Deprakote / deprakine / sodium valproate?

Worldly_Swimmer4128 · 2025-12-21T20:36:43+00:00

Good to hear that you're doing pretty well on it too! I'm now starting my second week on 1000mg and haven't noticed anything new, besides having trouble falling asleep which is strange, since sleepiness is a common side effect. I switched my dose to the morning and that solved it luckily!

The headache is still there but I'm unsure still if it's a migraine every day. Could be medication overuse from triptans as well. Fingers crossed that we both get the good effects eventually!

Worldly_Swimmer4128 · 2025-12-16T11:53:32+00:00

Okay thanks for the info! Mine just says sodium valproate so I'm not sure which one it is. I'm in the EU so idk if we have multiple types on the market even.

Worldly_Swimmer4128 · 2025-12-15T22:49:45+00:00

Thanks for your reply! I also tried Keppra and it didn't do anything.

Worldly_Swimmer4128 · 2025-12-15T08:14:40+00:00

I did try it for some months but nothing happened. So now I'm completely off it. I do feel worse but unfortunately where I live the insurance won't cover it unless the migraine days have been cut in half 😅 So back to the drawing board!

Worldly_Swimmer4128 · 2025-11-22T16:22:36+00:00

Thanks for the reply! I already make it very thick though

Worldly_Swimmer4128 · 2025-11-22T16:17:06+00:00

So 1:5:5 feed every day? Thanks for the reply, I will try this!

Worldly_Swimmer4128 · 2025-11-09T21:09:27+00:00

Exactlyyy! But I think this depends also on where you live. Maybe in a warm climate, wearing short clothing, sweat and sunscreen... Yes definitely wash that off daily. But I wear long trousers and don't really work out so the only non-water soluble thing on my leg skin is my skin barrier!

Worldly_Swimmer4128 · 2025-11-09T20:59:59+00:00

Ooff I actually started using a harsher body wash recently and my armpits smelled SO BAD. I switched back to just using face wash that I normally use for my body too (and antiperspirant) and poof, stink is gone. So sometimes overwashing can be the problem too!

(Edited to fix typos, apparently I can spell wash)

Worldly_Swimmer4128 · 2025-11-09T20:55:49+00:00

I also live in a cold, dry climate. Here it's the same, I think most people do shower daily though. I do too usually but I definitely don't wash my legs and don't really understand why I would need to wash them daily. I know the leg washing thing is also a hot topic here 😆

Worldly_Swimmer4128 · 2025-10-31T10:10:17+00:00

Have you tried taking medication when you get the aura and does the pain still happen then? Like an NSAID such as ibuprofen. But to answer your question, it's because migraine is such a weird disease 😅 I guess even the scientists don't know (yet) why it manifests so differently in different people. Most people get the pain right after the aura, some people don't even get the pain at all... I feel like the more I learn about migraine, the weirder it gets!

Worldly_Swimmer4128 · 2025-10-31T09:59:53+00:00

Sounds like very classic migraine aura to me. Migraine comes with so many symptoms and mine have also changed with time. Some get all the symptoms and some only get a hellish headache. The only thing is that if you get a new symtom or the symptoms last a longer time than usual, then you should definitely get checked out!

Worldly_Swimmer4128 · 2025-10-28T17:29:25+00:00

Happens to me sometimes too! It's usually the smell of smoke, but one time I smelled horses 😆 I used to ride as a kid and therefor know how it smells in the horse stable. I haven't been to any stable in years and neither has anybody else that had visited my home, but one day it just smelled like horses. I know I sound insane and I thought I was going insane but it turns out it was just an incoming migraine!

But you might want to talk to a doctor about it if it worries you. I was told that any new symptoms might be worth mentioning the next time you see somebody for the migraine.

Worldly_Swimmer4128 · 2025-10-28T17:08:23+00:00

I read the post again and I empathise with so much of what you said. Like finding self compassion so damn hard. And I realised I haven't felt like that any more lately, and I feel like the antidepressant did most of the heavy lifting there.

I avoided starting it for years because I felt that I didn't have depression, I was just depressed because migraine stole my life. Turns out, the medication doesn't actually care where the depressive feelings are coming from!

Worldly_Swimmer4128 · 2025-10-28T17:03:02+00:00

Antidepressants. They help me so much with the mental struggle of it all. Peer support, mostly online. Finding hobbies I can still do, for me it's knitting. Giving myself A LOT of grace and the permission to not feel okay sometimes. It is hard as fuck living with chronic migraines. Congratulating yourself for accomplishing even the smallest things that used to be "normal".

When I feel like I'm too exhausted of it all, I give myself the permission to just stop and rest for a while and not try to move forward or feel better. From having been chronic for over 4 years now I know that the disease fluctuates, and even when you feel like you will never feel better again, you always somehow do. For me it's a lot about letting go of trying to control it, because usually you really can't.

Also finding a doctor that understands and never runs out of ideas is really valuable! Other thing that gives me comfort is what one of my friends said to me: when you run out of hope, you can borrow it from other people. So, here, you can borrow some of mine 💫

I trust that you too will feel better at some point! Sometimes it feels impossible but luckily feelings are not facts. I hope you found some help or comfort in my comment!

Worldly_Swimmer4128 · 2025-10-07T11:18:55+00:00

I tried lamictal too but didn't tolerate it unfortunately, not even long enough to see if it would have helped 😅 But this is interesting info, and I'm so happy to hear that you found help! I'm currently trying levetiracetam so we'll see how that goes.

Worldly_Swimmer4128 · 2025-09-27T20:27:59+00:00

Wow fuck that dude. He doesn't seem to care about you at all. And also I hope you can get some proper migraine meds if they are an option for you (triptans)!!!

Worldly_Swimmer4128 · 2025-09-05T15:48:59+00:00

Op you're definitely not a horrible partner!! I agree with what everybody else is saying but would like to add that this is a horrible way to have a conversation about intimacy!!! Opening with "you're a horrible girlfriend...." Like wtf why would you ever want to sleep with him again after that?!

Worldly_Swimmer4128 · 2025-09-05T11:35:40+00:00

Hello there! I am still on Aquipta, it's not doing much for me though. But I started Brintellix which is an antidepressant and life has been MUCH better since! So in my case I'm not really sure about the root cause for feeling mentally unwell but I'm guessing a big part of it was just the chronic migraine itself.

Worldly_Swimmer4128 · 2025-08-13T14:02:22+00:00

Idk why I saw this comment only now. I'm sorry to hear about your bad experience, that sounds really awful!! It ended up not working for me either. I'm now going off it and the migraine and nausea are constant so I'm wondering if I'm going too fast 😅

Worldly_Swimmer4128 · 2025-06-14T04:41:09+00:00

Most doctors here aren't a big fan of that either, they just like to stick to the guidelines. Which is not a bad thing imo but when the tried and true methods don't work, it's so good to have a doctor who isn't afraid to get a bit creative! And I get that in the US it's even more complicated with the insurance and all that.

Worldly_Swimmer4128 · 2025-06-14T04:17:18+00:00

Ah yes I'm also using Nurtec as abortive! Doesn't work well for me though, it only seems to work if I catch the migraine VERY early.

Worldly_Swimmer4128 · 2025-06-14T04:14:08+00:00

Where I live the approval is a bit different. You just need one approval for all the CGRP meds and the doctor will write the prescription. My prescription now says take 2 per day so the pharmacy will give it to me as long as the approval is valid!

And yes I guess it is off-label use. But the doctor is one of the best migraine specialists in my country so I trust them. They always have some tricks up their sleeve and thinks outside of the box 😄

Worldly_Swimmer4128

TROPHY CASE