Triptans at a Glance

Anyone who has been diagnosed with migraine without being told about triptans has been done a disservice. In my non-medical opinion, unless a person has an underlying medical condition that would making the medication dangerous, like stroke, uncontrolled diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease, they should try at least one triptan.

The gold standard migraine abortive, triptans can work like magic for some migraineurs. They don’t work for everyone, but are helpful for many and can abort the migraine entirely before it begins. For others, the effect isn’t miraculous, but the reduction in intensity or severity of their migraines is still significant. It’s also worth noting that a lot of people have to try several different triptans to find the one that works for them.

There are seven different triptans. Imitrex was the first on the market and is the one people are most likely to know about. The others are Amerge, Axert, Frova, Maxalt, Relpax and Zomig. If you can’t keep a pill down, some are available as injections, suppositories and nasal sprays. Remember, though, that even triptans can cause rebound headaches.

To learn more about the drugs and how they work, see WebMD’s terrific article.