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 added. 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 | Mood | They were all pretty mild. I take the ER version 750mg a day. I like the way it effects my mind. It calms everything down but my body still wants to move. I don't get confused and I sometimes tend to over analyze details which is OK. | It helps me greatly. | M | 35 | 7 years | 4/16/2007 | 5 | Bipolar II | Significant weight gain (50 lbs in 1 yr, but weight has stabilized & have lost 5 lbs). Major hair loss; hair grew back in a short period of time and has better texture & appearance than before (made my hair curly). Excessively tired & some days feel like I'm moving in slow motion. Vivid dreams that can interfere with sleep. Mild tremors of arms/hands. | I take 1000mg Depakote ER at bedtime in combination with Neurontin 600mg for mood stabilization. Before starting these meds I had almost lost the ability to function. I was severely manic, pyschotic, delusional and I was extremely agitated and lashing out at everyone. Now my mood is stable. I am at peace and content. The side effects only seem like a minor inconvenience to me now. I feel like I live a different life now, like I'm a complete person. | F | 43 | 1 years | 4/16/2007 | 5 | benzo withdrawal, anxiety, mania? | none | After 10+ years of taking Xanax for panic attacks and anxiety I had become addicted. 2000mg of Depakote daily helped me go from 4mg Xanax a day to none in 6 weeks. I'm now taking a lower dose of Depakote alone and I feel better than I have in years. Maybe I was misdiagnosed? At any rate, I'm going to stick with Depakote | M | 30 | 4 months | 4/13/2007 | 4 | Bi-polar | At initial 750mg level curly hair. Had a breakdown (psychosis)a year ago and was upped to 2000mg. Within hours couldn't stop shaking, feeling sick, but had incredible appetite increase for sweet sugar and carbs. Wanted to sleep all the time for about a month. Eventually settled down. Yr on still on 2000mg (apparently I'm still manic) but I don't see it. Weight gain horrendous for me plus my hair is even more curly. Loss of libido, but that could just be the illness. | Have never had a bad word to say for evening out mood swings. Weight gain for me is a killer and I miss the mania's. Would definitely recommend. | F | 35 | 8 years | 4/13/2007 | 4 | bipolar disorder | No side effects after the first couple of weeks, but I did experience some nausea and clumsiness at first and it took about a month to start seeing any real change in my moods. I almost gave up on this drug but now I'm so glad I didn't! The bi-yearly blood tests are kind of a pain but that's a small price to pay for sanity. | Works very well at leveling off my moods. No weight gain, no hair loss, no more clumsiness. I'm no longer crazy-manic but my energy level is still high enough to work all day then dance the night away. I'd actually like to give a 4.5 rating; the only downside was those scary first month side effects. | F | 31 | 2 years | 4/12/2007 | 5 | mood swings | None now. While in search of right dosage, titrating too high made me unusually hungry but when I tapered back to 1000mg/day, my appetite returned to normal. I don't think I've gained any weight in the 5 years I've been taking this drug - my 2002 jeans still fit. | I love this stuff, it makes me feel "normal." I have enough energy to do what I want to do with no megamoodswings. | F | 41 | 5 years | 4/11/2007 | 5 | Bi-Polar II | So far none! | Love this drug! Yes, I have a mild bipolar issue, mostly depression, but this drug also cured my daily headaches and Trigeminal Neuralgia. What a god send! The decrease in daily pain has probably done more for my mental health than all the Anti-D's ever did. | F | 50 | 8 months | 4/11/2007 | 2 | migraine prevention | daytime sleepiness | did not work for me, i still had migraines about every day | F | 19 | 3 months | 4/10/2007 | 5 | bipolar disorder, anxiety | None | I take 2 500MG doses of DepakoteER per day along with an antidepressant and antipsychotic. I had been taking Lithium but Depakote is much more effective for me without the side effects. | F | 39 | 4 years | 4/9/2007 | 4 | bipolar | I take 1500mg per day (which seems like a lot for someone my size, I only weigh 110lbs, but it doesn't work for me at the lower levels) The only side effect I've experienced is minor intermittant hand trembling. Sometimes I miss those extreme euphoric ups but I guess I can't really call that a side effect! | Maybe I'm odd, but I was kind of hoping I would gain a little weight on this med since I'm on the skinny side but I haven't gained an ounce! It's a wonderful drug for the manic side of bipolar disorder though. Zoloft helps with the depression. | F | 25 | 2 years | 4/9/2007 | 5 | bipolar | None. No nausea possibly because I titrated up very slowly from 250mg/day and always take it with food. I haven't gained any weight or lost any hair. I'm on a relatively low dosage of 750mg/day which works well for me. | I'm bipolar but with many more manic than depressed episodes and my depressions were usually irritated, angry things. Depakote evens out my moods; things don't get to me as much and I'm coping with life much better. I wish I'd found it sooner! | F | 35 | 1 years | 4/8/2007 | 4 | bipolar, anger issues | My pdoc did the loading dose deal with me, from 500 to 2000mg in a week. What a godawful week! I was majorly manic and calmed down quick all right but was also sick as a dog with no energy and just wanted to sleep. And when the nausea eased up, I just wanted to eat. But after about a month, my energy level started increasing and appetite decreasing. I started working out again which I couldn't get myself to do at all that first month and lost the 10 pounds I'd gained pretty quickly. I've been on this stuff for almost 2 years, haven't gained any more weight and my hairline is exactly where it was when I started. | Getting through the first month was hell but once my body got used to this stuff I started liking myself again. I'm calmer, more in control and with better focus since my thoughts aren't racing all over the place any more. | M | 27 | 2 years | 4/8/2007 | 3 | aggression/bi polar/alcohol severag | Like many i've noticed lack of concentration,forgetfulness and tiredness.Can sleep almost 20hrs a day and still feel tired.Also noticed it has cut my ability to share everyday things with friends and people around me.Sudden mood swings lke surfing i suppose.For a while i can on the top of the wave the next i can be drowning in sympathy.Not for others but for myself.I've been taking 1500mg for almost 18months and when i tried to cut down i couldn't cope with everyday situation but knowing how it makes me feel i'd rather bare it.Sometime confusing as i can't really say if it comme depakote as i'm taking paroxatine for depression and alprozolam for anxiety. | has helped in controlling agression but have lost sense of the speed of things.Feel slower than i was.Spending curbs,where i don't realise what i spend or where the money goes but don't pay bills on time yet without stressing when in debt.Not sure if it come from depakote but loss of sexual feelings.Yes excitement at the thought but can longer without having my orgasm.Doc has said its the paroxatine but is really this as i need boths meds. | M | 18 months | 4/8/2007 | 3 | dysphoric manic, anxiety | Mild nausea at first but that went away after the first week. No weight gain so far. I do feel a little more tired than usual and am sleeping longer, but for me that's a good thing as I'm usually very hyper and a terrible insomniac. | I'm not as anxious/fearful, haven't had any PAs and have even been able to cut down on xanax (just a little... from 2.5mg to 2mg) But I still think I'm just as irritable and bitchy though my husband says my temper doesn't seem as extreme/out of control as usual. I still feel pissed off much of the time though, like this med is handling the anxiety but not the agitation. I'm going to see the doc this week for a blood test and dose adjustment. I'm only taking a total of 500mg, divided into 2 doses and I'd like to add another dose and see what happens. I'll come back with an update in another month or two. | F | 56 | 26 days | 4/7/2007 | 1 | Bi-polar disorder | Severe memory loss, extreme social anxiety, tremors, depression, inability to cope with just about everything. | I've been taking Depakote for six months and it has turned me into a bumbling idiot. I used to love to be around people. I now want to be as far away from people as possible. I recently lost my job because I kept forgetting just about everything. This drug has screwed things up big time. I quit taking it cold-turkey about a week ago and haven't seen any improvement yet. | M | 29 | 6 months | 4/1/2007 | 5 | grand mal seizures | major weight gain(25 Lbs.) sleeping 11-12 hours a day, tremors in hands, joint and muscle pain. | Depakote works well at controlling seizures, but the side effects are terrible.The newer drugs don't work as well, and have just as many side effects | F | 49 | 1 days | 3/30/2007 | 5 | Seizures | Nothing noteworthy | Never had a seizure on it. | F | 39 | 13 years | 3/26/2007 | 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 | 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 |