers from cluster headaches to ask your doctor about it. In the UK, they're available on the NHS; my doctor was hesitant at first, as apparently, they cost £25 per 2 injection pack. But they are worth it."

• Big...
• June 17, 2011

Sumatriptan "Gets rid of my headaches easily, but sometimes takes an hour before it works. Taking it on an empty stomach seems to speed up things. The only downside is they are quite expensive, even with insurance."

• Dan...
• June 12, 2012

Sumatriptan "It worked to abort a cluster headache. Just as effective, but not any more so than the needle version of Imitrex/sumatriptan. The injection stung quite a bit and left a fairly nasty welt similar to a wasp sting, and it bled a little bit, but it worked as advertised."

• The...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 8, 2013

"I've been dealing with episodes of cluster headaches for 30 years. Nothing has ever made a dent in the pain besides this and Zomig nasal spray. The slight pain of the injection is a very small price to pay to relieve the crushing pain of a cluster headache. For me, the trick for both medicines is to catch it as early as possible, before the headache is full-blown. I'm never more than a minute or two away from a dose. Besides feeling a little weak afterwards (which would have been worse with the headache anyway), so far I don't have any real side effects."

• dez...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 31, 2014

"The first time I used the Dosepro, I was leery. Within 10 minutes, I was not only relieved of my migraine, but it was the most clear-headed I felt in forever. The second dose I took, I was not near my medicine, and I had a full-blown migraine, so it wasn't as good but a very close second. I love this. Freedom to make plans and not have to worry about canceling due to migraine. Yeah!"

• Mom...
• June 27, 2016

"Had these headaches since I was 11. In my 20s, did every test, scan, etc. No explanation. The only help offered was a highly addictive narcotic. I chose to skip it. My life was severely affected - I had headaches when happy, sad, having fun, PMS, special occasions, etc. Everyone knew my headaches were 3+ days of barely functioning. Then my daughter started getting them - game changer for me. Could not let her suffer the same way. Dr. prescribed Imitrex (generic). It works for both of us! We feel like we can live without fear of the next one. She is out of the country for 6 weeks - without this, she never could have gone! Our lives are totally different now!"