Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Subcutaneous sumatriptan induces changes in frequency pattern in cluster headache patients.

Paolo Rossi1, Giorgio Di Lorenzo, Rita Formisano

  • 1Headache Centre, INI Grottaferrata, Rome, Italy.

Headache
|June 24, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Subcutaneous sumatriptan (SQ sum) can rapidly relieve cluster headache (CH) pain. However, SQ sum may paradoxically increase CH attack frequency in some patients.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Autistic Trait Profiles Across Mood and Psychotic Spectrum Disorders: A Transdiagnostic Outpatient Study.

Journal of clinical medicine·2026
Same author

Dopaminergic dysfunction in substance-related and behavioral addictions: Evidence from SPECT imaging in alcohol and gambling disorders.

Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry·2026
Same author

Mechanistic insights toward dissociating therapeutic from psychedelic effects: bridging the gap between psychedelic research and mental health care.

Translational psychiatry·2026
Same author

Myoinositol and Selenium (MYSE) Supplementation Is Associated with Favorable Changes in Thyroid Parameters and Migraine Outcomes in Patients with Migraine and Hashimoto's Thyroiditis: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Nutrients·2026
Same author

Promoting student Mental Health: longitudinal evidence from the psychological support service at Tor Vergata University in Rome.

Rivista di psichiatria·2026
Same author

Pediatric Adenotonsillectomy over 20 Years in a High-Volume Italian Centre: Positive Outcomes with Low Complications-The Sassuolo Hospital Experience.

Pediatric reports·2026

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Headache Medicine

Background:

  • Limited and conflicting literature exists regarding subcutaneous sumatriptan's effect on cluster headache (CH) attack frequency.
  • Subcutaneous sumatriptan is a common acute treatment for CH.

Observation:

  • Six treatment-naïve cluster headache patients (3 episodic, 3 chronic) were studied.
  • All patients experienced rapid pain relief with subcutaneous sumatriptan.
  • A notable increase in CH attack frequency was observed shortly after initiating subcutaneous sumatriptan treatment.

Findings:

  • All six patients reported a significant increase in cluster headache attack frequency after using subcutaneous sumatriptan.
  • The increased attack frequency subsided within days of discontinuing subcutaneous sumatriptan or switching to alternative treatments.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Five patients were not on prophylactic therapy, with subcutaneous sumatriptan being their sole acute treatment.

    • Implications:

    • Clinicians should be aware that subcutaneous sumatriptan may lead to an increased frequency of cluster headache attacks.
    • This observation warrants further investigation into the potential mechanisms driving this phenomenon.
    • Understanding this relationship is crucial for optimizing cluster headache management and patient care.