I think Depakote is GIVING me headaches!!

[Kara Isabel]

Is this possible??? :hmm: I thought it was used off label to prevent them!?

The last few days I've awoken w/ sinus pressure frontal headaches, not intense like a migraine, but more like skull pressure?

I've also been more nauseous! And had an increase in bladder pain, though I don't know if I can attribute that to Depakote, or my upcoming period.

UGH. IC Sucks!! :cussing:

[armslee]

Depakote has been known to cause nausea. Your headaches sound more like sinus/allergies given the time of year.

I took Depakote for over two years as a migraine preventive. I jokingly think it is the devil! HA! It made me gain ALOT of weight and caused depression.

Are you taking it as a migraine preventive?

[Kara Isabel]

No, I'm taking it because I'm pretty sure my Pain Management doc thinks I'm bipolar AND it will help w/ the IC, Fibro Pain!

He gave me Zyprexa first. HOLY MOLY!!!!! That stuff kicked my rear end! I felt SO drugged! :loco:

I don't know how I'd gain weight w/ the nausea side effect! LOL The thought of food is making me pukey :toilet:

You're probably right on the sinus/allergy theory! But the Atarax has really kept my allergies under control, I hope it doesn't lose its effectiveness! I'd be so bummed :(

Thanks for the reply! :D
Kara

[armslee]

No problem! Wished the Atarax had that much effect on me. I am only taking 25mg though. I am hoping that my doctor will bump up all my doses when he sees me tomorrow.

Hang in there!

[Kara Isabel]

I stagger my Atarax dose through the day and it really helps! I asked for the liquid 10mg and I take it 3x a day.......my sinuses have NEVER been this clear in my whole life!!

If ONE good thing has come out of this IC diagnosis, is I now have my allergies under control w/ Atarax, and I've taken everything under the sun and OTC!

Consider switching to the liquid, and you can dose during the day where you won't get tired.

[armslee]

Ugh, that stuff tastes terrible! My DD has to take it when she gets the hives. Thanks for the info, though. I am not as tired as I used to be, that finally went away!!

[Katrina]

Depakote really interfered with my hormones when I took it (which was for Epilepsy) Since hormones can cause headaches Depakote may be having that effect on you.


:grouphug: Hope you feel better soon!

[Mrs. Burschman]

Kara,

I've never taken Depakote, but I had a similar experience. I tried taking Effexor, which sometimes is taken for migraine prevention. I started to get a migraine every night! It quit when I stopped. It just goes to show that meds sure can affect us differently!

Amy (Mrs. B) :bunny:

[Baba Yaga]

Kara, I think I had a similar experience on Depakote. I definitely remember that it made me quite b****y. And I think it may have given me weird head pain. I think that anything that raises by irritability and propensity for anger has a good likelihood of giving me headaches via TMJ (I have been dealing with TMJ a lot lately). So perhaps you could even be getting tension headaches through some mechanism of elevated internal anger -- maybe along the hormonal lines Katrina spoke of. No matter what kind of headaches they are, I think it's perfectly possible that it's the Depakote. I hope the problem gets cleared up.

[Kara Isabel]

Thanks lovelies!

I'm waiting for the doc to call me back and talk about it. These anti-seizure/bipolar drugs are WICKED!

Baba, I am *****y/irritable/moody today! :hmm: Coupled with the fact that I've only had a few triscuits to eat (thanks sensitive tummy)....I better warn the family unit to STEP BACK! lol

[Kara Isabel]

Depakote is EVIL!

I woke up at 3am and have been violently ill, headache, vomiting, etc!
The doc called back yesterday and told me to stop taking it and come in today at 1.........I hope I'm not still puking by then! :(

I should've listened to that little voice warning me :mad:

[Baba Yaga]

:grouphug:

Feel better, Kara!

[ChrissySunshine]

OMG Kara, That sucks! Depakote IS a very strong med. I was on it years ago for depression, but wasn't on it long. I had like a trembling, weird feeling on it..I think I took it only for 2 weeks or so.

The symptoms you're describing now are something like a reaction (?) (allergy?) that I have to Morhpine, Dilaudid, and Fentanyl. (only MY reaction, I don't think I've heard of another one like it!!) Each time I was on each of these meds for a few days I got extremely moody, developed SEVERE PAIN IN HEAD, not even a headache, but actual PAIN IN HEAD! I would then start vomiting uncontrollably, and even get kinda delerious like...moody is not really the word....maybe PSYCOTIC!!??!! Oh!!, It was awful. Those are some of the best pain killers out there, and I can't take them!!

I'm so sorry you're having this reaction...sure does suck when you're just trying to find a med that works!! Maybe the Depakote is just too much with the other pain drugs you're on? Just a thought. I hope you feel better soon, and get back on when you're able and let us know how you're doing!

[Kara Isabel]

Thanks ladies!

I will ask if it could be a reaction to Morphine too? I'm also concerned because when I was researching the Depakote side effects, it has ALOT of the same side effects as Elmiron, hairloss, liver damage, unusual bleeding, etc.....and the Depakote site says not to take if you are taking a blood thinner, such as Coumadin or aspirin! Well, wouldn't Elmiron fall somewhere in between?

I've slacked off on taking elmrion lately......I took a break and then started it back at one a day. :hmm:

The Kadian is "new" in my ic lineup, but it would be odd for me to react to that and not the MSContin......but anything is possible?

I'm glad the doc is seeing me today! I feel AWFUL! And I can't hold down any of my pain meds. UGH.....its gonna be a rough day :(

[ChrissySunshine]

Hmmm, I was saying that your reaction, vomiting, etc., sounds exactly like how I reacted when I took Morphine, Dilaudid, or Fentanyl. I meant to advise you that maybe the depakote is causing a similar reaction with you. Or that maybe taken WITH your other meds it is too much or something.

BUT, now that you say Kadien is new for you, maybe it is the Kadien. I don't know too much about the morhpine drugs (as I'm allergic to alot of them!), but I think Kadien is a synthetic morphine. I'm not sure what the MS Contin is, I think that's a synthetic morphine too?

I am taking oxycodone (generic Oxycontin), my Dr. rx'd this because it is the strongest thing I can take that doesn't have morphine in it.? Like I said above, the vomiting was SEVERE, I was vomiting out bile, was delerious, it was awful...that was MY reaction to the morphine products. However, I CAN take oxycodone.??? I just don't know!

Good Luck at your Docs today, I hope I didn't confuse you more! Let us know how you make out!

[Kara Isabel]

Thanks Chrissy! Man that sucks you had a reaction like MINE....to morphine nonetheless! :( I HATE throwing up! I'd rather deal with ANY other flu-related ailment! Gimme a sore throat just NO puking! UGH.

I got back from the doc's a little while ago. He doesn't seem to think I would react to Kadien after tolerating MSContin, they are basically the same thing, but he says the Kadien is "released smoother", I do think it and mscontin work better than Norco!

Anyhow......back to topic, he changed me to Lamictal. But I'm going to wait a few days to start it, and hold off on the Kadien for a day or two and "reintroduce"! I'd REALLY HATE to eliminate so many pain relief options by developing an allergy. Gawd, that'd suck!

He said he'd look into the B&O supps too! He only had one person on it "years ago" and wasnt' even sure what they were called or how to write the prescription....he'd have to "ask another doc/pharmacist", but he seemed intriqued! I'm his only IC patient, and he knows how to treat fibro, but admittedly wants to stop the bladder pain too! :woohoo:

**fingers crossed** the lamictal works. 3rd med a charm?? lol I hope!

[dg2901]

sounds like a somewhat productive Dr's visit, Kara.
Hopefully you'll soon find the right combination of meds.

take care
diana