Sumatriptan is the medicine that is contained in Imigran tablets. Sumatriptan is now available as a generic treatment after the patent on Imigran expired. Generic Sumatriptan 50mg & 100mg tablets are available to buy significantly cheaper than the branded Imigran tablets.

When a medicine is first introduced on to the market it is given a licence or patent. Only that manufacturer can produce it. When the patent expires, other companies can produce the treatment as well, usually leading to a dramatic drop in the price due to increased competition. Generic treatments are still produced by licensed manufacturers and must conform to the same strict manufacturing standards that the branded medicines meet.

Each tablet contains either 50mg or 100mg of Sumatriptan, depending on the strength you choose.

They also contain inactive ingredients that are used to make up the tablet to the right size and agents in the manufacturing and tableting process, for more details please see the 'Ingredients' tab above.

Migraines are thought to be caused by the widening of blood vessels in the brain.

Sumatriptan helps to contract and narrow these blood vessels, returning blood flow to certain areas of the brain back to normal.

Visit our blog post to find out more about how Sumatriptan works.

In adults 18 years and over, the dose of Sumatriptan is one tablet, as soon as possible, at the onset of a migraine. You can repeat the dose after 2 hours if the migraine has not subsided. You should not take more than 300mg (6 x 50mg OR 3 x 100mg tablets) in a 24-hour period.

You should take your treatment as soon as possible at the onset of migraine symptoms. Sumatriptan is most effective when taken in the early stages of a migraine attack.

You can use painkillers and anti-sickness treatments with Sumatriptan.

These include:

• Paracetamol, ibuprofen or aspirin-based painkillers.
• Anti-sickness medication like Buccastem or Prochlorperazine Buccal Tablets.

You should not use other 'triptan' migraine treatments or tablets with Sumatriptan. Examples of these are Almogran (almotriptan), Maxalt (Rizatriptan), Migard (Frovatriptan), Naramig (Naratriptan).

All the ‘triptan’ drugs have a similar mechanism of action and do not offer any additional relief when taken together. As they all belong to the same family of medicines and act in the same way, you would risk exceeding the maximum recommended daily dose and causing adverse effects.

Sumatriptan tablets are a prescription-only migraine treatment. For that reason, to ensure the safety of our patients and the legal operating of our pharmacy, we only supply a maximum of 3 packs of treatment at one time.

This allows us to balance offering our patients an adequate supply of treatment with regular checks on their condition, symptoms & effectiveness of treatment. This model ensures the perfect mix of convenience with optimal health & safety.

If you have no adverse effects and your migraines are well controlled, you can log in and easily re-order another supply.

There are no specific requirements to take Sumatriptan with, or without, food. It is best to take it as soon as possible when a migraine starts as often nausea or sickness can kick in, or digestion can slow down, meaning that the tablet can be harder to take or could be less effective.

None of the above should have any affect on Sumatriptan. You may want to avoid alcohol during a migraine as this could possibly make it worse.

Although Sumatriptan is not affected by the contraceptive pill, migraines can be linked to hormonal changes during your period.

You can read more about Sumatriptan and alcohol here and Sumatriptan and pregnancy here.

Yes, we understand that sometimes you want to get your treatment as soon as possible. If ordered before 4pm Monday to Friday, tablets are available for next day delivery.

Yes, as long as you are buying from a website that is a legally operating and regulated pharmacy it is perfectly safe to buy Sumatriptan online.

The Independent Pharmacy is an NHS Online Pharmacy based in Bristol and has all the necessary regulation to be able to safely provide convenient access to genuine prescription treatments through our Online Pharmacy & Online Doctor.

All of our migraine treatments are supplied by the same UK-based wholesalers used by the large high-street chains such as Lloyds and Boots.

Its simple.

Just select 'Start Consultation' above next to the product or on the links below.

You will need to fill in a simple health questionnaire so our GPs & Pharmacists can ensure it is safe for us to supply your Sumatriptan to you. It only takes a few minutes and your treatment can be delivered to your door as soon as the next working day.

Sumatriptan, and other ‘triptans’, are used to treat acute attacks of migraine. They work by reversing the widened blood vessels in the brain that cause migraines. For this reason they should only be used to treat existing, or oncoming, migraines and not to prevent them.

Sumatriptan tablets will not be effective in preventing migraines that have not occurred yet and may even contribute to making your headaches/migraines worse due to overuse if they are used as a preventative treatment.

For more information on preventative treatments, you can read our Migraine page or go to the NHS Choices Migraine Prevention page.

Although it helps to relieve migraines, Sumatriptan is not a painkiller. It will help to relieve migraines and therefore the pain that is associated with it, however this is a secondary effect.

Sumatriptan can be used alongside traditional painkillers such as paracetamol and ibuprofen if extra pain relief is necessary whilst the Sumatriptan is taking effect.

Sumatriptan is an extremely effective migraine treatment for many people with mild, moderate or even severe migraine symptoms.

Some people may find that Sumatriptan is only mildly effective, or even ineffective. This is nothing to worry about if this is the case. Sumatriptan is not effective in everyone, and if after trying it on a number of occasions without getting the desired results, you can try a different migraine treatment.

Sumatriptan does, however, come very highly endorsed by patients who have used it. You can see for yourself on our Sumatriptan reviews page.

Triptan migraine treatments all have the same mechanism of action, however people respond differently to them for unknown reasons. If one treatment, such as Sumatriptan, has not had the desired effects, it is worth trying a different treatment to see if your migraines respond better.

The additional steps you can take to aid your migraine recovery will vary with each person and depend on the specific symptoms experienced.

For example, people who suffer with sensitivity to light should sit or lie in a darkened room. Those who experience issues with sound should go somewhere quiet or use a good pair of earplugs to avoid irritating their symptoms further.

Often people feel better after eating, drinking or taking a nap as well as taking any necessary treatment.

The most important thing is to analyse the symptoms that you suffer with and take steps to relieve them.

We would not recommend breaking tablets in half in order to change your dosage.

Unfortunately not all tablets are scored to allow easy breakage and you can never be sure that the drug is evenly distributed throughout the tablet. This means that you cannot be sure of the dose that you are taking – it could be over or under what you intend.

Sumatriptan is available to buy in both strengths of 50mg and 100mg. If you vary your dose depending on the severity of your migraine we would always recommend that you use the correct strength tablet.

It is much cheaper to buy generic Sumatriptan tablets online. You can see the comparative prices below:

Imigran Recovery 50mg Tablets - £8.00 per pack of 2 = £4.00 per tablet

Sumatriptan 50mg Tablets - £11.99 per pack of 6 = £2.00 per tablet (reducing to £1.50 per tablet with higher quantities)

As you can see from the prices above, it is significantly cheaper to buy Sumatriptan (generic Imigran) online from The Independent Pharmacy rather than Imigran Recovery tablets on the high street. You can save over 50% on migraine treatment when you buy online.

This medication is not addictive but if taken very regularly then some patients may find that withdrawal symptoms may occur after long-term use. You should only take this medication under the supervision of a doctor.

There has been little evidence into the relationship between anxiety and Sumatriptan medication. However, if you suffer from increased anxiety in the duration of your treatment, you should consult your GP.

There is no proven relationship between Sumatriptan treatment and weight gain.

This treatment often relieves other symptoms that occur together with a migraine headache, such as nausea, tension, vomiting and sensitivity to light. If you have a regular headache, you should use painkillers with lesser strength, such as paracetamol, to prevent overuse.

There have been no studies to suggest that this medication is safe to use when pregnant or breastfeeding. Therefore, it is advisable that this medication is not used in these cases.

If you are concerned you can read more about Sumatriptan and pregnancy here.

Sumatriptan can make you feel tired or sleepy. If this happens, avoid driving or using heavy machinery for your own safety.

Hallucinations are a rare side effect of Sumatriptan medication. If you are affected by hallucinations, consult your GP immediately.

This medication can also be taken as a nasal spray or injection.

This medication may raise blood pressure. Therefore, people who have uncontrolled high blood pressure (hypertension) should not take this medicine. If you blood pressure is controlled and then this is a good treatment option for migraines.

People who are taking monoamine oxidase-A inhibitors should avoid taking this medication. If you are unsure about how your medication will react with Sumatriptan, consult your doctor or ask us, we are happy to help.

Yes, you can take Sumatriptan and ibuprofen at the same time.

There are a few different triptans, and you may have to test them out first to see which one works for you. Sumatriptan is popular and had good reviews, but there are also others like Almotriptan you may want to consider. Don’t forget that if nausea is a problem, you can avoid taking triptans in tablet form.