Sumatriptan for migraines

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I was prescribed Sumatriptan for migraine-type headaches about 2 months ago. I generally get a headache around once a month (funny that...)

Last month, I got the headache, took one tablet in the evening and went to bed, had to take a second the next morning but after that was much better than usual.

This month, I took one tablet on Friday evening, it helped but the headache came back yesterday. Took another yesterday lunchtime and it helped, but the headache came back in the evening. It's still there this morning, and really uncomfortable. Pain all round the right side of my head from eye through the temple and round to the back.

How many Sumatriptans can I take for one headache? I thought I wasn't supposed to take more than two per headache, but am I misreading the guidance?

My first prescription was only 6 tablets too, so expensive!

Thanks.

I think it’s 2 in a 24 hour period although you can take aspirin as well; often 3 dispersible aspirin works for me if it comes back after triptans. Often I take later that day to guard against it coming back. It might be worth asking for a different triptan as sumatriptan didn’t work for me but other triptans do

I’m not an expert but I have been px sumatriptan for years.

my understanding is that if the headache/migraine comes back after going away fully, this is a new episode.
so you can take the tablet.

however sometimes the sumatriptan doesn’t work and hormonal migraines can be difficult to shift. Are you also using pain relief. I use nurofen plus from the pharmacy.

hope you feel better soon

I've got a private prescription says up to 200 mg a day

According to my neurologist you can have no more than 2 in a week or 6 in a month. Which makes sense as you only get 6 in a packet.

Anymore than that you risk overuse headache which is the pits.

This goes for all the triptans but you might find a different one works better for you.

If it's always with your period, and you aren't TTC, I found Cerazette brilliant. No periods, no menstrual migraine, no period pain.

Thank you, everyone. @Tbskejue I took some aspirin after reading your message and it did the trick. I stopped using it a while ago because it always made me feel nauseous when the garage was really bad, but it seemed OK when it was a bit more low level.

Thanks your your guidance :-)

I'm actually having a migraine now. It's different to normal and I can't really see properly. I wonder if it's the sumatriptan doing it

I am a migraine sufferer and have been prescribed sumitriptan. They come in different doses, I have 50mg you are supposed to take one on the onset, I usually get an aura (blue lights), this helps to stop the full onset of the migraine. You are then allowed (according to my prescription) to take another after 2 hours. I believe you are only supposed to take 2 in 24 hours, you can however take paracetamol or ibuprofen with them, or if you feel the first dose has helped take the edge off wait a couple of hours and have some paracetamol or whatever.

Mine seem to be hormonal, always around the same time!

Drink plenty of water too, I feel like that helps a lot. Don't eat anything too salty either as it seems to dehydrates you and that makes it worse.

Hope you feel better soon x

Advice is usually to avoid screens when you're having a migraine. They can sometimes trigger another attack, especially if your vision's affected.