Depakote for neopathy? - Neuropathy Message Board

jveenem · 08-01-2003, 03:00 PM

short on time to write at the moment

I've been not really been diagnosed. I just have numbness in hands and feet and a 24/7 headache ... and it seems my creative abilities have dried up!! ... I'm NOT feeling happy.

The doctor's decided to try depakote for the headache as he lines me up for an MRI.

Fine, check out the listings for depakote and it lists side effects terminal liver damage, hostility and hallucinations as the side effects ... that plus a recommended dosage of 750 a day. I was started off on 1000 a day with an aim for 2000 a day.

Am I wrong to be worried? ... is that an understatement?

enough for now
Joe N.

banjoboy · 08-02-2003, 05:10 PM

Hi, I take depakote and know what it is about and it IS NOT FOR HEADACHES !!!

I take 800mg and that is above normal dose. If your doctor suggests starting on 1000mg then either he is not talking about Depakote or he is really concerned.

Check things out again, it takes a few minutes on the web and you will find that Depakote is a mood stabiliser, it prevents mania, usually used in conjunction with a/d.

Reply if you want details of side effects.

Brian

jveenem · 08-03-2003, 01:40 AM

Thanks for the response

Depakote, if you go to their website, and I have, has been packaged as anti-migrane medicine.

I have a "migrane" that just appeared in the past two months ... needless to say I look to my MRI on monday with interest ... but surprising to say the doctor seems to feel that that is just to make sure and I likely just have plain old everyday Neuropathy ... well, it's every day to him, I'm not happy with his apparent boredom with it ... AND his saying it's incurable.

As to dosage ... Depakote apparently is a mood stabilizer for some but an anti-siesure medicine for others and as such one person on a board I looked at claimed to be taking 5000 and was being told he'd likely have to have that increased eventually as well.

I'm still not sure what's going on or why but I guess one thing I have to do is try to be more patient. I also am asking questions here and on other boards.

Thanks again, anything further you can add I'd appreciate.

I feel like I need lots more talking to on this and related subjects.

Another casualty of my "nueropathy" has been my creative ability (!!)... depakote actually seems to be helping with that a little but if it is Nueropathy it's degenerative and thus what little help it gives may evaporate.

thanks

joe N.

banjoboy · 08-04-2003, 07:45 AM

Hi,
I take Depakote at 1000mg/day for bipolar disorder as a mood stabiliser. Epileptics take it at much higher doses, just increase until the seizures stop, often several grams/day.

It has now been approved in some countries for relief of migraine but I can't find a recommended dose, all I can find is:

"The dosing required for migraine prevention is relatively low compared to epilepsy"

There are other AEDs (anti-epileptics) that are used for "neuropathic pain" such as Keppra, Lamictal, Neurontin,Tegretol and Carbatrol, Topiramate, Trileptal, Zonegran so the idea is not that new but Depakote seems to be the best for migraine.

The key thing about the dose is that above 750 mg/day close monitoring is advised as it can cause problems with liver/pancreas. My blood was checked regularly while in Hospital (I thought I was going to run out of it!) and is checked every 3-6 months now. I also got a talk on what to look out for as side effects.

If it works for your migraine then make sure you know the side effects and your Doctor should instigate regular blood checks.

Hope that help, take care, Brian

jveenem · 08-05-2003, 01:24 AM

I've been researching this like mad on the internet and what you say jibes with what I've gathered. But I thank you very much for going to the effort to write and your knowlege.

I got NO warnings on this medication at all ... NONE ... I believe a pharmacist is supposed to talk to a patient about possible dangers if a medication has side effects?? All I got was appology that they couldn't fill my order yet.

Once I read the MAJOR possible dangers of this that seems outrageous!

My Doctor even told me to not take the medication exactly as on the perscription, to take less at first, but I think he assumed I was going to get two pills to take twice a day, I think instead I was given pills that are the dosage of the two pills in one and I didn't realize it at first.

As I've read on line there is a DANGER to taking this medication with aspirin! Yet no one informed me of that.

It's hard not to see this as enemy action after a while of this sort of crap.

I could go on growling over this but ... I don't know about you but this is how I've always found dealing with doctors ... SNAFU ... the less you can get your life into their hands the better, as they will always eventually drop the ball. ... only trouble is, as we age, we seem to have less and less choice in the matter. ... but I'm not sure I can accept that.

gritting his teeth
Joe N.