I have had cluster headaches for the past 20 years, and have been put on different meds when ever they come back.  But for the last 15 years, when ever they come back I have been put on Depakote and Verapamil.  It has always worked.  I use the oxygen until the meds kick in and it sure does work to help make the headache a little more bearable and shorter.  Then when the Depakote and Verapamil kick in I will be fine, take it for a year or two and then go off of it until the headaches return (the longest they have been gone without meds is 1 1/2 years and the longest they have stayed with no meds is 9 months straight).  My question is...This time they came back and the pharmacy gave me Divalproex ER (generic for Depakote ER) and it has been almost three months I have been on the meds, if I miss a pill (one out of the two I take a day), I will get a headache, even if I don't miss taking one I will sometimes still get one or two or three headaches in day.  Still better then having several a day for 9 months straight!!!!  I have NEVER had that problem with the "brand name" Depakote.  Is anyone else having this problem with generic Depakote???????  

Thanks for the reply!  Hoping to find out some answers soon and hoping that I don't have to change meds, but will do anything!  Oxygen is a wonderful thing!!!!

I am less than sanguine about the so called equivalency of generic meds... based on personal (therefore anecdotal) experience with several, but especially one med....for which I gladly pay significantly extra.

Best,

Jon

Over the years I've become aware/concerned with how easily folks will make important decisions based on impulse, "A" suggestion from people who are unknown (in terms of the other's knowledge/skill, etc., despair, and so on.

We are vulnerable because the human mind often foregoes reason for assurance. A fundamental problem is our educational system which doesn't teach us some basic skill in logic and analysis. (It's remarkable to see studies of college grads who, after four-years, have the same skills, in this area, as they had four years earlier.)

One suggestion, one case, is not definitive data. A list of side effects is a statement of POSSIBILITIES. It is not a PREDICTION of what will occur. Wisdom calls for knowing both the risk and asking the doc what to look for, i.e., symptoms of side effects. But the answer is still not very clear in so many medical issues.

In this case, ask those authorities around you. The last option, if answers are not satisfying, is to run a trial: Use a generic for X-weeks and then the brand version and see how your body reacts.

Even that may not be conclusive for we know that the placebo effect is powerful, as one can easily see from reading drug trial outcomes.

I should apologize that I didn't make it clear: My comments were broad, general statements not intended to be an oblique statement about you.

You approach is about the best you can do. In the end, you got what you wanted--relief.

There has been some speculation that while a generic may have 100% of the brand contents, the mfg can add some other ???, for whatever reason, which may alter individual response. It's the wonderful mystery of the art of medicine and the marvel of our bodies!

How neat it would be if we could learn how to trigger off a positive placebo response and get relief for the price of a sugar pill!

Mike, No! Then we would have a placebo trigger to make us believe that the first placebo was a genuine cure!

I mean: Politicians do it all the time.