How Does Sumatriptan Work?
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What is Sumatriptan?
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Sumatriptan is a popular drug produced by GlaxoSmithKline. It comes in several forms and was developed for use in the treatment of migraine headaches. The drug can be taken in the form of an inhaler, by injection or as a tablet. Sumatriptan is also referred to on the market as Imigran and Imitrex.
This potent drug first became available back in 1991. In the United Kingdom the pill form can be purchased over the counter but the other forms are only available by prescription. In the United States, all forms of sumatriptan are available by prescription only.
How Sumatriptan Works
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The chemical known as sumatriptan is similar in nature to serotonin, a natural substance produced in the body. The drug itself activates very specific receptors found in the cerebral arteries.
Migraine headaches are often caused by dilation of the cerebral arteries, which causes excess blood flow to the head. Activating the receptors causes vasoconstriction, or the narrowing of the arteries, which counters the dilation, controls blood flow and stops migraine pain.
Sumatriptan also causes the activity in the trigeminal nerve (the fifth cranial nerve responsible for feeling in the head and face) to slow down. This decrease in activity is partially responsible for sumatriptan's success in the treatment of cluster headaches as well.
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Taking Sumatriptan
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Individuals who are prescribed sumatriptan are given the drug via tablet, injection or nasal spray. The least effective delivery method is the tablet because the drug is partially broken down in the stomach before it enters the blood stream, stripping it of some of its potency. Pharmacologists have introduced a rapid-release tablet that remains more potent but takes longer to enter the blood stream. The injection acts more quickly, but results usually do not last as long as they would with the tablet.
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