Monday, May 10, 2010
Full Question:
I was diagnosed with basilar migraines and was treated with intravenous DepaKote 750mg and it worked great in less than 15 minutes. For the past 5 years I had been taking oral DepaKote 750mg for prevention of migraines. I also have Chronic Lyme disease and Fibromyalgia and w...
Thank you for your response! I did want clarify that while hospitalized with a 10 day old migraine and diagnosed finally, then I did get good relief with the initial dose of IV Depakote 500mg. and then given the additional 250 mg an hour later for complete relief of pain and most symptoms.
When I have taken oral dose 500mg at home the relief experienced was never 100% but more like 80% which allowed to continue on with my day and not be in bed incapacitated. The only time I would take the remaining 250 mg. would be at bed time.
The prescription if I were to take every day is to begin taking is 250mg in am and 500 at bedtime. All I want to do is take the 500mg one time only if I have a migraine. Oral medications work slower than IV, if 500mg is safe at bedtime then why not in daylight hours? This makes sense to me and I am not understanding how this could be a bad thing especially if it has worked for me when many other medication have not or have given me other negative effects. And I am having a very difficult time finding information to get a complete answer that really explains this and that makes sense. I am not trying to be difficult or argumentative or looking for medical advice just an explanation and don't know where else to go...
Vicki,
I just finished a two-day meeting in Washington with Migraine specialists and researchers and discussed your question with a few of them.
Everyone agrees that oral Depakote should be used only as a preventive taken daily, not for aborting a Migraine except in IV form when a Migraine doesn't respond to traditional abortives and continues too long. This class of medication is one that, except for the occasional IV use, needs to be taken at a consistent dosage or it can cause problems, including seizures. Everyone was amazed that you got ANY relief from oral depakote, and it was suggested that it may have been more coincidence of your Migraine having run its course and not the oral Depakote.
Seriously, you need to be very careful with this medication. You have three safe options:
1) Take it as directed.
2) Don't take it.
3) Discuss this with your doctor.
I'm not trying to be difficult either but don't know what other information to give you.
Keep me posted?
Teri
I take 500 mg depakote i n the morning and at bed time 1000 mg. I still have m migraines almost daily