Sumatriptan 100mg Tablets (6 Tablets)

Sumatriptan is a prescription-only triptan used to treat migraine attacks, with or without aura, in adults whose migraine has already been diagnosed by a doctor. It is taken when an attack starts and is not used to prevent migraines. Most people start on 50mg; this 100mg tablet is for people who the pharmacist assesses need the higher dose to treat an attack. At Ways Pharmacy it is supplied only after a pharmacist has checked your migraine history, warning signs, heart and circulation health, blood pressure and other medicines, and confirmed that it is suitable for you.

How to access this medicine

1. Start your free online assessment. Complete a short questionnaire and confirm your identity by uploading photo ID or showing it on a video call.
2. Pharmacist reviews and speaks with you. A GPhC-registered pharmacist contacts you by phone or video to go through your answers and confirm whether the medicine is suitable. For an online consultation you will be asked for a blood pressure reading taken in the last 3 months and a photo of the monitor display; if you do not have one, you can have your blood pressure checked free at our Holborn pharmacy.
3. If suitable, order and pay on this page. Once the pharmacist confirms the medicine is suitable, you select the pack and check out on this page, or call 020 8106 7084. If it is not suitable — including when the pharmacist recommends self-care instead — you pay nothing and the pharmacist explains your other options. If you have already paid and the pharmacist finds the medicine is not suitable, you receive a full refund.
4. We post your medicine or you collect it. Once approved, orders placed by 3pm on a weekday are posted the same day (see our shipping policy), or you can collect from Holborn.

There is no separate consultation fee. If the medicine you chose is not suitable, the pharmacist may suggest another option. The pharmacist will check in with you within 2 to 8 weeks of starting a new migraine medicine to see how well it works and whether you have had side effects.

About this medicine

Dosage

• Adults aged 18 to 64: one 100mg tablet early in the attack, while the pain is still mild. If you get aura, take it when the headache starts, not when the aura starts (unless they begin together)
• If the migraine goes away and then comes back, you can take a second dose, at least 4 hours after the first
• If the first dose does not help that attack, do not take a second dose for the same attack — it is unlikely to work. You can use sumatriptan again for your next attack
• Do not take more than 300mg (3 tablets of 100mg) in 24 hours
• Swallow whole with water. It can be taken alone or with paracetamol or an anti-inflammatory painkiller if the pharmacist confirms these are suitable for you

Using triptans on 10 or more days a month can cause medication overuse headache. If you have attacks more than once a week on average, or migraine badly affects your daily life, see your GP to discuss preventive treatment. See our migraine service for more information.

Warnings and who should not take this medicine

• Anyone under 18 or aged 65 and over, or who has not been diagnosed with migraine
• People who are pregnant, could be pregnant or are breastfeeding
• People with hemiplegic, basilar or ophthalmoplegic migraine
• People who have had a heart attack or stroke or mini-stroke (TIA), or have angina, other heart disease, coronary vasospasm or peripheral vascular disease
• People with moderate or severe high blood pressure, or mildly raised blood pressure that is not controlled
• People with risk factors for heart disease, such as heavy smoking or using nicotine replacement, who have not had a heart check — especially men over 40 and women after the menopause using a triptan for the first time
• People taking ergotamine or another triptan, or who have taken an MAOI antidepressant in the last 2 weeks
• People with severe liver or kidney problems, or a rare hereditary problem with galactose or lactose

Tell the pharmacist if you are allergic to sulphonamide ("sulfa") medicines, take an SSRI or SNRI antidepressant or St John's Wort, or have mild liver or kidney problems. Call 999 if you have a sudden, very severe headache, weakness or numbness in an arm or one side of the face, slurred speech, confusion, a fit, or a headache with a high temperature, stiff neck or rash. If a migraine lasts more than 72 hours or feels different from your usual attacks, see a doctor.

Possible side effects

Common side effects include tingling, dizziness, drowsiness, flushing, feeling sick, tiredness, muscle aches, and feelings of heat, heaviness, pressure or tightness that can affect any part of the body, including the chest or throat. These are usually short-lived. If you get chest pain or tightness that could be a heart problem, do not take another dose and seek medical advice. Get urgent help if you have signs of an allergic reaction, such as a rash, swelling or difficulty breathing.

Regulatory information

• Legal status: Prescription-only medicine (POM), supplied under a Patient Group Direction after pharmacist assessment
• Pharmacy: Ways Pharmacy, 77 Southampton Row, London WC1B 4ET · GPhC-registered premises 9012227
• Patient information leaflet: electronic Medicines Compendium (emc)
• Report suspected side effects through the MHRA Yellow Card Scheme

This page gives factual information about a prescription-only medicine and is not an advertisement to the public. It is supplied only after a pharmacist has assessed that it is suitable for you.