Fatal Cardiac Arrhythmia After Oral Sumatriptan

Abstract

Typically, 3% to 5% of patients experience sensations of heaviness, pressure, and tightness in the chest after administration of sumatriptan, but there is little ECG evidence of ischemia. The serious cardiovascular incidents after consuming sumatriptan have been associated mostly with the subcutaneous dosage form of this drug and with patients with underlying cardiovascular risk factors. We report a case of fatal cardiac arrhythmia in an otherwise perfectly healthy patient with migraine after consuming a single 100-mg dose of oral sumatriptan.