Beware: To avoid medication overuse headache, use on no more than 2 days/week | ||||
8. Sumatriptan | ||||
6–9 years | Oral | 25 mg at onset, repeat once after at least 2 hours if needed, max 2 days/week | Tabs: 50 mg Injection: 6 mg/0.5 mL Nasal spray: 10 mg /0.1 mL actuation (2 and 6 unit dose sprays available) | Cardiac disease. Tingling, tightness, flushing, dizziness, nasty taste (nasal spray) |
10–18 years | Oral | 50–100 mg at onset, repeat once after at least 2 hours, max 2 days/week | ||
Subcutaneous | 6 mg at onset, repeat once after at least 1 hour, max 2 days/week | |||
Intranasal | 10–20 mg at onset, repeat once after at least 2 hours, max 40 mg/day, max 2 days/week | |||
9. Zolmitriptan | ||||
12–18 years | Oral | 2.5–5 mg at onset, repeat once after at least 2 hours, max 10 mg/day, max 2 day/week | Tabs: 2.5 mg Orodispersible: melts 2.5 mg Nasal spray: 5 mg /0.1 mL actuation | Cardiac disease. Tingling, tightness, flushing, dizziness, nasty taste (nasal spray) |
Intranasal | 5 mg at onset, repeat once after at least 2 hours, max 10 mg/day, max 2 day/week | |||
Other triptans include rizatriptan (halve the dose if on propranolol), almotriptan, eletriptan, frovatriptan, naratriptan, with less experience in children and young people |
Used together with NSAID or paracetamol.
Some of the drugs/doses below are outwith the marketing authorisation. Always check usual reference sources/guidelines when using unfamiliar medicines.11
Max, maximum; NSAID, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug; tabs, tablets.