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Triptans...?!

This is my first post ever, so please excuse me if there are any mistakes, or my answer can be found elsewhere.

I've had migraines since I was 12 yrs old. I'm on Topamax, Inderal LA, Epitol, and a number of other medications for other medical conditions. I've tried Imitrex when I was younger and had an allergic reaction to it. My face broke out in hives and got itchy. I've been able to use Maxalt without trouble.

Does everyone have the same reactions to every triptan? Or would I just be allergic to any of the meds containing sumatriptan?

Thanks for any advice!!

  1. I have a strong reaction to Imitrex. I get muscle spasms and tension in my neck, jaw, chest, back, arms, and ribcage. The tension in my neck is so bad that it actually increases the pain by inducing a tension headache. Maxalt does not cause such a severe reaction in me, but it does still cause severe muscle tension in my neck, resulting in a severe tension headache which then triggers a Migraine. So for me, two triptans have given me similar, albeit less severe reactions. I've heard that while all these drugs are in the same class, they may not all cause the same reactions. I hope that helps 😀

    1. I have the same reaction to Imitrex with the muscle spasms, full body. My doctor just took me off of them since they almost landed me in the hospital.

      Maxalt blurred my vision to the point I could not see, and that lasted for nearly a day. Needless to say it's on my allergy list.

      I'm not a fan of triptans, anymore. 😑

      I think they may be similar in how they work, but if you are allergic to a specific ingredient, that would be what your reaction is tied to, not the class of medicines.

      1. I have had surprisingly good results with Relpax, with no side effects. The only other triptan I respond to is imitrex 100mg. The rest have done nothing for me, good or bad.

        1. Part of the difficulty of migraines is that many people react very differently. I've used Imitrex for over 10 years now (off and on, not every day) and it works wonders. Side effects are little to none. Topomax had me in a constant fog.

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