DEPAKOTE Reviews (DIVALPROEX SODIUM)Average Rating: 3.0 (584 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare DEPAKOTE with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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Results are sorted by Date from oldest to newest. Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 |
RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR DEPAKOTE | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
1 | bipolar disorder | my hair fell out (i lost about 2 thirds of my natural thickness) i developed a bad hand tremor, i gained 30 pounds, i developed severe social anxiety | one of the worst experiences of my life | F | 25 | 1 years | 7/26/2001 | 1 | Mood Swings | Hallucinations/weight gain/tremor/zombie-like feeling | This drug was awful for me. In 2 weeks I gained 20 lbs, couldn't focus on school work and began to have hallucinations. | F | 17 | 2 weeks | 5/21/2002 | 3 | Schizoaffective Disorder | drowsiness, stomach upset, and hand tremor | Has really toned-down both manic and depressive episodes, but only after having raised the dosage considerably | M | 24 | 1 years | 6/26/2002 | 4 | Epilepsy | F | 10 years | 10/29/2002 | 1 | Epilepsy | Exhaustion, tremors, sleepiness, severe hair loss, some added facial hair, loss of appetite sometimes I would go 3 or 4 days without eating anything which would make me very sick. My sister takes it for bi-polar and has gained a huge amount of weight, and is tired ALL the time. | I highly reccomend looking into a different anti-convulsant, headache prevention or bi-polar med, whichever the case may be, especially for women. There are MUCH better newer drugs out there now. There are meds for all three conditions that can be taken safely during pregnancy, Depakote absolutely cannot. | F | 23 | 7 months | 1/8/2003 | 3 | bipolar II mixed | ravenous appetite that led to uncontrolled eating, could not have orgasms even tho i got aroused and had a sex drive. the latter is not listed as a side effect in any literature, but the problem started very suddenly and right after i started the depakote. | it worked well for bipolar, but i couldn't tolerate the side effects. | F | 52 | 3 months | 5/15/2003 | 5 | bi-polar & frequent migraines | I feel tired right after taking it, so I take my larger dosage at night and the smaller one in the morning and works great for me, so it actually helps me sleep at night, since that is one of my problems is my mind races at night. | I have no problems at all with my med. NO weight gain, No hair loss, No problems with my sex drive or orgasmic abilities. Swear by this medication, it saved my life!! | F | 40 | 6 years | 6/26/2003 | 5 | mood disorder | hair loss | worked great otherwise | F | 47 | 6 days | 11/14/2003 | 3 | BipolarDisorder | Serious weight gain, dry mouth, constipation, | it works well except for the weight gain | F | 22 | 2 years | 11/16/2003 | 3 | epilepsy | F | 36 | 4 years | 11/18/2003 | 2 | seizures | Constant muddy-headedness, trouble remembering words, balance problems. Felt like I'd been drinking, even when I hadn't. | Seemed to get WAY worse after I had a cold and took an over-the-counter cold medicine! | F | 37 | 2 months | 1/4/2004 | 3 | Epilepsy | So many to name! Hand tremors, weight gain, aches in body, tired all the time, can't sleep at night. | Considering Depakote is the only option I have been given for my epilepsy, I had no choice but to have my tubes tied. Can't have any more children. Depakote is the only medicine that has kept my seizures under control. Had since 16. | F | 26 | 3.5 years | 2/12/2004 | 3 | Bipolar II- rapid cycling | Huge weight gain (40 lbs); low blood sugar | Helped balance out my moods; it is the only drug I can tolerate for bipolar II, but the weight gain is horrible. | F | 37 | 7 years | 4/20/2004 | 4 | bi-polar 1 | loss of period, enhanced liver function, loss of libido, inability to orgasm, acne, weight gain | It did work to calm my moods but my doctor took me off of it because it was slowly causing my liver to burn out. It got to the point when it was processing all my hormores too fast. I liked the stuff tho', the new stuff he has me on is crap. | F | 19 | 2 years | 4/22/2004 | 3 | Bipolar disorder | Massive weight gain, feeling like I had the flu, hair loss, significant memory loss, extreme fatigue | I did have some stability with this medication, but I gained 90 pounds in 7 months, and the side effects were almost intolerable. There was a long period of time when I could barely get out of bed. | F | 51 | 7 months | 5/19/2004 | 5 | Bipolar II (to stab. mood) | Slight fatigue, some muscle weakness and reduced memory are the only side effects I had. No weight gain, tremors, nausea, dizziness or significant libido problems at 750mg a day. It is very, very efficient as a mood stabiliser. Its the only one I've been on and plan to stay on it. | Taking very high doses will cause a myriad of unpleasant side effects like nausea, tremors and dizziness. Its important to keep Depakote at the minimal effective dose and to have levels monitored by a compentent shrink. | M | 25 | 3 years | 5/25/2004 | 4 | Migranes | Weight gain--big time! | Taken for migrane prevention, it did work well. I went from nearly daily incapacitating headaches to maybe 1 per month. | F | 27 | 6 months | 5/25/2004 | 1 | bipolar | large weight gain, constant food cravings, hair loss, depression | It worked well for controlling mood swings but I became such a zombie. I could barely get out of bed and went through almost suicidal depression near the end. I had really thick hair that I was proud of and lost quite a bit on Depakote. | F | 23 | 2 years | 7/13/2004 | 5 | seizures, mood disorder | Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome | F | 23 | 1 years | 7/17/2004 | 3 | Bipolar II (as mood stabilizer) | severe tremors, weight gain, feeling of being disconnected from my body, some unusual thoughts; i also sometimes see things out of the corner of my eye -- and i KNOW there's something there, but when I look, there's not. it might be a fly, or a person walking on the sidewalk across the street, or movement in a picture. don't know if this is caused by depakote or not, but i think it could be. | this drug helped to stabilize me mood and tame some of my impulsive actions. fairly effective, but the side effects are annoying, at best. i am also taking wellbutrin and effexor as antidepressants, and some side effects may belong to one of those drugs, or might be enhanced by them. | M | 31 | 5 years | 7/29/2004 |
DEPAKOTE (DIVALPROEX SODIUM): This medication is used to treat seizure disorders, certain psychiatric conditions (manic phase of bipolar disorder), and to prevent migraine headaches. It works by restoring the balance of certain natural substances (neurotransmitters) in the brain. FDA Approval Date: 1983-03-10 (Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare Services, FDA)