Sumatriptan is used for which headaches?

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Sumatriptan is used to abort acute migraine attacks and can help some patients with cluster headaches. It works by activating 5-HT1B/1D receptors on cranial blood vessels and trigeminal nerve terminals, causing vasoconstriction and reducing the release of inflammatory neuropeptides. This mechanism specifically targets an ongoing migraine episode rather than preventing future ones, so it’s not used for prophylaxis. It is not an antibiotic or a sedative, so those options don’t fit. In practice, sumatriptan is chosen for treating acute migraines (and sometimes cluster headaches) rather than prevention or non-analgesic roles.