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Global Patient Feedback for Depakote ER (Divalproex Sodium) ( Post a comment )
Question/Comment:
hi, when my son was 5 years old he was put on depakote 500 mg 3xs a day he has epilespy he took this grug untill just a couple of years ago i was told that it can make a man sterile?
39 year old Male
Posted: 2008-10-06 12:06:20
Question/Comment:
my son is 6yrs old and is diagnosed with bi-polar and adhd he is currenty taking ambilify,adderal,and trazadone for sleep.now the doctor has perscribed depakote. i am really concerned. is it safe and will it work?
stessed out 30 year old mother
31 year old Female
Posted: 2008-09-05 12:59:19
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
LET me know what you find out. my son is also adhd and bipolar and he is 9. He takes vivance and resperdal and they told me to give him Tylonal pm (3) for sleep. I do take Depekote though 1000 mlg. at night.
Posted: 2008-10-09 08:22:51
Answer/Reply:
My son is 8yrs old and was put on Concerta and Ambilify about 3 yrs ago. I am also very concerned about giving him these drugs. They don't seem to be very affective most days. He is still very aggressive and impulsive. His mood has never seemed to stabilize. I am worried that his doc. is not capable of adjusting his meds accordingly. I live in a rual area and don't have axcess to specialists. I also don't know anyone who has a child diagnosed with the same conditions. If you or anyone can help. I sure would like to hear from u. I don't want to mess up my child's life either from giving him meds or by not giving him meds.
needing advice. I have no one.
a 36 years old mom
37 year old Female
Posted: 2008-10-27 14:17:15
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
HI,,,,I am 49 years old and swear by depakote er........in 2005 I found out I was bipolar and the doctor I was seeing gave me lamictal and many other things.....every time a new sympton occurred she just gave me another pill.....later thru a seizure, I met a fantastic doctor in the hospital who gave me depakoter er.......I am very spiritual and believe God caused the seizure to bring this doctor into my life,,,,,I have never been so stable in my life......I also have ADD and also taking Adderall XR. When I take the Depakote ER at night I also take Seroquel....which to me is a wonderful calming drug and makes me think much more clearly and not be so hard on myself.......I would ask him about the combination of the Abilify and Depokate,,,,in my opinion it should be one or the other and maybe some Seroquel would help your child be more calm and rational. I know we have a big age difference, but just wanted to let you know I have been at the worse I thought I could ever be and Depakote ER saved my life,,,,,,,hope this helps.....my prayers are with you,,,,,,,,49 year old wife and mother.
Posted: 2008-11-20 15:01:10
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
I must say I am appaled that a mother would put that many mind altering drugs into their childs body. What is this world coming to when parents are using drugs instead of disipline to control their childs behavior!?!
Posted: 2008-12-19 16:19:52
Question/Comment:
I took depakote when I was first diagnosed with Bipolar 8 years ago and for me it worked though my side effects were mental clarity issues, wieght gain and hair falling out. I also took a combo of other drugs later like depakote and topamax, then depakote and geodon, then depakote and zyprexa. Then I was weaned off from depakote and took just zyprexa until I had a point where I was extremely manic and at that point I changed to seroquel, about two years ago and I am still on that so unfortunately, trial and error are part of having bipolar disorder. And I have found personally for me that weight gain is always an issue since the bipolar meds have changed my metabolism. The biggest thing I can recommend as a person with bipolar is to always research drugs befor changing and ALWAYS be open with your psychiatrist. Be an informed consumer!
34 year old Female
Posted: 2008-08-30 15:18:05
Question/Comment:
I have been taking Depakote ER and Keppra for a few years and continue to have breakthrough seizures, most being grand mals, with loss of bladder. I have changed doses several times going from the minimum to the highest and back again. I have also tried other meds which include Tegretol, Dilantin, and Topamax. I have also tried different neurologists and getting their input and nothing changes. I was wondering if their is anything I should do or ask my neurologist. Please HELP!!! I am at wits end here.
27 year old Female
Posted: 2008-07-31 19:19:10
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
hi i was dignosed with grand mal seizures at the age of 23 and i was perscribed lamictal which controled my seizures but the side effects drove me crazy like memory loss, sun sensitivity,speech problems, rash acne on face mainly on my cheeks, forgetfulness, tired easily, concentration problems, not able to focus in school well. My neurologist switch me to depakote 250 mg twice a day. I am really nervous and scared because i was taking lamictal once a day at 100 mg for 5 years and that was always my dosage. Is 250 mg to much to take in and is Depakote side effects similar to Lamictal? Can someone please give me head ups on what i should expect before i start.
Posted: 2008-08-20 21:51:28
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
this is my personal opinion from my experience with seizures and depakote. First, it does not prevent seizures entirely, though it does reduce their frequency. Second, I have always used two anti-seizure drugs concurrently; one alone does not seem to work well. I have seen many neurologists, including some from the Mayo clinic, and had many EEGs; both sleep deprived and fully rested. What I have learned from this whole seizure situation is to never give up. Always push the envelop with you doctor and DO NOT hesitate to get a second opinion. Always have your levels checked to make sure you are getting enough. I just had to add another 500mg per day to get my level back into the accepable range. Finally, and I believe this is most important. Please keep your attitude up, even in the dullest of times. The bad will only win if you let it.
Posted: 2008-08-25 20:38:09
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
I also have seizures and i am taking depakote, lamictal and trileptal.I also had the bladder control problem and i know it is very imbarssing Iam sorry to hear that. you might want to check to see if your depakote is extended release or the regular release. I have been taking these combinations of meds for a few years and am now seizure free for almost a year thank god Good luck to you i hope it works out for you.
nicki
Posted: 2008-09-27 00:22:57
Question/Comment:
My son was diagnosied with Mood Change Disorder, and he's been taking this medication for almost 2yrs. and some of his aggressive behavior is still continuing to elevate, hisDr. has upedhis doseage to 750(1 in themorning and 2 at night along with 1/2 Risperadal morning and 1whole Risperadal at night). His grandparents seem to think that this medication is causing all this crazy behavior, but I feel I am doing the best to getthe help I need with him. What else can I do. /thanks for your attention. 42 yr. old Mother Female
14 year old Male
Posted: 2008-05-10 05:39:40
Answer/Reply:
puberty in and of itself creates a potent mix of the body's own pharmacy. Along with an increase of testosterone, adrenaline and raging hormones sometimes teenagers can be like an alien species. sleep is the most important thing right now when humans do not sleep it makes all of us hard to cope with. When my parents felt that my son was not receiving benefit from the interventions available to me I asked them if they were interested in paying for a second opinion. We all want the best for our children sometimes it is finding the right fit between pleasing our parents and getting good treatment which can mean taking your parents to the doctor with you.
51 year old Male
Posted: 2008-06-02 23:02:06
Answer/Reply:
My son was diagnosed with Autism, seizures, cerebral palsy, and mental retardation, he is 13.
he has been on depakote since he was 6 months old, when his hormones started to change is when the aggresive behaviors started. So we added Risperdal. I am concerned also on the interactions of the medications, because I do believe they make the mood changes worse. I am checking into getting my son off of his medications. Sometimes the kids are overdosed and we don't even know it. We also are doing a gluten-free diet, I have read that it does wonders for behavior problems. Hang in there!
14 year old Male
Posted: 2008-08-23 09:25:32
Answer/Reply:
I am taking Depakote ER 500mg in the evening, Buspar 2x/day. I am familiar with the meds you mention. You did not state your son's age. I have a tendency to agree with his grandparents, and wonder if you shouldn't look around for a psychiatrist with an excellent "med reputation" and have your son re-evaluated.
61 year old Female
Posted: 2008-10-02 08:48:08
Question/Comment:
I experienced hair loss on Depakote, but once I got off of it my hair thickened and now it is curly instead of straight. Strange...
24 year old Female
Posted: 2008-04-22 22:37:54
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
May I ask how you went about getting off Depakote. Did you reduce the dose weekly?
Posted: 2008-09-22 13:52:09
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
I also experienced a hair loss when I was on Depakote.But after my doctor took me off of it my hair thickened back up.
Posted: 2009-03-19 20:12:40
Question/Comment:
I was recently on Depakote after being on Dilantin then Lamictal. Depakote as the only seizure/migraine medication that didn't make me fully completely mind numb, just enough to do what it needed to. I was at first concerned with the side-effects I can't see, but after being on it for a while I really didn't experience anything beyond having a harder time focusing my thoughts on one thing.
Once I got off of this medicine I felt fine, my thoughts and focus returned to normal.
I didn't have one seizure while on this medicine and my migraines were reduced by about 2/3, and I get them every day without medication.
24 year old Female
Posted: 2008-04-22 22:36:30
Question/Comment:
Make sure they have property diagnosed before taking
34 year old Female
Posted: 2008-03-10 00:00:00
Question/Comment:
Talk to your doctor if you are on this medicine and you want to get pregnant. Could cause birth defects
26 year old Female
Posted: 2008-03-10 00:00:00
Question/Comment:
very effective.
37 year old Female
Posted: 2008-03-10 00:00:00
Question/Comment:
Start with the lowest amount and begin there before taking full strenght doses
46 year old Male
Posted: 2008-03-10 00:00:00
Question/Comment:
Stick to how your doctor suggests and prescribes you to take it as each person's body is entirely different and do not miss days if you can help it and ask your doctor about taking a dose that was missed as soon as you realize you missed a dose, don't just automatically take the missed dose if you are really late taking it, it might be safer and wiser to just wait til the next dosage time comes.
42 year old Female
Posted: 2008-03-10 00:00:00
Question/Comment:
be patient
40 year old Male
Posted: 2008-03-10 00:00:00
Question/Comment:
keep track of the sleep that you are or are not getting. You may need your doctor to prescribe another medication in addition to help with sleep.
12 year old Male
Posted: 2008-03-10 00:00:00
Question/Comment:
Work with your doctor to see if Valproic acid is right for you. Other meds caused me bad side effects and Valproic acid has replaced those but it took a bit of trial and error to arrive where I am today.
57 year old Male
Posted: 2008-03-10 00:00:00
Question/Comment:
Give it a try and time to work for you.
43 year old Female
Posted: 2008-03-10 00:00:00
Question/Comment:
There are several side affects that can be different from person to person and to the amount you take. The side affect of it on having mental clarity is a problem I have the most. You get used to it and you need to adapt your life to not let it affect you so much. You learn to know what you can and what you can't do properly. Just take your medication as directed and if it works for your illness then it is well worth it.
43 year old Male
Posted: 2008-03-10 00:00:00
Question/Comment:
In the beginning it made me sleepy and I think I gained a little weight but overall Depkote agreed with me very well.
60 year old Female
Posted: 2008-03-10 00:00:00
Question/Comment:
Make sure you get blood test to check for possible liver problems and work with your doctor until the correct level is reach for your individual needs.
57 year old Male
Posted: 2008-03-10 00:00:00
Question/Comment:
i didnt think that it was affective i couldnt tell a difference even with more milligrams
30 year old Female
Posted: 2008-03-10 00:00:00
Question/Comment:
With any of these type of medications, you sort of have to try it and see if it works for you. Some work better for me than others - there probably isn't a perfect prescription for mental illness because everyone is so different.
49 year old Female
Posted: 2008-03-10 00:00:00
Question/Comment:
it was very helpful when i started takeing it with other meds
48 year old Male
Posted: 2008-03-10 00:00:00
Question/Comment:
watch your diet
55 year old Female
Posted: 2008-03-10 00:00:00
Question/Comment:
They have a good long discussion with their doctor about the risks and why they are taking it.
76 year old Female
Posted: 2008-03-10 00:00:00
Question/Comment:
Mr doctor initially prescribed 1500mg per day, however, I was so "doped up" he cut it to 1000 and I'm doing fine. He suggests I take it at bed time also.
62 year old Male
Posted: 2008-03-10 00:00:00
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