The non-orally administered triptans

Migraine, a condition which afflicts 12% of the population, results in substantial pain, hypersensitivities to normal environmental stimuli, nausea/vomiting, disability and enormous costs on individuals and society [1]. Treatments that rapidly and effectively abort migraine attacks are essential in order to limit this migraine burden. Availability of the triptans was a major breakthrough in this regard. Although the orally administered triptans are often the medications of choice when treating migraine, triptans administered by injection, nasal spray, rectal or transdermal routes have some important advantages over the orally administered triptans (Box 3.1). In this chapter, the advantages and disadvantages of the non-orally administered triptans are discussed (Table 3.1).