Chelena's Valproic Acid History

Chelena

Data Quality: 3 stars

Sex: Female
Age: 57y

Condition: Chronic Neuralgia 17 additional condition(s)

Quality of Life:

Social: Moderate
Mental: Moderate
Physical: Moderate

I am: Bad

Chelena: Female, 57 years; Sacramento, CA

Primary Condition: Chronic Neuralgia and 17 more ▼

First symptom: Jan 1986
Diagnosis: Sep 2012

Interests: Alternative Medicine, Relationships and 1 more ▼

About Chelena

Have suffered from severe chronic depression as well as periods of dysthymia pretty much from childhood. Obvious manifestation came at age five when I collapsed after one of my bipolar mom's rages. In just seconds, somehow, my body just shut down and I was paralyzed from the waist down and my hair had already been falling out in clumps but mom never noticed until I was hospitalized. So then later, add years of sexual molestation by my "godfather" in my late teens and many years later after another collapse and serious series of breakdowns and hospitalizations and it was not entiredly a shock when I learned all my "diagnoses" by doctors, therapists and social workers that also had Post traumatic Stress Disorder and that wonderful phrase: Personality disorder. Haven't worked since 2002, battled depression, severe migraines, allergies, and suicidal thoughts and attempts for many years.... but thanks to perseverance and two great therapists and one very good Psychiatrist I am mostly in a good place compared to 2000 to 2011.

See full biography

Interests

Alternative Medicine, Relationships, and Working with my Condition

Profile Activity: 41,510 Views

Member since: Apr 02, 2008 Last Login May 17, 2013

Other Conditions

Bone Spurs

First symptom

Feb 2007

Diagnosis

Jan 2010
Borderline Personality Disorder

First symptom

Sep 1975

Diagnosis

Mar 2006

Stopped

Jul 2010

Stopped Reason

This was resolved with Dialectical Behavioral Group Therapy DBT, Individual Therapy, Journal Writing, and Menninger Clinic.
Chronic Idiopathic Back Pain

First symptom

?

Diagnosis

?
Dysthymia

First symptom

Jan 1959

Diagnosis

Sep 2000
Eczema

First symptom

Jan 2004

Diagnosis

Mar 2005
Fibromyalgia

First symptom

Jan 2003

Diagnosis

Jan 2004
Hypothyroidism

First symptom

Sep 2000

Diagnosis

May 2010
Major Depressive Disorder

First symptom

Jun 1960

Diagnosis

Sep 2000
Menorrhagia

First symptom

May 2004

Diagnosis

Sep 2004

Stopped

Jan 2007

Stopped Reason

This was resolved with Estrogen derivative and Medroxyprogesterone Acetate.
Migraine

First symptom

Sep 1966

Diagnosis

Jun 1968
Osteoarthritis

First symptom

Mar 1988

Diagnosis

Jun 1991
PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)

First symptom

Jan 1959

Diagnosis

Sep 2000
Perimenopause

First symptom

Jan 1999

Diagnosis

Jan 2001

Stopped

Jan 2010

Stopped Reason

This was resolved without treatment.
Sexual Abuse

Occurred

Dec 1969
Social Anxiety Disorder

First symptom

Jan 1960

Diagnosis

Undiagnosed

Stopped

Jan 2011

Stopped Reason

This was resolved with Couples/Family Therapy, Cultivating Friends/PLM, Individual Therapy, Individual Therapy, Individual Therapy, Individual Therapy, Individual Therapy, and Individual Therapy.
Spondylosis

First symptom

May 1985

Diagnosis

Nov 2005
Undifferentiated Inflammatory Arthritis

First symptom

Jan 1994

Diagnosis

Jul 1995

Treatment charts require Flash. If you have problems installing Flash, visit the FAQ for help.

Chelena's Valproic Acid is for:

Chelena has not reported any side effects for Valproic Acid.

Chelena's Valproic Acid History (Ongoing)
500 mg Daily Dec 19, 2008 - Apr 26, 2010
1500 mg Daily Apr 26 - May 05, 2010
2000 mg Daily May 05, 2010 - Last Update

Evaluations
Date	Dosage	Other Perceived effectiveness	Depressed mood Perceived effectiveness	Migraine headaches Perceived effectiveness	Side Effects	Adherence	Burden
May 02, 2010	1500 mg Daily		?

Date: May 02, 2010
Advice & Tips: I started taking this medication for Statis Migrainosis where I got terrible headaches that lasted for days and days and then increased into migraines for days and days on end. The depakote seems to have helped stop these kind of migraines I had almost completely and when I do get one, taking imitrex is effective where before it was not. In the past month my new P-doc pre-scribed taking a therapeutic dose of depakote to be a mood stabilizer as my moods change radically through the day, especially in the last two years since my youngest son joined the Marines. At first he increased it (after ordering bloodwork done) from 1000mg. a day to 1250mg. a day. I noticed within a week a difference in my mood. I was waking up feeling positive and feeling much less depressed about life in general -- especially my depression about N soon to deploy to Afghanistan. He saw me two weeks after I started taking the 1250mg. and decided I might benefit from taking four at night and two in the morning as my nightmares were still very bad and I was talking in my sleep a lot and so feeling unrested and needing two or more naps (one big one and a couple of short ones). Immediately I begain to experience intense dry throat and mouth. I drank a quart of water at night and then had to urinated several times a night and still I got the nightmares though less talking. I see him again in two weeks but I decreased back down to 1250mgs. on my own. We'll see how that works and what he says.
Cost: < $25 monthly

Back to Chelena's Profile