Coronary Vasoconstriction with Antimigraine Drugs.

Chest symptoms similar to angina pectoris are common in patients who use antimigraine therapies, including sumatriptan and ergotamine. This study evaluated the vasoconstriction potential of these drugs in isolated segments of human coronary arteries obtained from 14 people who died of noncardiac disorders (chosen to reflect the population likely to be treated with antimigraine drugs).

In tests involving a variety of compounds used for migraine therapy, sumatriptan caused some coronary vasoconstriction, but less than older alternative therapies, including ergotamine, dihydroergotamine, and methylergometrine. The amount of vasoconstriction was not, however, likely to cause coronary ischemia in healthy patients taking therapeutic concentrations…