What it means
A serotonin receptor agonist that narrows the swollen blood vessels around the brain and blocks pain signals during a migraine. It treats an attack that has begun but does not prevent future ones. Common effects are tingling, flushing, dizziness and a feeling of tightness or pressure in the chest, throat or jaw. Because it narrows blood vessels, it is not used in people with heart disease, past stroke or uncontrolled high blood pressure.
For the nurse
Teach the client to take it at the first sign of the headache, and to report chest pain that is severe or does not go away. Taken with SSRIs or SNRIs it can rarely cause serotonin syndrome (agitation, fever, fast heart rate, muscle twitching).
At a glance
| Drug class | triptan (serotonin 5-HT1 receptor agonist), antimigraine |
|---|---|
| Brand names | Imitrex, Tosymra, Zembrace SymTouch |
| Spanish | sumatriptán |
| Also written | Imitrex |
Related terms
venlafaxine
An SNRI antidepressant, taken by mouth, used for depression and anxiety disorders.