hi all,
i was prescribed sumatriptan tablets today but have not tried them yet.
On the internet i read of the positive effects of injections and nasal sprays. but nothing about Tablets.. anyone tried tablets or are tablets a complete waste of time?
just wondering if i should keep my hopes up after taking the tablets?

Easykaya,
Extremely unlikely Imitrex tablets will be effective for your CH's.  Reason being...takes too long!

For those who choose to use Imitrex, injections are fastest, followed by nasal spray.  Pills for the most part are worthless.  Ask your doctor for trex injections and make sure to read the yellow tab on the left titled "imitrex tip."

Ever try o2 as an abort?  o2 is what most experienced here prefer to use because it is not harmful to your body, very low price and it works when used correctly. ;)  See the yellow tab to the left titled "oxygen info."

Hopefully you have been prescribed some preventative meds!?  Abortive meds alone is a prescription for a living nightmare.  You will need some type of preventative treatment to help reduce the frequency of attacks and intensity of attacks. 

Read as much as you can here, use your search button, ask questions, vent when you feel the need, we here truly understand your pain and frustrations, you are not alone, hang tough!

-Gregg in Las Vegas

Sumatriptan tablets do work but there are caveats. As LasVegas mentioned, they're slow, taking up to 45 minutes to kick in.

The second problem is that for high-Kip attacks, I get nauseous and oral medication doesn't get absorbed, so the tablet may fail to work or may take a couple of hours.

I can only achieve a "partial" abort using O₂ so I swallow a sumatriptan tablet at the same time I start breathing Oxygen, and the two seem to compliment each other well.

Well, what to say.  The first years after I was diagnosed (96), regular tablets - 50 mg was what I got.  They provided an immense relief, just knowing I had something to combat the pain, and after taking one, being sure that relief was on it's way. 91-96 I was untreated.

Both Imitrex and Zomig tablets have later become available in a fast-working version.  My experience is that Zomig is a (far) superior triptan, but not available as injection.

However. In 99 i got my first Imitrex injection,  And was pain free within minutes. It felt like being touched by the hand of God.  Around 2002 i learned about the "Imitrex tip" on this site and cut the injected dose in three - abt. 2mg.  Add 2-3 minutes, but same effect and less side-effects.

But - to answer your question: Tablets will help, but you must endure at least 15 minutes of pain.  And when the pain is gone, you'll never be sure if the pain ended naturally, or if the tablets took effect.


That's why no clusterheads use tablets,

Oxygen is probably the best  abortive,  Initrex injections are effective.  Many claim that Imitrext makes the CH attacks more frequent.  Among them me. Many, my self included, have had good effect with Red Bull and its like.

Given the choice between Red Bull and Imitrex tablets on the onset, I would actually prefer a can of cold Red Bull. No kidding. Imitrex injections can abort the most utterly evil attacks.  For me at least.  My impression is that the barbaric health system of US have the effect that only a few get the Imitrex injections they need. O2 is far cheaper and used correctly about as effectve.

However -

Better that aborting is preventing.

Many have had very good effect witjh  "The anti-inflammatory regimen" - that is huge amounts of vit. D3 and some key minerals.  You should check it out. It has made chronics pain free!  The Clusterbuster  is another method with very good track record.  Google it.

Tablets are better than nothing, but far from good enough and can be held as a  strong indication that your prescriptioner has no clue about Cluster Headaches.

You will find threads on both O2 and "The anti-inflammatory regimen" on this  board.  Good luck!

The pills always make me sick and the nasals are pure torture as breathing through my nose during an attack is like a sharp knife being shoved in there.

As others have described the pills are too slow-acting to be helpful in aborting an attack.

Notwithstanding, I occasionally find them useful as a "short-term prevent". I use a pill if, after 6 nightly attacks, I need 4-5 hours guaranteed time out, or if I have a flight ahead of me or when I am attending an important meeting.

Use sparingly, for they can rebound if you take too many over a short period. Also cannot be combined with Imitrex. Need 24 hours in between the two meds.

Hi guys, let me add my 2 cents.  Episodic sufferer here with 2 year remission periods.  I have had great success with the generic sumitriptan tablets.    I have stocked up on the generic 100mg variety since I could get it for cheap through my crappy insurance.   I cut them in half so one bottle gives 18 doses.  Not bad for a $10 co-pay.    Yes, they take a while to kick in -- about 30 minutes for me -- but since my headaches can last 2+ hours I don't mind too much.  Also, they give me 12 or more pain-free hours so that's a double bonus.   The zomig nasal spray works much faster but I could only get three per month (at a ridiculous cost) so it's not a viable option for me.


Of course, oxygen is my first line of defense (as I believe it should be for most).  But when I'm at the peak of my cycle, oxygen only keeps the beast at bay for an hour or so, and taking a half tab will assure me of getting back to sleep for good.   

They will work.  Even better if you have oxygen to suck on for a few minutes while the pill does it's magic.