Can Imitrex Be Taken For Severe Headache?

Posted on Mon, 31 Aug 2015

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Mon, 31 Aug 2015 Answered on

Mon, 21 Sep 2015 Last reviewed on

Question : I took Cymbalta Saturday night at 830 or 9. I just started it friday night. I am having a horrible headache. Can I take my imitrex since I didn't take the cymbalta on Sunday nigjt?

Answered by Dr. Shoaib Khan (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
I would advise against taking sumatriptan

Detailed Answer:
Hello ma'am and welcome.

Thank you for writing to us.

I have gone through your query with diligence and would like you to know that I am here to help. Although you did not take duloxetine on Sunday, the usual half-life period for duloxetine (i.e. cymbalta) is about 8-17 hours; which gives us a period of about 3 days before the cymbalta is completely out of our system.

For this reason, I would advise against taking imitrex (i.e. sumatriptan) as both medications have a serious drug interaction producing symptoms like confusion, fluctuations in blood pressure, excessive sweating, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, tremors, coma, and even death in some cases when a rare condition called serotonin syndrome. Please instead take a more mild pain management medication for your headache (e.g. tylenol).

I hope you find my response helpful. Please feel free to write back to me for any further clarifications, I would be more than happy to help you.

Best wishes.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar