Use of high sumatriptan dosages during episodic cluster headache: three clinical cases.

The authors describe three patients with episodic cluster headache whose attacks were all treated with subcutaneous sumatriptan. The patients described had a high frequency of attacks (more than two per day); therefore, far higher dosage of the drug was taken than commonly used in cluster headache. The patients did not experience any particular side effects, neither during the treatment period nor on abrupt withdrawal of the drug. Moreover, neither tachyphylaxis nor addiction were observed. The authors point out both the efficacy of sumatriptan, confirmed in all the treated attacks, and its safety even at higher dosages than recommended.