Sumatriptan for Cluster Headaches User Reviews (Page 2)

• Zon...
• March 31, 2008

Sumatriptan "These injections are a godsend for clusterers. The only drawback that I experienced was the expense, which forbids me from using them on a regular basis... but the tablets are a good substitute... just take much longer to work. The injections work almost instantly."

• Suf...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 15, 2016

Sumatriptan "Followed the instructions. Two (2) of the shots were defective (out of 6). One was harmless and did not fire, which only cost me $100 for the non-performing shot. The other did nothing until it fired accidentally into my eye. Seeking regulatory and legal help."

• Dan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 19, 2015

"Sumatriptan is a life changer. I've suffered from cluster headaches for 24 years, having one at least once a week, and NOTHING has ever come close to helping. Now I haven't had one in 3 months. I take a pill when I feel a cluster headache coming, which successfully aborts it. Even hours into a full-blown attack, I took a pill and relieved 95% of the pain. Another great thing? My insurance covers it 100%. Even better: it is only $16 for 9 pills (you can break them in half and have 18) without insurance."

• tin...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 14, 2015

Sumatriptan "Had clusters 37 years now. I've tried literally EVERYTHING out there. The only thing that works for immediate relief is Imitrex injections. If the med takes too long (nasal or pill), it simply doesn't work. Gabapentin (sp) regime should be started immediately, they eventually stop the nerve from spasms. Imitrex is now available generic (sumatriptan), however, it's still expensive. I pay $75 per shot, only available as a two-pack."

• clu...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 8, 2018

"I have chronic cluster headaches. The injections are the only medicine that will abort an attack. I have used the injections with no side effects for over 10 years. I get the vials and inject 2-3 ml. I have overused this medicine at times, knowing it can cause rebounds, but the pain of a cluster headache is so severe, I will do anything to make it stop. I have no history of heart disease and am relatively healthy otherwise. This medicine has saved my life."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 17, 2019

Sumatriptan "These Sumavel shots are amazing. Whenever I wake up with a cluster headache, I take one of these and within 5 minutes, the headache is completely gone. The injection site swells and is sore for a while, but I'll take that over the headache any day. My neck and shoulder on the side of the cluster pain end up feeling exhausted after I take it, like I've just been working out, but since the headaches typically wake me up, feeling exhausted helps me get back to sleep pretty quickly. My insurance only covered so many shots, so the last box of 6 shots was out of pocket at $100 a piece."

• Lif...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 2, 2024

"I am diagnosed with cluster headaches, which as of recent, has been named the most painful condition in all of medical science. The word “headache” doesn’t accurately fit, it’s debilitating. My symptoms include stabbing pain on one side of the head at a time, pulsating temples, stiff neck, and I almost always go blurry or blind in the eye on the side it’s attacking. Nothing would help, no preventatives, no over-the-counter meds, nothing. My neurologist suggested Sumatriptan. I take it at the first sign of migraine with 200mg Advil (recommended by my doctor) and it always takes every bit of pain away with basically no side effects. I feel like I’m floating, that’s about it, actually sort of pleasant if you ask me. On the market for 30 years and on the World Health Organization’s top 100 essential medications for the human race. It’s safe and extremely effective. Give it a try, I’m glad I did. Life saver."

• tk7...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 8, 2020

"I told my primary care physician of the headaches I was having. Not especially severe but very persistent and not responding well to OTC meds. It would often require several OTC doses over two to three days to obtain relief. He gave me some Relpax samples, and I took one at the onset of the next headache. I had relief in about thirty minutes. I was extremely pleased and continued use of the Relpax for perhaps two years until my insurer refused to cover that med any longer due to cost. My primary care prescribed sumatriptan as a replacement. It was equally effective, usually providing relief in as little as fifteen minutes. I used sumatriptan for perhaps three more years, then my headaches simply stopped - completely. Have not had a headache requiring medication in the last six years. Can't explain it, but I'll take it. I never experienced noticeable side effects with either medication. Am currently (Sept 2020) 71-year-old male."

• Tra...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 7, 2021

"I have been having cluster headaches for 15 years now. I was just diagnosed 5 years ago, so for the first 10, I was told, 'Oh, it's just migraines,' and was given multiple different medicines to prevent migraines, which obviously didn't help. So now I'm finally taking Verapamil 3 times a day. Every 2 years or so, my clusters come back, and usually only last about a month. I am currently in my episodic period, and it has lasted over 2 months now. I take Sumatriptan for when I get a cluster, but insurance only pays for 9 pills a month. And they work, but 9 a month does not work, because anyone with clusters knows that you could have 5 or 6 a day."

• Ang...
• February 8, 2013

"This is the first time I have used Sumatriptan, it was Arrow-Sumatriptan injection. I immediately felt a slight pressure in my chest and a pushing in my temples and the base of my skull, and I felt tired and weak. There was a tingling sensation in my nose, and my throat was ultra-sensitive. It is an hour since I injected, and my cluster headache has eased but not gone away yet. My eye has stopped streaming, and my nose is not running so fast, and I look slightly more human. I had hoped for better than this, but it is an improvement."

• Sca...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 1, 2016

Sumatriptan "Well, I was having really bad cluster headaches, I took an Imitrex for the first time. Within 15 minutes, I was projectile vomiting and having bad stomach cramps. The taste stayed in my mouth for hours. My headache has gone down some, but it was still there."

• hea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 9, 2016

"I first experienced cluster headaches at age 18 in the spring, several times a day for about a month, just suffered through with OTC pain meds, which did nothing. Finally got to see a neurologist in my 30s who was awesome, diagnosed as classic cluster headache, got on verapamil prophylaxis (80 mg x 3/day), which I take when 'shadows' start coming, also oxygen (10-12 L/min) for aborting attack. This has been working, but if I start oxygen too late, then the attack progresses. I tried sumatriptan injection for the first time when oxygen failed and the attack was in full swing, tried sumatriptan injection (6 mg s.c.)... amazing, all symptoms were gone within 10 minutes!! I will keep trying the oxygen, but will definitely use sumatriptan as backup!"

• dr_...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 12, 2015

"I can make the injections last by using only 1/3 a vial per cluster attack. I take the vial out of the auto-injector and use a Q-tip to press in the amount. After this, I wait exactly 9 minutes, and the headache is gone. I had a very hard time getting enough injections from my insurance to cover all the cluster headaches I was getting, and this method helped me handle 3x more than I could before! I do feel my headache pain jumping from a 3 to 10 immediately after injection. Taking the 100 mg tablets does not cause this increase in pain, but the wait is about 25-30 minutes for relief. Sometimes I can tell which headaches to use either the injection or pill for."

• GK ...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 26, 2015

"I have been a cluster headache sufferer for 25 years. My dad suffers as well. I remember him sitting in a chair day after day, night after night, with no real relief. I never could understand or know how intense the attacks were until I started with mine. Luckily, my dad was prescribed Imitrex in the '90s at the beginning of mine. His words and mine are that this drug is a godsend for us sufferers. My issue is now my insurance company will only approve 2 boxes of shots (4) per month. So my only way is to stockpile these 2 boxes every month until my next attack. Well, I'm out, and now I will use coupons or any other way to purchase these on my own to try to save $. Sad UHC will not approve the number of shots needed for each episode."

• Des...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 7, 2023

Sumatriptan "I discovered Imitrex about 13 years ago (35 YO now) by accident as my doctor could not diagnose my headache and classified it as a migraine. I was born in an EU country with a population of 1.2 million. Cluster headaches are rare, and I assume my doctor had never even heard of it. I have headaches once per year lasting 2-4 weeks with 2 episodes per day. It's not the worst, but the pain is so severe that I have cut my finger multiple times to shift the pain from the eye. During this period, anything can trigger it! Imitrex 50mg works exactly as others have described, it takes 30-60 minutes. I am writing this review to add something: for me, this drug also works to prevent clusters from forming. Alcohol is a big trigger, as most know. If I take the pill an hour before having a cocktail, I will not develop a headache. Just FYI for others with cluster headaches! Oh, and I have had zero side effects. The price of a 4-pack (50mg) in Spain is 7 EUR."

• Bob...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 26, 2020

"I have to take sumatriptan for my cluster headache, but wish I didn’t. The side effects are horrendous. I have to take it in bed, otherwise, I’d never be strong enough to get into bed. As soon as I take the injection, I start having chest pains and pounding on my chest. Then I get complete weakness of legs and arms and start feeling tightness in my hands. I feel like I will throw up and go all sweaty. The only thing I can do is try to sleep straight away so I sleep through the symptoms while people keep checking on me. The thing is, with all these horrendous side effects, it’s still a million times worth it to stop the pain of a cluster headache! So I have to take them. Just be very careful and make sure someone is with you when you take them. If the symptoms are too bad, go straight to the doctors or A&E."

• Van...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 5, 2012

Sumatriptan "If I take Imitrex Nasal spray 20 mg in the first 2-3 minutes when symptoms of cluster headaches start, it's a great chance that my headaches will last a maximum of 20 minutes, but sometimes it doesn't work at all."

• mik...
• April 15, 2012

"I've had clusters for as long as I can remember, but they've gotten worse as I've gotten older. First, the doc prescribed Frova, which didn't help at all, but the most recent doctor I've seen prescribed sumatriptan. I can't believe how quickly this worked. My headaches usually lasted 3 hours, even after taking 3-4 Aleve. Sumatriptan has knocked them out in 15 minutes. I feel a bit jittery after and have extreme taste sensitivity for a few hours, but it's well worth it. This medicine is a miracle."

• Don...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 21, 2023

"I have had cluster headaches for about 10 years. The first few years, my cycles were very short, and I thought they were seasonal headaches. I was diagnosed 3 years ago with cluster headaches, and now my cycles are about 4-6 weeks of headaches, 5-6 times a week, and then I will not have another headache for a year. At the onset of a headache, I do 15 minutes of oxygen treatment. Early in my cycle, this will help keep the headaches at bay, coupled with some naproxen. Towards the middle and end of my cycle, the headaches are so severe I throw up. The burning sensation behind my eye, along with the whole right side of my face being in pain, is excruciating. I had migraines as a kid and grew out of them shortly after I turned 18. Cluster headaches are an indescribable pain. My neurologist prescribed the sumatriptan shot 3 years ago, and I have never experienced such - almost instant relief in my life. This drug is an absolute godsend."

• Bra...
• January 29, 2016

"I've suffered from cluster migraines on and off for 10 years. They last about 1-3 hours every day for 30-40 days, and this happens usually once, sometimes twice a year. When they first started, doctors really didn't tell me much about them. Then, 5 years ago, I saw a new doctor who prescribed me Sumatriptan nasal spray. It gets rid of them in 10-20 minutes. I cannot say enough good things about this drug, it's really helped me get on with everyday life."

• Clu...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 12, 2022

"The scientists and doctors behind this need some recognition, saved my life, 3 clusters a day for a month before I got this, and I was ready for ending it all, but now I have my injections, life is good. Stick it in your leg, and 10 mins later, no cluster. If only you could see the smile on my face. Love it, love it, love it!!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 10 years or more
• July 22, 2022

Sumatriptan "Suffered for years from cluster h/a. Tried many meds, no help. Till 10 years ago, they tried Imitrex inj. 6 mg. 20 minutes after injection, 6 mg, my headaches were completely gone. I still have cluster h/a. I have never taken an injection of Imitrex that my h/a doesn’t go away, sometimes in 10-15 minutes. Take as soon as you feel h/a. However, it doesn’t prevent them. I am happy, happy after years of living in a migraine nightmare. Hope it works for you also."

• Bei...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• May 19, 2017

"My experience with generic Imitrex has been bad. It sometimes works, sort of, but a day or so after, I have debilitating muscle aches. It took me a while to make the association, but once I switched back to the real medication, that problem went away."

• Bar...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• June 10, 2022

"This medication is like a miracle drug for me. The pain of a full-blown headache can be excruciating (my mind wants to escape my head but has nowhere to go), but if I can take a dose (50 mg) within 5-10 minutes of onset, the pain will subside within 10 minutes and be almost gone within half an hour. Results are not so rapid or complete if there is a delay in taking it. I shudder to think of having to endure a full headache without it. Fortunately, I only have to use it for a couple of weeks every couple of years."

• Mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 9, 2015

"I was recently prescribed Imigran, the European version of Imitrex for acute cluster headache, in the injection form pretty much life-changing. I'd previously tried oral sumatriptan for cluster headaches, but that just did not seem effective, and once a full-blown attack had started, the pill did not seem to abort the headache. Injectable sumatriptan, though, has proved to be a totally different thing, and even when the pain is at its peak, once injected, it's probably 10 minutes maximum before the headache is gone, totally gone. I've suffered from cluster headaches for many years and only wish I'd tried this sooner, for me, it has been just brilliant. Having used it several times now, I have not had any side effects whatsoever, fantastic."