Sumatriptan and Nausea: What Users Say

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 15, 2019

Sumatriptan for Migraine "Okay, so I’ve been suffering from horrible migraines daily, so bad that I’m stuck in bed in horrible pain. I’m nauseous and depressed, and I have no appetite. After being prescribed the Imitrex, I took it as soon as I felt the migraine come on. About 30 minutes in, I started to feel my neck and throat feeling tight and my whole head have this burning sensation. I started to panic a little. Then an hour passed, and I’m full-blown in pain all over my body. I’m talking aching so bad it felt like I had the worst flu in history... but my migraine was gone. Yes, it took care of my migraine, but were the body aches that lasted almost the whole day worth it? I don’t think so."

• Kay...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• November 26, 2019

For Migraine "Used to take these sumatriptan every time I had a migraine and aura 100 mg, and everything was fine. A few days ago, I felt symptoms coming on and took one. Worst experience of my life. Severe nausea, diarrhea, worsening of headache, chest pains, numb pain in left arm, muscle clenching involuntarily, jaw pain, severe anxiety. Ended up in ER crying and feeling like I was high on drugs. Days later, I do not feel like myself. I feel anxious, panicky, and down in my mood. Please be careful, these drugs are NOT safe for everyone despite me having taken them many times before. I will not ever take one again."

• hou...
• September 22, 2014

Sumatriptan for Migraine "My husband has always had what's called prostrating attacks, which is a form of a migraine that leaves him in so much pain he can't function at all! The only medication that has ever worked on him is the Imitrex. This stuff is awesome! The only thing that is irritating is every time I get his prescription filled, the pharmacist tries to give him the Sumatriptan (the generic version), which makes him so sick he will throw up nonstop for hours. So I always have to tell them he needs the name brand, and I have gotten into many arguments with pharmacists trying to tell me it's the same thing. IT'S NOT!!!! When my husband takes Imitrex, his migraine is gone within minutes, he takes a Sumatriptan, and I feel like I need to take him to a hospital."

• Anonymous
• January 23, 2020

For Migraine "I get very bad migraines that make me stay in bed for hours. I was prescribed sumatriptan, and I took it to see if it worked. It did not really relieve my migraine, and it made me feel nauseous and super weak. I got chest pain, and my arms felt very heavy."

• Joh...
• July 2, 2014

Sumatriptan for Cluster Headaches "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."

• TAa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 3, 2019

Sumatriptan for Migraine "Worst experience of my life! Started feeling jaw pain, shoulder pain, nausea, heart racing, and the worst was a tingly/numbing sensation in my arms and legs. I felt like I was going to die. Did not help my migraine at all. This should be taken off the market."

• Mar...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 8, 2018

Sumatriptan for Migraine "I only use this when I am incapacitated from migraine pain (I get it behind my left eye and can’t open it, have a hard time walking/talking, and end up vomiting). It relieves the physical pain, and I am able to see, walk, and talk, but I am still pretty much down for the count. It says you can take it every 2 hours, but MAN, 1 dose and I feel it for the rest of the day. I get very drowsy, my eyes get droopy, and it feels like I’m walking underwater...or through thick honey. Everything feels so heavy. My speech is slower. I get waves of nausea. Once I take it, I’m home for the day—no way would I feel comfortable driving. The side effects can be tough for sure, but I will take them over the bad migraine pain any day. I am always thankful I took it, even if I have to be confined to the couch for 4-6 hours."

• Bee...
• September 16, 2017

Sumatriptan for Migraine "I am perimenopausal, age 53, and for the last several years, suffered from debilitating migraines. I wasted days because I was too sick from these headaches. Forget Excedrin for migraines or any other OTC drugs, no relief whatsoever. This past weekend, I had a migraine that pretty much knocked me out - the pain was horrific, nausea, vomiting, and I cried like a baby. Finally, I went to the emergency room, and they gave me Imitrex. Within 30 minutes, the headache was gone. I was very sleepy, but I don't know if that's a side effect or just from not sleeping the prior 3 days."

• ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 4, 2014

Sumatriptan for Migraine "Imitrex did not work for me. I have not reached the vomiting stage of a migraine in years thanks to other medications. Imitrex did nothing to stop the progression of my migraine. I had to leave work in the middle of the afternoon, feeling as if I would vomit at my desk, in the hallway, in the elevator, walking to the parking garage, the entire way. Aleve works better than this stuff, and Aleve only keeps nausea at bay, but does not cure migraines for me."

• Jen...
• October 18, 2019

Sumatriptan for Migraine "I almost always get migraines around my period or times of extreme stress. I was getting a migraine that began as nausea, hot flashes, dizziness, and weakness the entire day. That night the pain started, so I took 25 mg Imitrex. In 90 minutes, the pain was gone. I felt some pressure where the pain had been and couldn’t lay on that side. A week later, I feel another migraine come on, and I wasn’t sure it was a migraine until the nausea came. I took Imitrex again, and the pain went away after 2 hours, but then I got super drowsy and fell asleep and woke up an hour later shaky and anxious. I had not had a good night's sleep the day before, so those symptoms may be attributed to lack of sleep, but they went away after a few hours. I did try Imitrex in the middle of a migraine with nausea, blurry vision, severe pain, and it didn’t help. I was discouraged and did not take a second dose that time. I suggest taking Imitrex as soon as you feel pain."

• Jen...
• October 30, 2014

Sumatriptan for Migraine "Best migraine medicine I have ever used. The injection does hurt for a few seconds, but the pain is gone as fast as it came. Within a few minutes, I can feel the medicine rushing through my head. It feels very heavy and leaves me with a dizzy sensation. I usually need about an hour of sleep, and then the migraine is gone completely. I suffer about three migraines a week and only need a second dose about once a month. Pretty effective if you ask me! I have noticed that if I am feeling nauseous already, the medicine intensifies this. I found that taking a sublingual anti-nausea medicine a few minutes before the injection greatly reduces this side effect."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 11, 2018

For Migraine "Awful. Taking the 50 mg and 100 mg gave me horrible side effects. I can say my migraine went away, but to get to that point, I have to go through about an hour of uncontrollable crying, tightness in my chest and throat, very heavy, almost numb limbs, extreme body aches, nausea, cold sweats, and a pounding headache. Never taking it ever again."

• Sle...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 29, 2016

Sumatriptan for Migraine "I was diagnosed with severe, painful, and silent migraines a few months ago, but the neurologist said I've most likely suffered from silent migraines my entire life (I'm 17, by the way). Recently, they have started getting painful. Imitrex was the first medication I was put on. I was excited to start feeling better, but Imitrex made me feel awful. I suffer from extreme nausea before, during, and after a migraine, and it's completely life-ruining. I've tried Imitrex many times in hopes of it finally working. Every time I'd take it, I'd get a horrible burning in my throat, and my migraine would worsen. It didn't help nausea, aura, pain, or any other migraine symptoms I suffer from. I've recently been put on another medication that'll hopefully work."

• Men...
• June 14, 2019

For Migraine "I've been suffering from migraines for years, lasting three days in a row, regularly! To humor my body, I'd take paracetamol, ibuprofen, cocodamol, knowing they would not even touch the sides of these monstrous head pains. Nothing besides my daith piercing (a piercing that is located in the innermost fold of your ear) has worked. Until now. Enter sumatriptan! It's bizarre the way it works; I can feel the blood vessels in my head contracting immediately, and then I feel a pained pressure at the top of my nose. It all seems to pulsate for about an hour, after which my migraine has gone! I take anti-sickness at the same time to counter the feelings of nausea, and it does work. Although, for plenty of hours afterward, I feel kind of odd; a bit floaty, a little bit dizzy, and the pressure in my nose is still there, but I think I prefer those short-lived symptoms to the three days of awfulness I'd been having until now. Within 12 hours, all my symptoms seem to have gone."

• Ele...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 1, 2018

Sumatriptan for Migraine "This drug will get rid of my migraine about 70% of the time, but I only use it when nothing else works because the side effects are almost as bad as the migraine itself. It makes my skin feel prickly and tight, and my throat feels tight and like I can't swallow. It gives me such intense nausea that I often don't speak when I take it because I feel like if I open my mouth, I'll throw up. From trial and error, the nausea seems to abate if I take it with food, but if I forget to take it with food I have to force myself to eat through the nausea. My brain also feels really foggy, and basic actions are difficult when I take it. I'm glad there are people who don't react like this, but I am definitely asking to be switched to a different medication."

• Van...
• September 18, 2015

Sumatriptan for Migraine "I have tried this medication in the past, and it did not work for me, but now, after revisiting the drug with years of migraines with no relief, I have found that it works well for me now. I tend to have extreme nausea and vomiting with my severe headaches, so I also use the nasal spray form (depending on how nauseated I am). They both work well if taken early in the migraine. I did, however, have a severe reaction the first 2-3 times taking it (nausea, vomiting, abdominal upset), but I forced myself to take it again. Now my experience is 'head tightening,' which I see can be common with this drug, and after about 15 minutes of this, I feel a 'loosening' and finally relief. I have not experienced any other symptoms with the tablet form."

• EAW...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 2, 2022

For Migraine "I took sumatriptan in the past for migraines and always considered it my lifesaver. It stops my migraines right in their tracks. But I recently switched doctors, and when she was prescribing me my sumatriptan, she put me on 100 mg rather than the smaller dose I was on before. I'm 5'5", 150 lbs, and I am currently experiencing bad side effects: tight jaw and neck, panic and anxiety, altered state of mind, nausea, and an overall feeling of unwellness. I would not recommend such a high dose. Stick with 50 mg. This is awful. I'm just thankful I have an antianxiety medication on hand because otherwise, I'd be in a real state of panic. Use with caution."

• She...
• March 19, 2012

Sumatriptan for Migraine "I have suffered from migraines for 32 years, the older I am, the worse they become. I have both the Imitrex pills and the shots. When I am nauseated, I must use the shot. Approximately 1 minute after injection, the intense burning in my head and the amplified headache are the worst side effects, however, NOTHING compared to the migraine. Usually, the migraine is gone in 15 to 30 minutes, and I sleep it off. There is also the 12 to 24-hour Imitrex hangover from the shot. Muscles feel as though they are made of jelly, an overall wiped-out feeling. The pill does not have the burning effect for me, and it takes the full 30 minutes to combat the migraine. Imitrex is the only medicine that has worked for me consistently over the years. I become immune to all other medicines."

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

For Cluster Headaches "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."

• amf...
• October 28, 2010

For Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome "I take sumatriptan for the onset of my migraines and nausea that come along with my CVS. On bad days, they help a lot. The only thing is I usually have to take more than one dose, and the medication is expensive even with insurance."

• jen...
• August 19, 2016

For Cluster Headaches "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!"

• Ash...
• August 13, 2016

For Migraine "I have had migraines for as long as I could remember, especially when it's bright, loud noises, or when I'm on my phone. I had a really bad migraine, and I took a tablet as directed, and I felt horrible after. So bad it brought me to tears. The migraine worsened, and I felt nauseous and sick. Never will take again."

• Mig...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 22, 2018

Sumatriptan for Migraine "I took this today when I felt a migraine coming on the left side (eye pain, watery eyes, runny nose, nausea), and within 20 mins the migraine was completely gone. I burped a bit and felt kinda loopy for like 5-10 min then. Bam, gone as if it never happened. Can’t believe I went so long without Imitrex. Missed so much work and fun times due to migraines before."

• Joa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 25, 2021

For Migraine "I was prescribed this type of sumatriptan succinate 50 mg by Dr. Reddy Pharmaceuticals company. I felt like I was poisoned. I was throwing up, jaw tight and hurt, heart racing, I was sweating, feeling nausea. It was a horrible feeling. I have had sumatriptan before, and I have never had such a reaction."

• Lau...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 13, 2017

Sumatriptan for Migraine "Started having debilitating (not able to take my head from under the pillow and nausea/vomiting) migraines after having my daughter. I get about 4-6 a month, most of them are menstrual migraines, but I was lucky to find Imitrex soon after I started having migraines. I used to take injectable or nasal spray, but have been on 10 mg tabs for a few years now. Nothing else but Imitrex works, and it works for me every time. I am not a fan of the side effects at all, which are muscle tension, mostly in the jaw and neck, as well as feeling drained for several hours after. I will take it over the horrible migraines any day though."