Sumatriptan Succinate, Injection

What are other names for this medicine?

Type of medicine: antimigraine

Generic and brand names: sumatriptan succinate, injection; Imitrex Injection

What is this medicine used for?

This medicine is given by injection (shots) to relieve the pain of acute migraine headaches and cluster 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
• a heart attack, heart disease, or blood vessel disease
• 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, or 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?

This medicine is available in several forms, such as prefilled syringes and single-dose vials.

Sometimes you can give yourself these shots from kits or have someone at home give them to you. The shots are given just under the skin. Be sure you know how and when to have them and how much medicine to use. Your healthcare provider or pharmacist may have a video tape you can watch. Be sure you know how to use the Autoinjector and how to dispose of the empty syringes.

Carefully read and follow the directions that come in the package of medicine. Wash your hands before using this medicine. Follow these steps to give yourself the shots:

1. Use an alcohol swab to clean the skin where you will give yourself the shot.
2. Gently pinch up the skin and insert the needle into the skin at a 45° angle. After you insert the needle completely, release your grasp of the skin.
3. Inject all of the solution by gently and steadily pushing down the plunger.
4. After you have given yourself the shot, withdraw the needle and syringe and press an alcohol swab on the spot where the shot was given.
5. Dispose of used needles in rigid puncture-resistant containers with lids or caps, such as heavy plastic bleach bottles with screw caps. DO NOT throw needles directly into garbage cans or dumpsters.

For best results, have one shot as soon as you have any symptoms of a migraine. You may have the shot at any time during the migraine.

If your headache does not go away after using this medicine, do not use a second dose. Contact your healthcare provider. If your migraine returns after 1 shot, your healthcare provider may prescribe a second dose. Do not have more than 2 shots in any 24-hour period. Follow your healthcare provider's directions.

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.

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

You may have pain or red skin at the site of the shot. They usually go away in about an hour.

This medicine may make your skin more sensitive to the sun, which may lead to painful sunburns. While you are taking this medicine, avoid long exposure to the sun. Wear protective clothing, a hat, and sunscreen lotion when you need to be outdoors. Do not use a sunlamp. If you get a severe sunburn, contact your healthcare provider right away.

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, irregular or rapid heartbeat, severe headache, sudden or severe abdominal pain, vision changes.

Other: Confusion, diarrhea, dizziness, drowsiness, feeling of being cold, flushing or tingling sensation, muscle or joint pain, sore throat, tiredness, tremor, weakness, anxiety, discomfort in mouth or tongue, rash or irritation at the site of the shot.

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, which include 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)
• 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.)
• SSRI or SNRI antidepressants such as fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine (Paxil), and citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), venlafaxine (Effexor), duloxetine (Cymbalta), and sertraline (Zoloft).

Keep a list of all your medicines (prescription, nonprescription, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins) with you. 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.