Depakote and headaches

[Jerry]

Hello,
     I am a 43 y/o male who has ben suffering with chronic headaches for the past 6 mos.  I have had a complete mri which have come up fine.  However after visiting two neurologist I have been give a couple os scripts.  The one that i am considering taking is the Depakote, however I am into all the natural stuff and are aprehensive to take this drug.  I am totally over this headache and am considering taking this drug.  The Dr. stated that he truly cannot pinpoint the cause of these headaches and that the depakote will stop the signal for the headaches.  He has prescribed it to start with 250 mgs. tid for the first week and 500 tid for 3 more weeks.
     My other Dr. suggested pamalor and midril.
     Do you have any advise on these drugs.their side effects of short term use.

[CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS]

Dear Jerry:

Alot depends on the type of headache that you have.  If it is a migraine then either the triptans, TCA's, Beta blockers, etc.  If it is a cluster headache then calcium channel blockers, if it is a transformed headache then TCA's. The list goes on for the various types of headaches.  Not knowing what type of headaches you have, I really, can' tell you.  

Usually, with transformed headaches (chronic daily headaches) we usually begin with TCAs such as elavil or doxepin and raise the dose until an effect is achieved (our success rate is usually about 60 - 70%).

However, if your headaches are completely gone, whether you need a daily medication is questionable.

CCF Neuro MD

[Sheila Sherd]

Jerry,
I wish you luck with finding a solution.  I was on Depakote for 5 years due to Epilepsy.  I was diagnosed in 1995 after several Grand mal seizures.  I only had one additional seizure a month later when I was having a problem finding medication that I wasn't allergic to.  Depakote wasn't too bad, although it caused weight gain.  For a couple of years, I was taking 1000mg / day and I felt "cloudy".  I would forget things easily, even if it happened less than an hour before.  In January of 2000, I stopped taking Depakote and I do feel better.  I do understand about the headaches - I've had problems for the past 7-10 years (I'm 28yrs).  My doctor prescirbed an anti-depresseant for the "regular" tension headaches -I would have them nearly every day and this medicine helped (can't remember the name), however, it made me very sleepy and I had to take by 7p.m. or else I had problems waking up and any earlier and I was asleep by 8p.m.  I stopped taking this and the headaches came back.  I started taking Midrin for the migraines, but it stopped working and now I take Maxalt-MLT for them. It works great and FAST.  It just "melts" on your tongue.  IF you can avoid taking a daily prescription, you should.  I had to have monthly blood tests to test for liver damage (it is rare, but can occur with most medications that you are on for a long period of time).  I really do wish you well and hope you find some relief.

[CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS]

thanks for the comments.

CCF Neuro MD

[Jerry]

Thanks for both the responses from the MD at CCF and Sheila...I , after reading much of the info out there can consider these as, migraines or even clusters.  However my symptoms are as follows...daily temperal bilateral buldging veins, top of the head, bilateral posterier to the center of the ear.  I have been experiencing these symptoms since the flu shot in October.  Call me crazy but....is any of this related?  Anyway if I exercise my head feels like the vasodiatation which occurs is going to make it explode.  I am not sure as to the types of med you described but maybe this will help you better get a feel.  
  Once again thanks to you both for responding.  Peace, Jerry

[CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS]

Dear Jerry:

I think I would classify your headaches as transformed, daily headaches.  It would be very unlikely that the flu vaccine would cause your headaches.

CCF Neuro MD

[Renee]

I am being treated for severe migraines.  Am now taking Topamax 25 mg at night (my neurologist said this is what Cleveland Clinic would be giving me).  It is not helping and I cannot take anymore because it affects my driving and being able to teach the next day.  Imitrex has been my miracle, but there are times I am giving myself a shot 5-7 days a week...I worry about that.  I have tried Depakote, Neurontin, Indocin,Norvasc, Inderol, Ativan, Nortriptyline, Timolol, Tenormin, Zanaflex, dynacirc, Sansert, Bellergal, Celebrex...just to name some of the meds we have tried.  They have either worked for a week or so or have made me too sick to take them.  He has given me a nerve block, didn't help.  Won't try the Botox injections on me.  I am a 52 year old female.  Had a complete hysterectomy 9 months ago.  The migraines are controlling my life.  MRI's & CAT scans are normal.
Please advise me.
***@****

[CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS]

Dear Renee:

Actually, I don't have any of my patients on topamax for migraines.  I guess your neurologist must know someone else at the Clinic.  The issue with topamax is getting use to the medication.  It has to be started slowly or else one gets cognitive effects.  If you have just started to use topamax, I would give it a few weeks before passing judgement. I think I would be more inclined to give botox a trial.  There are some good results that we and others have had in migraines that are unresponsive to medications.  The amount of imitrex you are using is too frequent.  Have you tried the ergotamine nasal spray?  

Sincerely,

CCF Neuro MD

[tami]

I posted below, around the end of January/beginning of February about my husband's incurable headaches.  He has had them for over a year now.  We detoxed him in a hospital to get him off the narcotics and then admitted him to a hospital headache program where they gave him IV DHE (dihyroergotamine) three times a day for almost a week.  He finally began to respond so he was released.  At home, we gave him IM DHE for a few days twice a day and then down to once a day.  Now he uses the DHE injections about once per week along with 40 mg Toradol, being very careful of his kidneys.  He still takes 3600 mg daily of Neurontin and 2000 mg daily of Depakote and 60 mg daily of Celexa for the ensuing depression from all of this.  Hope this info can help you guys because we have been through hell and back with this.  He is almost pain free and visits a chiropractor twice a week for neck tension.  We are all much happier.

[CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS]

Thanks for the comments.

CCF Neuro MD

[LucyLane]

A related discussion, Headache with Severe Hyperacusis - 7 years duration was started.