Sumatriptan: A Magic Molecule

In March 2015 I went to a neurologist who was a headache specialist. She put me on three different pills—all old antidepressants in low doses that are supposed to help with concussion headaches (I remember Gabapentin)—that basically did nothing except make me groggy. At one point I remember explicitly asking her for normal migraine pills that they give to normal migraine patients, and she said something like "no, that's not your type of headache, it won't do anything for you."

Fast forward 6 months, I ask my new neurologist if he had any new headache ideas. I had been doing the biofeedback and cardio which helps to some degree but I basically live my life with a 4-6/10 pain headache about an inch and a half in diameter in the front of my forehead. He says, ok, sure, I'll send you to the special headache guy. Dr. Mauskopf tells me to check out sumatriptan. 

The next week, I met up with a friend outside a museum and ten minutes before she arrived popped a pill. I'd taken my nausea pill in the past before meeting up with friends and didn't think I was in for anything special.

Immediately it felt like a hard drug--my head went super light, my face had that Weeknd feel...and then magically the pain goes from a 6 to a 3. Five minutes later, I got very sharp and defined level 4 pains at random parts of my head I'd never had headaches--it felt like there was a Men in Black alien in my head. Ten minutes later I'm still feeling like I'm on some sort of hard drug, but my forehead pain has gone down to a 2, which it usually only is for the first 2 minutes when I'm waking up. It stays this way all night.

This is a magic molecule.

At the time, I had mixed emotions. I was furious at modern medicine for not telling me to try this earlier, but at the same time grateful that after 8 months of doctors without good answers one they finally found one. I also weirdly feel like I didn't "earn" this relief by being super diligent with my habits in the way I did by stopping the random sharp headaches by fixing my posture.

But in the end...who cares! I got 4x more functional than I used to be! I could tolerate way more light and noise with this coursing through my neurons. It also has helped get the nausea under control. I was able to see Chappelle live and go to the US Open without falling apart. I could start watch more tv and hold conversations for longer. Though scared that its effect would eventually wear off, I was able to take sumatriptan less and less frequently, and today haven't used the pill in two months.