Depakote ER for headaches - Headaches & Migraines Message Board

Sueluk · 07-31-2003, 01:28 PM

Anyone have any experience with Depakote ER for Chronic daily tension headaches? Its an everyday preventative. I started it about 3 weeks ago. Dont think it is helping

Laney00 · 08-03-2003, 03:53 PM

Actually I don't have experience but my mom takes it currently and she did get results from it. She was having daily headaches and now she has them only once in a while. Not sure of the dose.

Maybe you need to get a higher dose of Depakote, has your doc mentioned a gradual increase at all? It seems to me that they do it that way, until you find what dose works for you. Usually have to give it more time before you give up on it.

lori g · 08-05-2003, 01:59 PM

I have been taking this daily for a year already and it will take a couple of weeks before you see results. Becareful though I have become very dependent of them. I'm taking 500mg daily dosage, talk with your doctor about what dosage will work for you. This is a powerful medication and is primarily used for seizure patients.

Laney00 · 08-05-2003, 02:24 PM

It is a powerful med, I work with mentally retarded people and one of them was on a high dose several times a day (for behavior issues) and she suffered the horrible side effect of hair loss, she kept only half of her hair, you could see her scalp it was so thin! They even kept her on it but just gave her daily doses of Selenium to couteract this effect, which worked but only after about a month of being on it!
However in this profession, there are many patients on this med and none of the others have had hair loss problems.
Crazy huh? Hope I didn't scare you, I think when your on it for headaches you would probably never be on that high of dosage to have this happen! Just be aware of it.

zavey · 08-19-2003, 02:38 AM

i was on depakote last year for migraine prevention, not the depakote er, though. it didn't help, it actually made me sicker. hope you have better luck with it.