Triptan medications that the US Headache Consortium recommends for first-line migraine treatment include:

·         sumatriptan (Imitrex®)

·         naratriptan (Amerge®, Naramig®)

·         zolmitriptan (Zomig®), and

·         rizatriptan (Maxalt®)

 

Newer triptans are also available, including eletriptan (Relpax®), almotriptan (Axert®, Almogran®), and frovatriptan (Frova®, Migard®). Studies evaluating their effectiveness are still in the works; as this data becomes available, these migraine headache break through treatments can be expected to join the other triptans on the Headache Consortium’s ‘A’ list.

 

Triptans are available in the US by prescription only and are substantially more expensive than either over-the-counter medications or ergot drugs. Frequent use of triptans can also cause rebound headaches, and side effects can include flushing of the face, tingling, dizziness, or a sudden feeling of warmth