Imigran Tablets 50mg/100mg

Key points

• Treats symptoms of migraine
• Works in just 30 minutes
• Contains the active ingredient sumatriptan

What is Imigran?

Imigran is an effective migraine treatment, containing the active ingredient sumatriptan. It is also commonly used as a cluster headache treatment. Imigran belongs to the triptan class of medication and is used to relieve acute migraine attacks rather than to prevent them.

How does Imigran work?

The exact cause of a migraine is unknown, but it’s widely thought that a migraine is caused by irregular brain activity that temporarily affects nerve signals, blood vessels, and chemicals in the brain.

Imigran can help to relieve migraines by narrowing the blood vessels in your brain and preventing the release of natural chemicals that cause pain and other symptoms associated with migraines.

How long does Imigran take to work?

Imigran tablets take between 30 minutes to an hour to work.

You should take a tablet as soon as your migraine starts.

How to take Imigran tablets

Imigran tablets are taken orally with or without food when cluster headache or signs of migraines first appear. They should not be taken at the ‘warning stage’ that can happen prior to a migraine, usually when people experience aura symptoms such as tingling, numbness, dizziness, and vision issues.

Imigran tablets are swallowed whole with water. The tablets shouldn’t be crushed or chewed.

When pain medication or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have proven ineffective, Imigran can be prescribed as an alternative treatment. It can also be used together with over the counter pain relief such as paracetamol and ibuprofen

Imigran and alcohol

Alcohol does not impact how Imigran works. But if you are experiencing a migraine or cluster headache, avoid drinking alcohol.

Alcohol can activate symptoms of migraines and cluster headaches, and can also make symptoms worse. Drinking alcohol while taking Imigran could accentuate side effects such as feeling dizzy, feeling drowsy, or nausea.

Imigran alternatives

Imigran vs Zomig

• Zomig is the UK brand name for the migraine relief drug zolmitriptan
• Imigran (sumatriptan) and Zomig (zolmitriptan) both belong to the triptan family of drugs, which are typically used to treat migraines and cluster headaches
• They both work by stimulating the serotonin (5HT) receptors in the brain, reversing the process of blood vessel widening that can cause a migraine, and alleviating pain
• There are no significant differences between the way that Imigran and Zomig work. Some people will find that one medication is more effective than the other in treating their migraines
• Both are available in tablet form and nasal spray. Zomig comes in 2.5mg and 5mg oro-dispersible tablets (these are tablets made with super disintegrants that dissolve in the mouth and are swallowed easily)

To find out more about Zomig tablets, take a look at our Zomig tablets reviews or Zomig nasal spray reviews pages.

Imigran vs Sumatriptan

• Both contain the same active ingredient sumatriptan succinate
• The only difference is in the price. Sumatriptan is a non-branded version and therefore, the cost-effective option

How to prevent migraines

Making lifestyle and medication changes can help to prevent a migraine. They can be triggered by several factors therefore keeping a headache diary to track patterns can be beneficial in understanding how to help migraines. To prevent a migraine, you should:

• Maintain a regular sleep pattern
• Manage stress levels
• Exercise regularly
• Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration
• Keep your diet free of migraine trigger foods such as aged cheese, processed meats, chocolate and alcohol

Imigran ingredients

Active ingredient: sumatriptan

Inactive ingredients: calcium hydrogen phosphate, sodium hydrogen carbonate, microcrystalline cellulose, croscarmellose sodium, magnesium stearate, hypromellose (E464), titanium dioxide (E171) and glycerol triacetate. The 50 mg tablet also contains iron oxide, red (E172).