Imigran Recovery

Imigran Recovery contains the active ingredient sumatriptan 50 mg which is part of a class of drugs known as triptans. Imigran Recovery will be available in a 2 tablet pack over the counter in pharmacies from June 2006.

How does it work?

Sumatriptan acts like serotonin, the brain chemical involved in migraine, helping to return blood vessels to normal and calming the sensory nerves. The result is that Imigran Recovery can stop all the main migraine symptoms in their tracks: headache pain, nausea and sensitivity to light and sound.

What are the benefits?

It's highly effective:
Just one tablet can bring migraine relief in around 80% of sufferers. The second tablet can be taken after at least 2 hours if the symptoms start to come back. No more than 2 tablets should be taken within 24 hours or to treat the same attack.

It's fast:
Headache relief can start in just 30 minutes and sufferers can get complete relief of the migraine headache and the ability to return to normal daily activities in two hours. For sufferers that could be the difference between hours spent in bed, or being able to get on with their lives.

Buying Imigran Recovery

The availability of Imigran Recovery over the counter in pharmacy represents a major step forward in over the counter migraine treatment.
Imigran Recovery is available for those aged 18-65 years with a stable and established pattern of migraine, who do not receive adequate relief from analgesics.

• To determine your suitability, your pharmacist will ask you to fill out a short Migraine Questionnaire.
• You can save time by downloading the Migraine Questionnaire (see link to the right) and completing it before going to your pharmacy.
• Your pharmacist will then assess your responses to the Migraine Questionnaire to determine whether Imigran Recovery is an appropriate migraine treatment for you.

Taking Imigran Recovery

One Imigran Recovery tablet is usually enough to stop migraine. Early treatment provides the best chance of stopping a migraine, so a tablet should be taken as soon as you are sure you have a migraine headache, rather than just an "everyday" headache.
Importantly, Imigran Recovery can still treat migraine symptoms effectively, even if taken later in an attack.
For the majority of sufferers Imigran Recovery will bring relief from the four most common symptoms of migraine: however, if the symptoms start to come back, another tablet can be taken at least two hours after the first one. No more than two tablets should be taken within 24 hours or to treat the same attack.
If you don't get any relief at all from the first Imigran Recovery tablet, then taking another tablet will not be effective.

Don't take Imigran Recovery:

• Unless you suffer from migraines (a doctor or pharmacist needs to confirm this)
• If you are trying to prevent a migraine attack - only take it when your migraine headache begins
• Until you are sure it is a migraine and not just a headache
• If you are under 18 or over 65
• If you have had an allergic reaction to sumatriptan, or any of the other ingredients in the tablets, or to sulphonamide antibiotics
• If you have heart problems including heart failure, a previous heart attack, angina (chest pains), or an irregular heartbeat
• If you have had a stroke or a mini-stroke (also called transient ischaemic attack or TIA)
• If you have high blood pressure or are being treated for it
• If you have kidney or liver disease
• If you have epilepsy or are prone to seizures (fits)
• If you have circulation problems in your legs and have cramp-like pains in your legs when you walk, or if your doctor has told you that you suffer from peripheral vascular disease
• If your doctor diagnosed one of the rare forms of migraine (hemiplegic, basilar or ophthalmoplegic migraine)