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 Gender males first. 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 |
More on DEPAKOTE: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR DEPAKOTE | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 5 | Unstable Moods | The first 6 months I put on a few pounds, maybe 5. I adjusted after that. | I can't believe some of the negative posts here. PCOS, yeah, everyone has known about that for years, get over it. Dilantin is definitely more dangerous as are other AED'S and check out the rashes associated with Lamictal. The rashes and lack of anti manic effects of Lamictal are documented and undeniable. This drug was discovered in 1882, synthesized in 1963 and first marketed in 1967 Euro, 1983 USA. Every side effect has been published. This med has too many positives to list but I am sure the next post will be a 1 rating with a PCOS warning and death and dying listed as side effects probably. I advise the Extended Release version and ignore the maniacal negatives. It may not work but it sure as hell won't kill you. Look it up. | M | 37 | 10 years 250mg 3X day | 3/2/2010 | 5 | Bipolar | mild stomach pain when beginning/raising dosage. | This drug was a miracle drug for me. Bipolar disorder is terrible. I spent 2 years before i was put on this drug and it works fantastically. It gets rid of the headaches, stops the mansism. And it regulates you brain. A++ | M | 26 | 4 months 1000mg 1X day | 4/18/2010 | 5 | Mania | Heartburn that comes and goes. | Nothing beats this drug. Nothing. Blows Lamictal out of the water. I have been in some of the most stressful situations one can conjure up, with nowhere to run and hide, and this drug I can count on. It works. | M | 29 | 5 years 250mg 3X day | 6/1/2010 | 5 | Seizures, Epilepsy, Headaches | Memory Loss "short term", anger, dry mouth, Tired all day it seams, , Sleep loss, vivid dreams "life mini series" physic like abilities I have predicted the next day several time | Without it I would still have seizures. I have actually lost weight while taking it. (watched what I ate also) but I lost over 46 lbs Still have no idea why I had my seizures? Right temporal lobe abnormality. I have tried several meds until Depakote ER & another med worked -- I used to have a foggy - hazy - dope feeing but it went away after I lost weight 1-depakote er 1-topamax morning, 2-depakote er 1-topamax night | M | 27 | 8 years 500 3X O | 10/21/2010 | 5 | Bipolar 2 | Somewhat hard to fall asleep at night, a slight feeling of sedation for a few hours after taking the dose, so I take it before I go to bed at night. I am on Depakote ER. | This drug transformed my life for the better. I was in a mixed state episode that Lamictal just wouldn't stablize, so my psychiatrist switched me to Depakote. I personally haven't experienced hair loss or gained weight, though I'm very active and come from genetically thin stock. The drug stabilized the hypomania pretty quickly, but it took a few weeks for the depressive symptoms to significantly ease. I felt kind of zoned for a couple of weeks, but my energy level is at least as good as it ever has been, and I can focus and concentrate much better. I haven't had another depressive episode since I've been on it, and the hyp-mania is controlled as well. I'm uneasy about some of the side effects people are mentioning, but so far I'm just not experiencing the negative effects some of you are. I guess everyone is different, and I'm glad I started taking the medication prior to reading these comments. I may not have tried it otherwise. | M | 53 | 9 months 1500 1X day | 8/7/2011 | 5 | depression, mood disorder | EXTREME nausea at the start - then no side effects | Have been through numerous anti-depressants. Their effectiveness just seems to wane and stop working after 6-8 months. I thought Depakote's nausea would kill me but after a few weeks it abated and lifted my mood so I could function very well. I'm also on 10mg Lexapro daily. I asked the Doc if we could go slow in increasing Depakote dose and we ended up just keeping it at 250 mg per day and it worked like a miracle drug for 8 months. From other posts, I expected hair loss etc, etc. Nothing, except some weight gain. In the last month, I've noticed a gradual downturn. I'm more likely to isolate, focus on negative, distract myself, get nothing done, eat/sleep not as well, not leave the house. Don't know if dosage needs to increase or it is not going to work anymore, as has happened with other meds in the past. Will see Doc today for next step. I'd urge folks to try to stay at low dosage IF it's working for you. Some Docs are too quick to up the dosage just because that's the protocol. | M | 60 | 9 months 250 1X day | 9/28/2011 | 5 | Bipolar, depression, mania | mild hand tremors, mild weight gain, mild hair loss, short stomach cramps | I experienced the traditional symptoms, but not to any great extent. My hands are a little shaky, but not so much that it effects daily living. I lost a little hair, but I was going bald anyhow. I gained about 15 pounds, but no one really notices. I get a belly cramp if I take it on an empty stomach, but a lot of medicines do that, so it's no big deal. This drug has worked wonders for me, though. I take Prozac for the depression end of things, and take the Depakote for the mania and agitation end of my symptoms. It works very well. The psychiatrist had me taper off Depakote, to see if I still needed it I suppose, and symptoms of paranoia and agitation returned very quickly. After restarting Depakote, the symptoms were relieved quite quickly. I'm very happy to tolerate the side effects from Depakote because it works very well for me, make me more tolerable to be around, and I credit it for saving my marriage. | M | 38 | 6 months 500 mg 3X day | 10/13/2011 | 5 | Weight gain , no sex drive, tremors | Has controlled my agression, and makes me feel under control . | M | 52 | 20 months 500 3X day | 10/2/2011 | 5 | Bi-Polar type II | Weight Gain from 230# to 290# in first year, then gain subsided, but cannot loose it again. Almost no sex drive, nor ability to orgasm. | It has greatly stabilized my mood. I no longer get wildly angry, and throw things, nor do I do crazy things like cut oddly shaped holes in the outside walls of my house, drive on city sidewalks late at night to avoid stoplights, etc. After I was on Depakote for a year or so, doc wanted me to try Lamictal. I went out of my mind titrating down from Depakote, then back up to theraputic dose of Lamictal, and finally back again. I don't want to go off Depakote again...ever. | M | 53 | 6 years 1000 MG 2X day | 11/7/2011 | 5 | Bipolar NOS | At first, I was kind of zombie-ish for 1week. And had a lot more hunger the 1st month and gained weight. After the first month, these side effects went away. | After very low level and infrequent bipolarity for most of my life, bipolar NOS with recurring depressions took over my life after being triggered by significant family traumas. I used marijuana to deal with the symptoms. Worked pretty well. But not as well as depakote. I have to say that the vast majority of my dysphoric hypomania symptoms (if not all) have disappeared from taking depakote ER (brand) 250MG 1X/ day after dinner. I really hope it continues to work. My family has noticed the significant positive change as well. I wish I tried this depakote instead of years of antidepressants (which did nothing). I did try abilify which made me extremely anxious. Depakote has really helped me. I didn't expect it and was hopeless that I would ever get better. | M | 47 | 4 months 1X day | 8/8/2013 | 5 | Epilepsy | None. | Have had epilepsy for about 40 years. After various medications I have gone from 140 lbs to as high as 295. I cannot blame the weight gain on medications but on diet. I have had no hair loss. When I am tired I think slower. It is not a problem when I am well rested. I also take low dose thyroid and blood pressure medicine and vitamins. In 2009 I had two bouts of pancreatitis, the first was misdiagnosed and missed. The second time they took out my gallbladder. The pancreatitis was likely caused by small gallstones blocking the pancreatic duct. The gallbladder problem was possibly caused by diet. Reading tonight that Depakote is being tested as a mood leveler on Alzheimer patients and may prevent formation of the amaloyid plaque and tangles that cause Alzheimers. I didn't find any thing definitive on the neuroprotective possibilities. Dosage clarificaition: 2 250 mg ER tabs in AM and 3 250 mg ER tabs in PM. | M | 56 | 25 years 250mg x 5 1X day | 2/26/2012 | 5 | Bipolar Disorder | None to date | I was prescribed this shortly after my stint on Lithium. Started at 750mg and eventually moved up to 1000mg per day. Smooth sailing. Still get irritable now and then, but hey, that's life. I don't know if I would be experiencing weight gain or not, as I'm taking Topamax and it seems to be counteracting the weight gain aspect of this med. | M | 34 | 4 months 500mg 2X day | 7/25/2012 | 5 | Epilepsy | Hair loss, cold to hot ( when first started), used to make me drowsy a lot but once dosage was perfected I lost that. WORST SIDE EFFECT IS SHORT TERM MEMORY. Took during college and grades suffered. I cannot remember a persons name unless I ask them multiple times upon meeting. It totally controls my grand mal seizures though so the trade off is worth it!! | M | 26 | 10 years 1500 mg | 4/28/2013 | 5 | anxiety / mania | 500mg daily. Feel only a little tired but I think this is just me feeling more normal and relaxed like I used to be when I took 45mg diazepam daily. It feels the same. Dries up the anxiety about 75% and helps me sleep. I haven't lost any energy and keeping a strict healthy diet has kept my weight at 11 stone and I'm 5ft 11. I am still improving and any deep thinking has almost vanished and I can think clearly for the FIRST time in my entire life. | This medicine seems awful for some people. I have tried maybe 40 other medicines and for me this is the best by far and works luckily at this lower dose. I remember having awful side effects from only the smallest dose of risperidone whilst others can take it quite easily. It's all down to the individual. What hits some hard and doesn't work will be tolerated and very effective for others. For myself it's the best drug around. | M | 34 | 6 months | 5/13/2006 | 5 | Simple Partials. Co-Morbid Anxiety | With the extended release at 3x a day 250mg none at all. | This drug works so unbelievably and in such a multifaceted way on calming the overactive brain it is truly amazing. No cognitive impairment as with Dilantin, Lamictal and Tegretol. I will always take this drug and while on it my cholesterol has actually gone down and my liver is in great shape. It also OBLITERATES any accompanying anxiety with the Simple Partial disorder I have. This is the real remarkable medicine. | M | 33 | 7 years | 12/31/2005 | 5 | Anxiety / Mood Swings | Mild heartburn. Occassional tremor. Modest compared to why it is prescribed. | I take the extended release 750mg a day and the occassional heartburn that lasts 10 minutes or the occassional tremor that hangs around for about an hour are worth it. The positives are how my anxiety and mood swings are suppressed without knocking me out. A real normalizer. I like it and actually weigh less than I did 5 years ago. | M | 34 | 5 years | 3/25/2007 | 5 | Simple Partials/BP II | Some lethargy at first but actually increased energy after taking it sometimes. Positive effects on mood and anxiety. | Must be better for men than women from what I read, I take 750mg a day in the Extended Release version and have really no side effects. Helps me out a lot. I like it because I do not get nervous or panicky AT ALL anymore and that is big for me. Every other anticonvulsant I have tried gave me some type of anxiety or confusion or cognitive problems. After 5 years on Depakote, well it's just been great. | M | 41 | 5 years | 10/26/2006 | 5 | bipolar disorder II | Take 1350mg Depakote ER, one 450mg in a.m., two before dinner. Hand tremor, fatigue, aphasia (past year or so), moderate weight gain, change in hair texture (for the better!), increased sensitivity in areas that effectively increase my libido | It has been very effective in controlling the manic phase; my mental state is pretty consistent now, a little slower than I would like, but I can work more effectively, etc. My bipolar is comorbid with ADD, for which I take 450mg Wellbutrin XL. I don't believe Wellbutrin has side effects for me, so I attribute the ones I do have to the Depakote. I have never taken the Depakote without another medication, however. | M | 49 | 3 years | 6/25/2006 | 5 | Simple partial seizures | i had heartburn that was mild for abut a week | i like it | M | 20 | 1 years | 3/26/2007 | 5 | Gran Mals | Was hungry at first but this went away, have not gained weight. Works like Dilantin but I am more stable, less jumpy than when I was on Dilantin. | I have to take something. This works the best for me | M | 27 | 4 years | 3/26/2007 |
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)