I missed my dose of Depakote last night. (Usually 10-ish.) I did call a pharmacy around noon today to ask what to do, as none of the info I had said what to do if you miss a dose. They said since it had been longer than six hours (for extended release), to just take the next dose on schedule. But now I have a migraine. Is it missing the dose, or just other factors? I do seem to get quite a few migraines these last several months.

I don't think the missed dose caused your migraine....
especially since you have been getting them you said...headaches are awful.
Do you get physically sick with them ie. throwing up sensitive to light or have to stay in the dark/bed.
Do you have the imetrex to treat them?
bizi

Stress can cause migraines..............I don't know about the medicine you are taking.

Imitrex is good, Furiocet works too for me.

Tell your PCP - hopefully they can call in the pharmacy for you. I also need a dark room and a ice pad for my head when I get them bad.

Take care, Nikko

Dear Nathan,
Take your next dose early -- like now. Don't wait until 10:00. I'm surprised that the pharmacy didn't have much to tell you.
Mari

I get queasy, sensitive to light, and yes go into the dark. No meds for them.

I hadn't been doing anything stressful. In fact, I'd just taken the kids to the movies and out to eat!

I did take my next dose on time. I think its because my Depakote is extended release that its different if you miss a dose. She asked specifically about that difference.

I take my particular extended release meds every 8 hours (it's a pain med, not depakote).

If/when I miss a dose, I take it as soon as I remember, and then I adjust my dosing schedule for a little while until I can gradually work my way back to my normal schedule.

For example - I normally take my meds at 6am, 2pm, 10pm.

If I realize at 4pm that I forgot to take my 2pm pill, then I take my 2pm pill at 4pm (as soon as I remember).

Then I take my next dose 8 hours later (midnight), then the next dose 7 hours later (7am), then 3pm, then 11pm, then 6am - and then I am back to my normal schedule.

It take a day or 2 sometimes to get back on track and back to the normal schedule, but it's worth it to be able to make sure that I have meds in my system when I need them... and by taking a few days to get back on the right schedule I am not missing an entire dose and waiting hours for the next one, instead I am changing the dosing times just slightly until I can get back to my normal routine.

Years ago, I did take depakote ER (extended release) and when I missed a dose I would do the same thing then that I do now with my extended release pain meds - take the missed pill as soon as I remember, then adjust my daily schedule for a few days until I can get back on track.

Anytime my medication schedule changes at all, I keep track of when I take my pills on my calander so that I can make sure that i am taking them and also to make sure that I am making small changes to the schedule and not giant leaps (to make sure I am changing the dose by one hour and not 4 hours).

I hope all that rambling made sense. I just woke up and don't have enough caffeine in my system yet

Take care,
Liz

Once a person reaches steady state, missing a dose is less critical, for some drugs

Here is the concept explained:
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/448250_3

The whole article is interesting as well.

membership to Medscape is free, so don't hesitate to join. There are many
useful papers there to learn from.

Thanks everybody. I just took my dose at the regular time yesterday evening.

I did understand what you were saying, too, Liz!

Problem was though that I went to sleep yesterday around 5:30 and woke up wide awake at 11!! (That's when I took my usual dose.) So then I had no idea what to do so I had cereal and took two of those sleeping pills and watched tv till I fell asleep. I was then awake at 9 and out the door. I did all my laundry today (two huge loads at the laundromat) but left the towels and sheets to do here just mostly because of the amount I'd have to carry. I also bought some Tide and some of that duck liquid fabric softener. I thought if I had to buy my own stuff, I'd get what *I* want. So now, the shirt Christopher keeps teasing me that I have of his from last weekend is all clean. He did his laundry last night, so now he can have his shirt back all clean too. My room is a mess. The whole house is clean but my room! I feel like a nap though. I had to go out and do errands, today. I read the posts here on my cell phone, but couldn't reply. I do think I have a medscape membership, too.

Oh and back to the headaches- you know what makes me feel better (for a while anyway)? Sex. he he. So that excuse is a funny one to me.