DEPAKOTE ER Reviews (DIVALPROEX SODIUM)

Average Rating: 3.2 (181 Ratings)

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 ANTICONVULSANTS

 Type: Rx Drug

  

DEPAKOTE ER  (DIVALPROEX SODIUM):  This medication is used to treat seizure disorders, mental/mood conditions (such as 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: 2000-08-04 (Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare Services, FDA)

  

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Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.)
5=HIGH (this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal.)

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More on DEPAKOTE ER: Reviews Summary  |  Drug Safety Information

RATING  REASONSIDE EFFECTS FOR DEPAKOTE ERCOMMENTSSEXAGEDURATION/
DOSAGE
DATE ADDED
 
 5  Anxiety None at a low dose. I love these people that say DO NO TAKE IT!! That's the worst advice ever. It has worked for me, calmed me down. It may or may not work for you but try some of the other meds and see how you react to them compared to Depakote ER. F 28 4 years
6/16/2008
 5  Anxiety / Mood Swings I have taken this drug since it was introduced as an extended release in 2000 and it has been great. I take 750mg and I can depend on it. It has eliminated my anxiety and helped my moods. I do take a multi-vitamin with it, always have. I trust this drug. M 36 8 years
6/16/2008
 1  Anxiety nausea, lethargy, throwing up, blood in urine, awful awful drug, depression, hallucinations(Visual and auditory), headaches DO NOT TAKE IT!!! F 38 3 weeks
5/26/2008
 5  Bipolar NOS None Lamictal (200mg a day) did nothing for me but cause side effects: dizziness, nausea, headaches and language & memory problems. Depakote (1400mg a day) dramatically improved the mixed manic states with zero side effects. It also really improved the depression aspect even though its not known to do that. Not that I am complaining M 28 2 months
5/22/2008
 1  mania Took for three months and right off the start, huge appitite and weight gain as a result up to 20-25 lbs, rash on both arms, tired and loss of interest in anything, but most disturbing for me now after stopping it is EXTREME HAIR LOSS AND SHEDDING! This is devistating as a women with already thin hair and the prognosses given by my dermatolgosit after thyroid testing okay is called: telogen effluvium. WOW... would never have taken it with this outcome! F 53 3 months
4/2/2008
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 4  BP 1 w/mixed episodes Hair loss, but taking high levels of selenium, zinc and biotin supplements stopped it. Acne at the beginning. Loss of appetite at the beginning. And I lost some weight too. No increase in appetite for me. You need to try to get through the first month or so to see the benefits. The side effects at first are hard, but this drug helped me when all other failed. I take 1500mg. F 32 2 months
3/20/2008
 4  Bipolar Disorder Type 2 Hair loss, sleepiness My son has been on this drug since last May. Someone posted that they did not have health insurance and the cost of this drug is VERY expensive, $300. My son does not have health insurance either, I did some research and found Select Care Benefits where his meds are free but I pay $30 month for processing. M 26
1/24/2008
 4  Bipolar II Weight gain (15lbs in 6 weeks once I hit the 1250mg dosage), mental fog - mixing up words in my sentences, not being able to think of the words I was trying to say. Sleep improved but morning grogginess was there. It worked AMAZING at stabilizing my moods!! Everyone I was around noticed the transformation... no more SNAP rages. I just couldn't do the weight gain. Slowly decreasing dosage and going on another med. F 31 4 months
1/7/2008
 1  geriatric mood swings anger, restlessness, didn't work My father was given this for early stage dementia, which I am not sure should be an approved use. He is angry at getting old and being in a hospital, then a crappy nursing home, then a hospital again. Now he is at a decent nursing home, but they couldn't get him off the habit of being up nights and napping during the day. He was doing this at home since retirement, and this depakote seemed to make this problem worse. He was apathetic when he wasn't angry and swearing, and the depakote affected his personality for the worse. He finally was taken off it and his regular personality is starting to emerge, but I think some damage was done to his memory. It's hard to prove at his age, but I think we all should be suspicious of medications given to older people, especially when there are not enough studies to justify using them. He was never bipolar, never had seizures. Why this for dementia? It seemed to exaggerate his moods, which led to them giving him two other anti-depressants to make M 88 3 months
1/7/2008
 4  epilepsy/seizures Hardly any side effects until dosage increased from 1500mg/day to 1750/day. Major hair loss and texture changed from shiny, smooth curls to dull, coarse, brittle hair. Lost over 1/3 of hair. Started taking one Centrum Silver vitamin per day along with 600 mg of calcium w/Vitamin D twice daily. Hair no longer falls out anymore and is coming in curly, but texture still not great. Would totally recommend Centrum Silver & Calcium/Vitamin D supplements. F 42 8 years
12/31/2007
 4  
11/20/2007
 5  bipolar 2 weight gain complete maintenance F 62 10 years
11/13/2007
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 4  bipolar lethargy, brain fog i take 500 mg and it has stabilized my mood (which is great) but it makes me feel dumb and tired. F 25 2 years
10/25/2007
 5  bipolar & migraine extreme sleepiness during the day, weight gain (unsure of amount) & a bit of hair loss. i need to add we are still working out the dosage levels but at this time i'm at 1250 mg., taking 1000 at night time. my doctor hopes to get my dosage more balanced as we move forward by adding other medications to help with depakote-induced sleepiness as well as other conditions i have. helps me sleep at night due to the sleepiness it causes, better dream recall & my migraines have all but disappeared. considering i had my 1st migraine when was 5 or 6 years old just having hardly any headpain at all can boost one's mood, bipolar or not! F 39 4 months
10/10/2007
 3  Bipolar NOS Extreme lethargy. Feeling of being in a dream-like state. Vivid, strange dreams. I've only been taking it for about 2 weeks, so I can't say much about side effects or how well it works. I've been put on 750mg at night (worked up slowly). So far, I've had trouble with lethargy (Jesus! Depression causes this enough already!) and just being generally sleepy. It's almost like a sudden burst of exhaustion. I start to feel like I'm dreaming and space out a bit. It usually happens around 5pm. It's curious, because this is around when I used to have my serious anxiety attacks during the day, and I wonder if this has something to do with it. Anyways, I do feel that the medication has helped stabilize my mood thus far. My anxiety has been largely curbed (THANK YOU) and my hypomania seems to stop before it starts. Can't be too sure so far, though. We'll see. F 19 2 weeks
9/29/2007
 5  Mood - Anxiety Slight tremor once in a while. I have taken this drug for 7 years and adjusted to any minor side effects after a year. This drug works great. I have always taken 750mg a day and have not had to increase the dosage. It works better for me if I take 3 250mg tablets seperately per day. This drug makes my mind feel normal (not to up or down) and really helps eliminate anxiety. I obviously have had a positive response and will probably take it for the rest of my life. M 35 7 years
9/27/2007
 3  Bipolar Increased appetite for carbs. I have gained 35 lbs in 5 months and no matter how little I eat, I gain an average of 1-2 lbs per week. I sleep a lot and feel frazzled. My libido is gone. I am ready to begin decreasing dosage and find alternate natural remedies. I do feel an overall release of tension approximately 30-45 mins after taking daily dose of 50mg. F 33 6 months
9/17/2007
 1  For treatment of bipolar disoder The most awful medication I ever took. Since day one, I started taking 750 mg a day, I couldn't sleep at all, my body had awful aches and pains, in less than two months I gain 17 pounds. I couldn't stopping eating I felt like I had hole on my stomach, I was depressed more than never. When my doctor double the dosage for 1500 mg/day I went really crazy, the pain became unberable, I couldn't sleept even for a minute I was a zombie. At times I thought I was going to die. I sttoped taking and the aches and pain disappeared, although I continued depressed, and my appetite has decreased, but I can't seem to put off the weight I gain. M 44 2 months
9/17/2007
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 3  bipolar feel retarded, daytime sleepiness and feel stoned. It is controlling my crazy dreams and letting me sleep again but i feel like i am on a high dose (1500 mg) and I don't like that. I don't like taking 3 huge horse pills at night when i am already tired. So far no hair loss or tremors, hoping to get down some on the dose to avoid any weight gain, tremors, or hair loss. I got to reduce my lamictal which is nice since it is friggin expensive. M 30 14 days
9/16/2007
 3  bipolar-manic dprsv, newly diagnsd I am morbidly, and occasionally suicidally depressed so goddamn bad I can't stand myself, I pissed my pants standing in line at a gas station, I take everything people say to me as a personal attack, I can't work, walk more than 20-50 feet comfortable, very fatigued, exhausted, sleep 15+ hours and just cant fkn wake up, no energy, no desire to do anything but eat and be depressed. The ONLY thing this drug has done for me is made me not have serious Manic episodes. I fkn hate myself right now and cant deal or tolerate anyfknthing. M 28 8 days
8/28/2007

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