Short-Term Side Effects

The active ingredient in Imitrex, sumatriptan, may cause unwanted side effects. In case these side effects worsen, medical attention should be given immediately. Most of the time, though, these side effects disappear a day or two after the first use of Imitrex. Some of the common side effects of Imitrex are stomach pain,

anxiety, blurred vision, chest pain, confusion, chills, dizziness, and irregular or pounding heartbeat. Other users also complain of headache, nightmares, pain in the neck, throat or jaw, sweating, shivering, and inflammation of the fingers, feet, or lower legs.  Still, some users of Imitrex experience tightness in the chest and difficulty in breathing.

Long-Term Side Effects

The long term use of Imitrex may also increase a user’s risks of getting health complications like blindness, chest pain, redness of the skin particularly on the neck, and increased eyelid spasms. There are also risks of chronic itching or pain in certain parts of the body, nerve pain, severe numbness, twitching and difficulty in breathing. Some users also say they had unusual bleeding or bruising and felt weakness in the arms or legs after using Imitrex for a long time.

How It Works

Sumatriptan is part of a class of drugs called selective serotonin receptor agonists. It works in treating migraines by stimulating the serotonin receptors in the brain. It also lessens the transmission of pain signals carried by the nerves to the brain.

Drug Interactions

If taken with monoamine oxidase inhibitors like Marplan, Nardil and Parnate, there’s a good chance that Imitrex side effects could happen because of the reduced breakdown of sumatriptan in the liver. Other drugs that could increase risks of side effects of Imitrex are Meridia, Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft and Cymbalta.

Generic Alternatives

There are many drugs that can be used for treating headaches aside from Imitrex. These include Axert, Frova, Amerge, Maxalt, Relpax and Zomig.