Sumatriptan Succinate, Nasal

What are other names for this medicine?

Type of medicine: antimigraine

Generic and brand names: sumatriptan succinate, nasal; Imitrex Nasal Spray

What is this medicine used for?

This medicine is sprayed into the nose to relieve the pain of acute migraine headaches in adults. It will not prevent migraine headaches or reduce the number you may have. This medicine is not intended to treat other types of headaches. It may be used for other conditions as determined by your healthcare provider.

What should my healthcare provider know before I take this medicine?

Tell your healthcare provider if you have ever had:

• an allergic reaction to any medicine
• a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA)
• a heart attack, heart disease, or blood vessel disease
• chest pain
• hemiplegic or basilar migraine
• high blood pressure
• liver, kidney, or bowel disease
• Raynaud's phenomenon
• seizures

Talk with your healthcare provider if you have any risk factors for heart disease such as diabetes, high cholesterol, smoking, being overweight, past menopause, or if you have a family history of heart disease or stroke.

Do not take this medicine if you have taken an MAO inhibitor antidepressant in the past 2 weeks.

Females of childbearing age: Talk with your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Do not breast-feed while taking this medicine without your healthcare provider's approval.

How do I use it?

The medicine is available in unit-dose devices (for one time use).

1. Gently blow your nose to clear your nasal passages.
2. Gently close one nostril with your index finger.
3. Breathe out gently through your mouth. Keeping your head upright, insert the spray nozzle into the other nostril.
4. While gently taking a breath through your nose, spray 1 full unit into one nostril.
5. Keep your head level for 10 to 20 seconds while gently breathing through your nose and breathing out through your mouth. Do not breathe in deeply.

If your headache returns, you may use a second unit at least 2 hours later if your healthcare provider approves. Do not use more than 40 mg of the spray in one day (8 of the 5-mg spray devices or 2 of the 20-mg spray devices). Follow your healthcare provider's directions exactly.

What if I overdose?

If you or anyone else has intentionally taken too much of this medicine, call 911 or go to the emergency room right away. If you pass out, have seizures, weakness or confusion, or have trouble breathing, call 911. If you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much of this medicine, call the poison control center. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. The poison control center number is 800-222-1222.

Symptoms of an acute overdose may include: tremors, skin redness, trouble breathing, slow breathing, blue-colored lips or fingernails, large pupils, weakness, lack of coordination, being unable to move, seizures.

What should I watch out for?

This medicine may cause serious heart problems, stroke, or increased blood pressure. If you develop tightness in your chest, jaw or neck, or chest pain, contact your healthcare provider right away.

If you develop feelings of tingling, heat, heaviness, pressure, drowsiness, dizziness, tiredness, or a red face for a short time, contact your healthcare provider for advice.

This medicine may make you drowsy or dizzy. Do not drive or operate machinery until you are fully alert.

What are the possible side effects?

Along with its needed effects, your medicine may cause some unwanted side effects. Some side effects may be very serious. Some side effects may go away as your body adjusts to the medicine. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that continue or get worse.

Life-threatening (Report these to your healthcare provider right away. If you cannot reach your healthcare provider right away, get emergency medical care or call 911 for help): Allergic reaction (hives; itching; rash; trouble breathing; chest pain or tightness in your chest; swelling of your lips, tongue, and throat).

Serious (report these to your healthcare provider right away): Jaw or neck tightness, chest pain, irregular or rapid heartbeat, severe headache, sudden or severe abdominal pain.

Other: Confusion, depression, diarrhea, dizziness, drowsiness, feeling of being cold, flushing or tingling sensation, muscle or joint pain, nausea, sore throat, tiredness, tremor, vomiting, weakness, change in taste sensation, discomfort in nose, stomach upset.

What products might interact with this medicine?

When you take this medicine with other medicines, it can change the way this or any of the other medicines work. Nonprescription medicines, vitamins, natural remedies, and certain foods may also interact. Using these products together might cause harmful side effects. Talk to your healthcare provider if you are taking:

• any other medicines used to treat migraines, such as almotriptan (Axert), frovatriptan (Frova), naratriptan (Amerge), rizatriptan (Maxalt), and zolmitriptan (Zomig), and medicines that are inhaled (Do not take these within 24 hours of taking this medicine.)
• ergot-containing medicines such as Bellergal, Cafergot, Ergomar, D.H.E. 45, Migranal, and Sansert (Do not take these within 24 hours of a dose of this medicine)
• linezolid (Zyvox)
• MAO inhibitor antidepressants such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), and tranylcypromine (Parnate) (Do not take this medicine and MAO inhibitor antidepressants within 14 days of each other.)
• procarbazine (Matulane)
• sibutramine (Meridia)
• SSRI or SNRI antidepressants such as fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine (Paxil), citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), venlafaxine (Effexor), duloxetine (Cymbalta), and sertraline (Zoloft)

Keep a list of all your medicines with you. List all the prescription medicines, nonprescription medicines, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins that you take. Be sure that you tell all healthcare providers who treat you about all the products you are taking.

How should I store this medicine?

Store this medicine at room temperature. Keep the medicine in its original containers. Protect it from heat, high humidity, and bright light.

This advisory includes selected information only and may not include all side effects of this medicine or interactions with other medicines. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information or if you have any questions.

Ask your pharmacist for the best way to dispose of outdated medicine or medicine you have not used. Do not throw medicine in the trash.

Keep all medicines out of the reach of children.

Do not share medicines with other people.