Migraine is a common and debilitating condition affecting approximately nearly one in four women in the USA and Europe. Episodic attacks can be associated with a number of symptoms, with
nausea and/or
vomiting being among the most frequent and distressing.
Sumatriptan is widely used for acute treatment of
migraine and is available in several formulations. The efficacy of oral
sumatriptan is well-established. However, patients who experience
migraine-associated
nausea and/or
vomiting can have difficulty swallowing
tablets and may delay taking anti-
migraine medication. In addition, absorption of oral
sumatriptan can be reduced by
migraine-associated
gastroparesis. Non-oral formulations of
sumatriptan are recommended for patients with
nausea and/or
vomiting, but their use may be limited by adverse effects and patient acceptance. A new transdermal formulation of
sumatriptan has recently become available in the USA for acute treatment of
migraine in adults. In this article, we review the properties of the
sumatriptan iontophoretic
transdermal patch and discuss the evidence to support its use in clinical practice.