Sumatriptan and Chest Pain: What Users Say

• 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."

• 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."

• BEA...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 13, 2023

For Migraine "Do not take this. I feel like I’m dying, and my headache is only getting worse. I took this medication two days ago and am still experiencing side effects that have only just calmed down. Shortness of breath, chest pain so bad I almost cried, jaw pain that prevented me from eating comfortably, worse head pains, and full body tingling. If there is a different option, please take one."

• Min...
• July 7, 2017

Sumatriptan for Migraine "I preferred Relpax, but my insurance stopped covering it. Imitrex works at least 95% of the time, but maybe 10% of those times, the headache recurs and I have to take another one (which almost never happened with Relpax). My side effects are weird but not debilitating: sense of pressure in head, neck, chest, shoulders, arms; tingling in face; dry burning eyes; skin sensitivity to hot/cold; taste sensitivity to spicy/sour; lack of appetite; sweat; thirst; diuretic. A bit sluggish and sometimes drowsy, but not truly fatigued. Almost never nauseous; never dizzy. A couple of hours later, I often feel mild muscle soreness. The side effects are stronger if I take it on an empty stomach, but it also works faster."

• 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."

• Chu...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 24, 2023

For Migraine "Had an injection in the back of the upper arm at urgent care. The moment it went in, I broke out in sweats, my mind was foggy, my body felt like lead, my chest was tight, my jaw was tight, and I felt like I couldn't breathe. Fifteen minutes later, blood pressure went up significantly, and twenty minutes later, my body ached-horrible, painful body aches, every joint in my body was on fire. Two and a half hours later, in the doctor's office, the side effects slowly subsided and left me aching everywhere. But guess what went away? The migraine I had, the reason I came in for. Got rid of the migraine and left with severe body aches, wheezing, and what felt to be a near-death experience."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 10 years or more
• June 25, 2013

For Migraine "This medication works for me. I did have slight chest discomfort the first few times using it. I no longer experience it. Sometimes it makes me feel tired, but I continue on, and it goes away. Headache disappears within 30 mins to 1 hr of taking the tablet. I have been taking Imitrex and sumatriptan for over 25 years and am thankful the neurologist prescribed it."

• Fre...
• September 22, 2016

For Migraine "I have had diagnosed migraines for about 16 years, have tried many different doctors and medications. I just couldn't believe a pain horrible enough to cause vomiting and wanting to stop living was randomly diagnosed as 'migraine'. No known cause or cure! Headaches put me down for two solid days and were sometimes twice per week. No life!!! I was prescribed Sumatriptan 100 mg tablets and OMG, miraculous!!! Take one at the onset of headache and it's gone in around 20 minutes. Tightness in shoulders, chest quickly passes. My life has been changed by this medication, I am so thankful!!! I have no other side effects, alert and able to go about my life/job. YAAAYYYY!!"

• Mic...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 29, 2023

Sumatriptan for Migraine "I've had one experience with Imitrex. I was living in the Midwest near an AFB hospital (in the mid to late 1990s). My mother and I came down with migraines the same evening. By the third night, we both had tried everything that we had been prescribed, and the migraines were just getting worse, but it was the '90s, and migraine medication besides pain meds was in its infancy. I was in the best condition, so I drove the short distance to the base hospital, and within an hour, we both found ourselves participants in a drug trial for Imitrex with the promise that if it didn't work, we'd get 'something stronger.' Soon, we were both having chest pains and heart palpitations, and I couldn't catch my breath. Why? We both have heart valve issues that we didn't know about. We were on heart monitors for hours afterward, but we did get 'something stronger' to cut the pain. I know people who swear by Imitrex, but please take your first dose at a hospital or doctor's office! It has interactions that can be quite serious."

• Ale...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 24, 2019

For Migraine "The worst experience ever. I had a bad migraine, took sumatriptan as prescribed by my doctor. I had the worst side effects: I had a stiff neck, pain all over my body, shortness of breath, my chest felt tight. It took my migraine away, but was it all worth the pain I got from taking this pill? Nope, never again - I will stick to Excedrin."

• KKa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 3, 2019

Sumatriptan for Migraine "I was just recently prescribed Imitrex. It only works for a few hours for me, then the migraine is back and usually worse. Kind of like a rebound. I've only taken four doses. The chest pain it is causing makes me feel like I’ve been kicked in the chest. Not the best for chronic migraine."

• Man...
• September 21, 2011

Sumatriptan for Migraine "I have been using Imitrex for over a year now. It works very well for me. I had some trouble with chest pain for a while. My neurologist told me to try 1/4 to 1/2 tablet (25-50 mg). This has worked for me. The headache goes away and all side effects are diminished. I found that the side effects varied depending on the manufacturer. There is something like a 7% variance in dosage (a 100 mg tablet can contain as little as 93 mg or as much as 107 mg of Sumatriptan). Also, some coatings dissolve faster than others, therefore, more severe side effects if the Sumatriptan is absorbed too rapidly."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 6, 2012

Sumatriptan for Migraine "Imitrex works for me even if I let it get to the really bad headache--hate to take it because of the tightness in my chest and achy throat afterwards. But they do the job, and I always say later I should have taken it in the beginning."

• Ang...
• February 8, 2013

For Cluster Headaches "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."

• She...
• November 25, 2013

For Migraine "I have suffered from migraines since I was 16 and have been put on several different medications. Right now, I have been taking Topamax for over 4 years, and it has gotten to where it isn't working anymore. So my doctor gave me Imitrex injections. And they work wonders in getting rid of my headaches, but the pain in my chest is like something is reaching inside my chest and squeezing the life out of me, and the heaviness and tingling sensations last for about 15-20 minutes."

• Zac...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 3, 2021

For Migraine "I started sumatriptan about a month ago. My first time, the headache didn’t necessarily go away, but it stopped it from getting bigger. It also helped it last only 2 days instead of my normal 3-day migraine. The second time was actually horrible. I felt like I was drugged, dizzy, nauseous, chest pain, fingers and arms felt numb, etc. My heart was beating out of control, and it knocked me out for a good 6 hours. When I woke up, the headache was gone, but then a small one came back about 30 minutes later. So that has been my experience the last couple of times taking it. I’m extremely scared to take it on days I have work because the symptoms are super unpredictable. I’ll be trying it a couple more times, but I definitely have mixed reviews."

• Anonymous
• October 29, 2010

Sumatriptan for Migraine "While it did make the pain stop, it didn't help the other symptoms I have. It also left a dull aching pressure in my face, made my chest hurt, and my hair felt as though it was being pulled. I found out later it is not supposed to be used by people who've had atypical migraines, which I've had."

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

For Cluster Headaches "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."

• Jus...
• February 20, 2021

For Migraine "I took sumatriptan once last month, and it was the worst experience I’ve ever had. It did not get rid of my migraine at all, and on top of a raging migraine, I felt shaky, anxious, had chest pain, had a hard time breathing right, had tingling sensations in my fingers, felt incredibly weak, hot, nauseous, and had diarrhea. I tried to eat something to see if that would help, but I had such a hard time swallowing. It was just awful."

• ccc...
• April 11, 2017

For Migraine "I'm 18, and my doctor prescribed me this because I suffer from constant headaches/migraines. This has the worst side effects, which made my body ache, it hurt when I yawned, and I felt so much pressure on my chest. My head was still pounding two hours after taking it. I won't be taking these again."

• Gbl...
• September 19, 2011

Sumatriptan for Migraine "Pill form did not work for me, but the stat-dose stops the pain within twenty mins most times. Side effects are tightness in chest, weakness in arms, but this goes away within an hour or so. Better than that little devil with the big hammer beating the inside of my head. I take it as soon as I feel that I am getting a migraine and not just a common headache. I try not to overuse it, as I have a fear it will stop working, and it is the only thing that works short of an E.R. visit for Demerol."

• Ros...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 30, 2021

For Migraine "The worst! It did nothing for the migraines, even with two. Instead, I got every side effect possible, and it was worse when I found myself having to hold on to my chest when I started feeling pain. I couldn’t even breathe and was freaking out. Once I stopped, it all got better. Everyone is different, so we all need to experience bad ones before we get one that’s right for us."

• kit...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 19, 2018

For Migraine "Truly awful experience. I've been nervous about using this medication, but I've taken too much time off of work for migraines, so I took a pill this morning before leaving the house. By the time I got to work, my sinuses and throat were both sore. Then I got lightheaded, dizzy, and my chest and throat tightened up like I couldn't breathe. I had to go lie down, praying the side effects would lighten up. Two hours later, I am now enjoying stiffness in my shoulders and muscle aches throughout my hips and legs on top of everything else. Sorry, but never, ever again."

• Rag...
• March 17, 2018

Sumatriptan for Migraine "I was on both Fioricet and this medication in small injection form for almost 15 years, worked well especially since I get the works upon the start of a migraine. Everything from aura to loss of arm and hand motor function to slurred speech. Almost identical to a stroke that clears up after 24 to 48 hours. Only downside was the tightening of the neck and jaw muscles but other than that it did shorten the migraine length and severity. Now moved 10 years later and was dropped off the Imitrex and ended up in the hospital from a car accident and began a severe migraine and was given an Imitrex inhaler and I ended up with bad chest pains and was told to never try it again."

• KD6...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 13, 2022

Sumatriptan for Migraine "Worked the first time, but ever since, sends me into a full-blown panic attack! Worst chest pain!"