Imitrex and Migraines
Imitrex spray contains the medication sumatriptan, which is used to treat migraine headaches. Migraines are very severe and chronic headaches that can last for a few hours or cause effects for days. These headaches can be incapacitating. According to the Mayo Clinic, sometimes migraines have warning signs before they occur (known as auras) where the patient perceives light flashes or blind spots, or has arm and leg tingling in the hours before the migraine. What causes migraines is not very well understood, but it is thought, by experts at the Mayo Clinic and elsewhere, that it can be related to a specific nerve called the trigeminal nerve, and the neurotransmitter serotonin (neurotransmitters are chemicals that neurons use to communicate with each other). The predominant theory is that a drop in serotonin causes the trigeminal nerve to release chemicals (called neuropeptides), which are then absorbed by the outer covering of the brain (the meninges). These neuropeptides cause the meninges to transmit a sensation of pain. What causes this serotonin drop is not known, however.
Mechanism of Sumatriptan
Sumatriptan is part of a class of drugs called triptans, which are commonly used to relieve the pain of migraines, as well as some of the side effects from migraines, which include nausea and vomiting. Sumatriptan is chemically similar to serotonin and is able to mimic its effects on some cells. According to a review article published by Dr. Spierings at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, one of the physiological changes that occurs in the brain during a migraine is the swelling (vasodilation) of some of the arteries in the brain (especially the artery known as the middle meningeal artery). This vasodilation is thought to occur as a result of the drop in serotonin. A study, headed by Dr. Razzaque at Britain's Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, found that sumatriptan was able to cause vasoconstriction of the middle meningeal artery, which may help explain its ability to cause migraine relief.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Imitrex Spray
One of the advantages of using Imitrex spray is that it is rapidly absorbed by the body and is readily available to the brain. Imitrex spray can cause significant relief to patients who are suffering from a migraine and can reduce the intensity of a headache.
On the other hand, use of Imitrex can cause some side effects, such as dizziness, nausea and muscle weakness. Drugs.com recommends that, because the sumatriptan in Imitrex mimics the effects of chemicals in the brain and also causes changes in blood vessels, people with a history of heart disease should not use Imitrex. In addition, Drugs.com suggests that people who are taking SSRIs (antidepressants that affect serotonin levels) or other serotonin-mimicking medications should not use Imitrex.
