Sumatriptan in pregnancy: what the latest research shows

A large study published in the journal Neurology in June 2025 found that taking triptans such as sumatriptan during pregnancy did not increase the risk of developmental conditions in children. It adds to the evidence that triptans are safe medicines, also in pregnancy. Any decision about medicine while you are pregnant is best made together with your migraine specialist, GP or midwife.

Many women with migraine worry about using their medication during pregnancy. Triptans, such as sumatriptan, are effective at stopping migraine attacks, so this research is good news for expectant mothers who rely on them.

Can you take sumatriptan while pregnant?

The research so far, including this new study, has not shown that sumatriptan harms the unborn child. Even so, do not start, stop or change a medicine in pregnancy on your own: talk it through with your migraine specialist, GP or midwife, who can weigh up your attacks and your pregnancy together.

What did the study look at?

Researchers in Norway studied more than 26,000 pregnancies of women with migraine and followed the health of their children from birth up to the age of 14. About four in five of these mothers had used triptans in the year before or during pregnancy; the rest had not. The study grouped the women by how much triptan they used: some stopped before pregnancy, some used it only early in pregnancy, and others kept using it moderately or heavily throughout.

The children's medical records were then checked for developmental conditions, including autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning or intellectual disabilities, and speech or motor delays.

What did the study find?

Developmental conditions were fairly rare. Only about 4% of the children had such a diagnosis at follow-up, whether or not their mother had used triptans. Importantly, children exposed to triptans in the womb were no more likely to have a developmental condition than children whose mothers did not take these medicines. Rates of ADHD and of speech and language delays, for example, were almost the same in both groups.

There was a slight rise in autism diagnoses among children whose mothers used the most triptans, but this difference was very small (less than one percentage point) and not statistically significant, which means it may have been due to chance. The study found no evidence that exposure to triptans in pregnancy harms children's development.

What do these findings mean?

This study adds to the growing evidence that triptans are safe medicines, even in pregnancy. Many doctors and patients are (too) cautious with triptans, because of worries about heart and blood vessel problems or about using them too often. Research and clinical experience show that triptans are well tolerated and safe when used correctly, which means on fewer than 10 days a month.

In the UK, sumatriptan 50 mg tablets are also available from a pharmacy after a conversation with the pharmacist. If you are pregnant, talk to your GP or migraine specialist before you take it.

What do our migraine specialists think?

For most people with migraine, triptans are the best medicines for treating an attack. They are safe, and excessive caution about using them is not helpful. If you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, discuss your medication with your migraine specialist. Your migraine specialist can tell you whether a triptan is right for you during pregnancy.

When to get urgent help

Call 999 or go to A&E if you have:

• a sudden, severe headache that reaches its worst within seconds or minutes
• weakness or numbness on one side of your body or face
• slurred speech or difficulty understanding words
• loss of vision that does not come back
• a first ever aura after the age of 50
• a headache with a high temperature and a stiff neck

If you are worried but it is not an emergency, call NHS 111.

In pregnancy, also contact your midwife or maternity unit straight away if, from 20 weeks, you have a severe headache together with problems with your vision or sudden swelling of your face, hands or feet. These can be signs of pre-eclampsia.

Learn more

• Read about acute medication, including triptans.
• See how to start with a migraine specialist at The Migraine Clinic, online by video and without a referral.