User Reviews for Depakote

I've been on Depakote for almost a year now. I also take Paxil and Wellbutrin. I gained around 10lbs right from the start. My weight has seemed to have stayed steady the last few months. It's extremely hard to lose it. I have been through a lot of different medications to try and treat bipolar disorder. Even with the medicines I'm on, I'm still depressed and like I don't matter. I'm very sleepy and can lay down and take a nap at any time. I started taking B Complex because I stay so sleepy. My new concern is memory. I can't think of words and dates or names like movie stars very fast and it concerns me.

I am on the 500 X 2 ER and people tell me I'm alot more calmer and they see the change, I guess I was on the depressed side of the spectrum. It may also be that I am on Celexa as well. At first I was severely drowsy, but after about seven months in it kicks in. As far as weight gain goes same there no changes. Hair loss? Was already losing it. I have been on lithium and that didn't work, tried Tegretrol as well, come to find out I am allergic, so if I can feel normal and blood tests on liver and kidney comes back fine, hey I will give Depakote 2 big thumbs up with a normal life.

I have to say some of side effect's to DEPAKOTE ARE TOUGH! But the SIDE EFFECTS TO MY CONDITION IS & could be way worse- So I've been sticking to it & working through The SIDE EFFECTS. It's DEFINITELY a miracle pill- I am only at 3 weeks but I've never felt calm- NO racing thoughts & I feel HAPPIER- & I only have LITTLE anxiety at this time. Before, most weeks I'd end up in ER 3 x's DUE TO A PANIC ATTACK. SIDE EFFECTS: headache, staring, head feels funny like a electric shock, nauseous. My lips & tongue are twitching. Instant cold & clammy feeling. BUT I LOVE THE CALMNESS & all theses side effects have gone away & I feel like I am living like I've never lived! This medicine is AMAZING.

Just been diagnosed with Bi Polar Disorder after goodness knows how many years of episodes. Took my shrink the best part of 2 years to finally diagnose me after many different anti depressants, sleepless nights, racing thoughts, and wild partying till the early hours (sometimes on my own!!!). Just started on Depakote 3 weeks ago initally on 500mg per day which didn't help my mania, now on 500mg morning, and 500mg evening which calms me down, helps me sleep, deals with my irritability and mania, and generally slows me down. I have found that I get eye jolts ... fuzziness, but for the first time in 3 years (when it all started back up!), I am beginning to feel "NORMAL". We'll see how it goes. My consultant has mentioned Lithium also.

This medication has kept me stable for 4 years. I am now 23 and was on 1000mgs at night. I recently went down as my bloodtests came back to high. So I went back down to 700mg and had another manic episode. I am now in the process of finding a antipsychotic to go with it. I have managed to stay 110 lbs for 4 years with a healthy diet and exercise. The only side effects I had were major hair loss, slight tremors, and nausea. All of which have passed within a year

I am a female, first diagnosed at age 19 with bipolar disorder. They first tried Zyprexa which I had a horrible reaction to. The Depakote made me feel like a zombie for months, until it brought me back down to "normal". I stayed on approx 500 mg/day for almost 6 years, then backing down to 250mg until I stopped. I had started to feel depressed at 31 and was put on Lexapro, this led to a manic episode within a few months. Alas I am back on Depakote 500mg/ day. It has saved me. Luckily no significant weight gain besides 10 lbs I lost being manic!) but I do work out and try to eat healthy.

Depakote has been a life saver for me. I take 250mg in the morning and 500mg at bedtime. Weight gain was minimal. 5 lbs that I have lost recently by going on the South Beach Diet. I also take 200mg Zoloft. I sleep okay, but usually need a nap in the afternoon. I look forward to my life now instead of just existing.

Manic bi-polarism for 7 years. Know I'm a type "A" person, Depokote, Effexer, zanix. I come from the medical field, lab and had seen people come in for blood work on everything from lithium to thorazine. I have (with M.D. agreement) backed down from 500mg ER Depokote, to 250mg ER every evening along with a sleeping pill. The sleeping pill is new, so next time I will give the name. When "they" found me, I was so gone into what we call our "BLACK HOLE". I truly have no idea what all they tried....BUT the Depakote, according to my wife (Nurse for 34 yrs) was my marriage and life saver.

I am 20 and on 750 mg of Depakote a day. Gained 10-15 pounds within the first month of taking this medication, but now my weight is remaining stable. I am eating healthier and running each day though. When I first started taking it, I was so restless/anxious, I had to pace around like mad. It took about 3 weeks to really end my mania in combination with 2 mg risperidone. I am experiencing easy bruising now. Sleeping 10 hours a night. Have an irregular period. In general I move more slowly. I am cloudy in the morning. I don't get upset with my family anymore.

I am 29 and just diagnosed with Bipolar after a horrible manic depression cycle. Its worked great to stablize my moods but I'm scared after reading everyone's weight gain stories! I will have to hitch up my diet and exercise plan more. One thing I noticed that I didn't see anyone else write is that I have these horrible and extremely vivid dreams - they seem to be my fears realized. But they are so vivid and real that they hang over me all day. Has anyone else experienced this?

I am currently on Depakote. I was put on Depakote while I was in the hospital after having an acute anger episode. It worked the at first but now I am getting highly irritable for no reason and am bruising easily and it is very unusual bruising. I want to get off of it because I am having a lot of episodes. More than ever before. I have been on Abilify and Prozac and now this. Nothings working that well.

Worked well to keep me stable but caused significant weight gain 50 pounds.

General tiredness with the medication but no manic episodes. I guess the trade-off is fair.

This has helped me for years. Had weight gain when first started but have identified the issues and work towards balancing.

When I started this I was 135 pounds. When ended this I was 198 pounds. Went to the gym all the time, ate healthy and didn't eat fats and I still gained. And this was not working to stop me from sleeping too much. I was also on Seroquel that made me sleep like 12 to 14 hours. When the doctor took me off this I went from 198 and now I am 145 and went off Seroquel. Now I don't sleep too much.

I was prescribed this for a mood disorder they couldn't pin down (didn't know where on the bipolar spectrum I fell, I suppose) as well as sleeping issues. I became very jaded, too jaded. I didn't get any more sleep than usual, and my previously sun-sensitive skin is now showing minor allergic reactions to sunlight. I haven't been on it for years, and the allergy is still there. It did nothing for me and just made it harder for me to operate in the typically diurnal society of today. Not a positive experience.

Been on this medicine for more than ten years. The 8/10 is for it is due to its overall minor side effects over time, and its very powerful effects when not taken CONSISTENTLY. BE ADVISED. This medication works best when taken at the exact time(s) everyday and I have experienced all other symptoms people have described as bothersome but this is not the typical take it to be a walking zombie pill. I also don't think people realize how much they are moving when manic and when on this medication, you calm down. So it's completely natural to want to sit around all day and watch T.V. I also have gained weight and have difficulty shedding the pounds, however I would rather be SANE and curvy. I weighed 130lbs starting, NOW am 178lbs.

I was diagnosed with bipolar type II almost 2 months ago at age 40. It was long over due. My psychiatrist started me on Depakote 250 mg twice a day and Wellbutrin SR 150 mg in the morning. Also take trazodone or Ambien to sleep. I can tell that my moods are much more stable on Depakote, no more hypomania and staying up a week at a time. It's a relief to get back to much more normal, but I do miss the hypomania in many ways (I work full time, have a family and go to graduate school for a double masters degree-- hypomania was great with those things at once). I am still on Depakote 250 mg twice a day. Depakote will change my life as long as my body tolerates it. I'm trying to deal with the ravenous appetite. Up 10 lbs already.

After I started this medication, I gained 10 pounds in 2 weeks. After taking this for 3 months, I went from 212 to 265 pounds. I hadn't changed my eating habits, so I was annoyed that I had to work hard to lose the 53 pounds I gained on this medication.

I have been Bipolar for 20 years and have tried many medicines, with Depakote and Lithium being the worst. I also needed antidepressants too. I went from 117 lbs to 225 lbs in 2 years on Depakote and being a zombie I did not notice the huge weight gain. I switched to Lamictal and Effexor and felt so much better. I started a daily exercise program and was able to cut down on food and lost over 100 lbs within 2 years.

Depakote made some gain weight? It made me lose about 15 pounds all fat and I got chiseled abs I haven't had since 18. I stopped all substance intake including caffeine.

I was prescribed 1 week ago and seen an immediate improvement although I started feeling more anxious all day so I am now on Xanax instead of Klonopin, which I was originally on. I started with 500mg for 3 days then 1000 and now 1500 but I feel much more stable but I definitely feel hungry all the time. I was on Lamictal previously and I believe that made my disorder worse. I feel great now.

I am an active person with a healthy, gluten/dairy-free diet and within the first 2 months I gained nearly 40 pounds. I was crying all of the time, fatigued, and then my hair started falling out. It also lead to a suicide attempt. Depakote may work very well for some, but for me it was worse than disease. Aother downside was the cost. With insurance it was nearly 150.00 dollars a month.

I have been taking this medicine for 3 weeks. During the three weeks I have experienced severe mood swings to the point of psychosis. I have had irritability on a daily basis and worsening of depression. The psychosis has made me stop taking the medicine. I had been on Seroquel for years and because of a huge weight gain, I stopped taking it. I don't know where to go from here.

I take 2500mg Depakote per day for rapid cycling bipolar disorder and it works very well. I've been taking this dose for 4 years. Few side effects apart from the inevitable weight gain and some hair loss. Depakote keeps the mood swings away for good and doesn't impair my movements or thoughts. I prefer this mood stabilizer.