Side Effects of Sumatriptan

Common Side Effects

The American Academy of Family Physicians reports that sumatriptan commonly causes gastrointestinal effects, including nausea, vomiting, and xerostomia (dry mouth) 1
The American Academy of Family Physicians also notes that sumatriptan can cause cardiovascular effects, including feelings of warmth, chest pressure, and heaviness 2
The American Academy of Family Physicians states that sumatriptan can cause general effects, including malaise, vertigo, and pain/discomfort/stiffness in neck, throat, or jaw 2

The American Heart Association implies that sumatriptan should not be used in patients with uncontrolled hypertension, as stated by a medical insights journal 3
The American College of Cardiology suggests that sumatriptan should not be used in patients with recent use (within 24 hours) of ergotamine-containing medications, as stated by a medical insights journal 3
The American College of Cardiology recommends that sumatriptan should not be used in patients with a history of heart problems or coronary artery disease 2
The American Academy of Neurology implies that sumatriptan should not be used in patients with hemiplegic or basilar migraine 2
The American College of Clinical Pharmacology states that sumatriptan should not be used within 24 hours of another triptan 2
The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases notes that sumatriptan should not be used in patients with impaired hepatic function 2
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that sumatriptan should only be used in pregnancy under strict specialist supervision, as stated by a medical insights journal 3

Cardiovascular effects, including chest pressure, tightness, heaviness, or warmth, are frequently reported in 3-5% of patients, according to the American College of Physicians, as published in the Annals of Internal Medicine 4
Medication overuse headache can occur with frequent use of sumatriptan, more than twice weekly, as recommended by the American Academy of Neurology 5

The American Academy of Family Physicians documents that triptans cause "numbness and tingling in extremities," which are frequently reported but usually mild, affecting the fingers, toes, and face 6
Ergotamine derivatives, a related class, cause "numbness and tingling in extremities," and triptans share similar serotonin receptor mechanisms, resulting in characteristic "triptan symptoms" that include tingling, warmth, and paresthesias 6

The American Academy of Family Physicians reports that sumatriptan causes "chest pressure and heaviness" in 3-5% of patients, which are part of the cardiovascular effects of triptans 6
Ergotamine derivatives, which work through similar serotonin receptor mechanisms, explicitly cause "tachycardia, bradycardia, arterial spasm," indicating the potential for triptans to affect heart rate and blood vessels 6

Triptans are serotonin 5-HT1B/1D receptor agonists, and their mechanism involves vasoconstriction of intracranial blood vessels, which can affect both sensory nerves and vascular smooth muscle 7
The American Academy of Family Physicians and Mayo Clinic Proceedings suggest that triptans' activity at serotonin 5-HT1B/1D receptors can cause cardiovascular symptoms, including chest pressure, tachycardia, and sensations of heaviness, in addition to numbness and tingling in extremities 6, 7

The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association guidelines acknowledge that observational studies on triptan therapy and stroke risk are conflicting and specifically excluded patients with prior ischemic stroke, and no recommendations can be made for the use of tript sometime triptans in patients with migraine and prior ischemic stroke due to lack of clinical evidence 8
The American Heart Association recommends it is reasonable to avoid triptan agents in children with hemiplegic migraine, basilar migraine, known vascular risk factors, or prior cardiac or cerebral ischemia 9