Transdermal Sumatriptan

During recent studies it is estimated that migraineurs experience nausea 92% of the time during some of their attacks.  This common symptom associated with migraines often leaves patients unable to take an oral triptan medication and keep it in their stomach long enough to absorb the medication. Although there are injectable or intranasal triptans available, not all patients feel comfortable giving themselves an injection or do not like the taste associated with the intranasal form. There is a new transdermal sumatriptan patch that is currently in phase III of study and will hopefully be available to migraine sufferers by prescription soon. The benefits of the transdermal sumatriptan include bypassing the GI system and the liver and the medication is able to be absorbed properly into underlying tissues.  The transdermal sumatriptan also does not cause any further nausea associated with the migraine. The transdermal patch had significant results of pain relief and freedom from nausea, photophobia and phonophobia at the 1 and 2 hour mark.