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Migraine

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Upper age limit for triptans for Migraines? Less effective when older?

Ask the Clinician , Health Professional

Full Question:

Could you tell me if there is an upper age limit to using Triptans and do they lose their ability to work the older you are? Susan.

Full Answer:

Dear Susan;

This is an excellent question. As long as the patient doesn’t have a history of stroke or heart disease or high risk factors for them, there is no upper age limit for using triptans. We do order a cardiovascular work-up for patients over the age of 50 to check for “silent” cardiovascular issues.

The effectiveness of triptans isn’t age related. They can stop working as well when patients have taken them over a long period of time. In these cases, switching to a different triptan often works out well.

Good luck,
John Claude Krusz and Teri Robert

If you need help finding a   Migraine and headache specialist,

visit our listing of _Patient Recommended Specialists _.

About Ask the Clinician:

Dr. Krusz is a recognized expert in the fields of headache and   Migraine treatment and pain treatment. Each week, he and Lead Expert Teri Robert, team up to answer your questions about headaches and   Migraines. You can read more about _ Dr. Krusz_ or more about _** Teri Robert** _.

If you have a question, please click** HERE. Accepted questions will be answered by publishing the answers here. Due to the number of questions submitted, no questions will be answered privately, and questions will be accepted only when submitted via THIS FORM**. Please do not submit questions via email, private message, or SharePost comments. Thank you.

Please note: We cannot handle emergencies or diagnose via the Internet. Please do not ask us to diagnose; see your physician for diagnosis.

We hope you find this general medical and health information useful, but this Q & A is meant to support not replace the professional medical advice you receive from your doctor. For all personal medical and health matters, including decisions about diagnoses, medications and other treatment options, you should always consult your doctor. See full Disclaimer.

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Do you have questions about Migraine? Reader questions are answered by UCNS certified Migraine and headache specialist Dr. David Watson, and award-winning patient educator and advocate Teri Robert. Questions may be submitted via our submission form. Accepted questions will be answered by publishing the answers in our Ask the Clinician column. For an overview of how we can help and questions we can and can’t answer, please see Seeking Migraine and Headache Diagnoses and Medical Advice.

Published On: March 20, 2013
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