[greenday]

Has anyone ever taken Depakote ER? If so, what for and what were the effects?

Thanks!

[erinkj]

Originally Posted by greenday

Has anyone ever taken Depakote ER? If so, what for and what were the effects?

Thanks!

This is the same as Depakote only in an extended release formula. I do not take it but, my husband does. He has had no ill effects from this med but, there are some potential hazards. This medication works well for some very specific conditions. Depakote is an anti-siezure medication used to treat siezure disorders, used to prevent siezures caused by xanax and alcohol withdrawls, to treat bi-polar disorder as depakote acts as a mood stabelizer, also used to treat excesive aggressive behaviors and doctors will some times prescribe this as an anti-migraine med which, is "off label" and ineffective. (just my oppinion. Dehydration can be a very real problem with depakote, it is sodium based. Drink LOT'S of water with depakote especially if you are exposed to heat and/or sweat alot. I hope that helps...Peace...Erin

[greenday]

Again, Erin to my rescue! Thanks! I was just prescribed it and have no real idea why. More a "take it and try it" kind of thing. I have trouble focusing which this med doesn't seem to address. Kinda stumped here, but oh well...not sure if I want to take it or not at this point. Will think about it a day or so before I dive in...again thanks.

Best wishes!

[erinkj]

My pleasure, glad I could be of some help. I am curious though! you said you have trouble focusing? is that what you were given depakote for? or is there more to it? I ask only because I may be able to reccomend the right med. I am NOT a doctor but, I am a walking, talking, living, breathing diagnostic manual . ( more like a DSM-IV) My G.P. love's me and psychiatrists don't ! My G.P. has been trying to talk me into getting my ANP degree in mental health for years (Small town, our kid's play soccor, etc, see him ALL the time) I get this from my family to . I am getting my MFA in visual arts so that I can teach at the college level instead...More beauty and less stress! Anyway, if it is an ADD/ADHD type of focus issue and you have been diagnosed then, stratera is a good choice. Stratera is NOT an amphetamine stimulant like most ADD/ADHD med's. My husband is so sensetive to stimulants that he cannot even have caffiene w/out bouncing off the wall. He has had ADHD ALL of his life and stratera works beautifuly for him. Just a thought! Let me know...How is your mom doing?...Peace...Erin

[greenday]

Dr. Erin-LOL,
I saw a pshyc dr yesterday for the first time in my life. I am mainly having trouble completing tasks. It's sorta haunted me all my life, but my coping skills seem to have deteriorated as I have gotten older (48). I start to do a task and get up to do another task, then go back to the first task...well, you get the picture. As the day ends, nothing is finished. It's really getting on my nerves that I get so little done in a day. Plus, I have to take tylenol PM to sleep or melatonin because I get in bed and stress over all the stuff I didn't get to all day. It's a viscious cycle. It is starting to make conflicts in my life, not doing things I enjoy as I am always stuck in a loop doing the ******************** I didn't get done the days and weeks before.

I am not familiar with psych drugs so I had no input other than to say I had tried Paxil years ago and it made me so nauseous I wouldn't take it. Plus, had a sample of Lexapro but heard it was nasty stuff to get involved with. So she put me on the Depakote ER. I took the 250 pill last night and the only thing I can tell you is my vision seems to be effected. It's like my pupils are dialated. Plus it seems to bring me down a little - HELLO- just the opposite of what I was needing. I know it's only been like one dose, but if this is the road it's leading me down then I am not thrilled.

Do you think I should continue taking the med or call and tell her what I am feeling? It's so early I don't want her to think I am not at least trying it. The vision thing is driving me CRAZY- I am having a hard time reading words. Very disturbing.

What do you think? Thanks as always.

[greenday]

A better description is it has made me feel WEAK...not down. My muscles feel weak. I do phyisical labor most of the day so this is not good.

[MomToBe]

My fiance' used to take that stuff, it make him very sick esp. when he took it in the morning, food or no food. He stopped taking after about a week because it felt so sick and groggy

[erinkj]

Hello, sorry I did not get back to you sooner. I have been out of town working with my husband and only had time to answer a few posts (in the last couple of days) before the laptop went dead. (it won't stay charged) Anyway, going on the information that you have given me and, without knowing your complete background or diagnosis, I will tell you that I don't think that Depakote is the correct med for you! Have you been given an actuall diagnosis? If you have not been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, epilepsy, siezure disorders, severe aggresion or severe migrains then, you should NOT be on depakote! Again, I am not a doctor but, I know psych med's and conditions! In the long term depakote can cause hepatoxicity, hypothermia, pancriatitis and renal failure; and these conditions are NOT uncommmon in relation to this drug. Not trying to scare you here. When a doctor prescribes a med he is "supposed" to prescribe on the basis of the potential benefit outweighing the potential risk! Well, if your inability to focus and concentrate are due to an underlying anxiety type or ADD type of mood disorder then, depakote would be ineffective at treating the problem therefore, the risk far outweighs any potential benefit! Again, just my oppinion! If you have a diagnosis and are willing to tell me what that is, I can help point you to the correct med. If you do not have a diagnosis, I can point you in the right direction for getting one and make suggestions based on my knowledge and experience. As for the SSRI's that you spoke of, I have taken them all. Lexapro is more selective and potent than other SSRI's, of course, not all med's affect everyone the same way. If your current problems are due to an anxiety type disorder then, the SSRI med family is ussually the first "line of defence" treatment. Celexa is an SSRI and it is the parent drug of lexapro however, celexa seem's to be more mild and less selective therfore, not as potent or problematic. (at least that is what my re-search and personal experince indicate). Celexa is available in generic (citalopram) and it is older than lexapro so, it has been used and re-searched more. For ADD/ADHD stratera is showing alot of promise and has good results. The MOST IMPORTANT thing is to have an accurate diagnosis because, without that you may never get the "right" med. Also, talk to family members! Mood issues are highly hereditary. If anyone in your family has or has had similar problems , it would help you to get a more accurate diagnosis. Also, if you have family members who have been treated with medications, find out what med's they have taken and how they reacted to them. Genetics play an important role in medications. If a family member has had a negative reaction to a med then, there is a good chance that you may also. If a certain med has worked well for a family member in similar circumstances then, that is the med you should try first! Let me know if you figure anything out or want any help. I am still baffled why they gave you depakote... Peace....Erin

[greenday]

Thanks for your post. Very informative! I left a message for my psych dr on Friday and told her I was not happy with the depakote, in fact, hated it so i was going to stop taking it. I was shocked when I got a phone call back on Sat morning and we talked for a while about my concerns. Apparently, our second talk (the first being my only visit to her office last Monday) went much better and I think she got a better idea of "me". She agreed that she had sorta misdiagnosed and switched my medication to Adderall. I don't know much about it other than (as you predicted) a couple of members of my family had taken it for short periods with success. I am going to try it for a few weeks and see how it goes. I have read a little about it and it seems to be more in the right direction for me. It seems trial and error at this point.

Thanks again for your input. If it had not been for your posts I probably wouldn't have had the backbone to be honest about my dislike of the depakote. (I really hated the way it made me feel.)

[atypicalresponder]

i was misdiagnosed as bipolar several years ago and was quickly placed on depakote, i don't remember the dosage i was given....

this drug made me feel like i lost who i was, i didn't recognize myself anymore, and thus felt more like a zombie than anything.

i didn't feel any pleasure or any displeasure- it was just blahhhh all the time.

[greenday]

Well, it's been day two on the adderall and I must say it has been great for focusing and given a huge energy boost. I have gotten so much done these last two days. I have one major problem however: lack of sleep. I was given ambien and it isn't doing a thing which worries me. It doesn't even come close to working. I hope this will all level out in the next week because staying up all night was not part of the plan. At this point I am thinking of calling my dr tomorrow to see if there is any other sleep medication she could recommend. I already know to not take the adderall after 3PM, but it doesn't seem to matter. Even so, the benefits are outweighing the lack of sleep. But, this is only day two so if it drags on I am going to be disappointed. Any suggestions out there?

[erinkj]

Originally Posted by greenday

Well, it's been day two on the adderall and I must say it has been great for focusing and given a huge energy boost. I have gotten so much done these last two days. I have one major problem however: lack of sleep. I was given ambien and it isn't doing a thing which worries me. It doesn't even come close to working. I hope this will all level out in the next week because staying up all night was not part of the plan. At this point I am thinking of calling my dr tomorrow to see if there is any other sleep medication she could recommend. I already know to not take the adderall after 3PM, but it doesn't seem to matter. Even so, the benefits are outweighing the lack of sleep. But, this is only day two so if it drags on I am going to be disappointed. Any suggestions out there?

You will be full of "get up and go" with adderall, it is an amphetamine. I don't know what dose you are on but, I hope that your psych was smart enough to start you on the lowest dose. Unfortunately, there seem's to be a psychiatry trend toward starting medications on a medium or average dose so, depending on your dose; if the sleeplessnes continues, your dose could be lowered. If you are on the lowest dose of adderall, you may adjust to it over the next few days to weeks...you may not....Be sure to take the adderall first thing in the morning, at least before noon which can help. If ambien is not working for you try lunesta, I think lunesta works better than ambien. Lunesta can give you an icky lead taste in your mouth the next day but, there do not seem to be many reports of people sleepwalking, etc while taking it. If you do not adjust to the adderall you can ask your doctor about straterra, I am not trying to push that one on you by any meen's but, straterra is NOT an amphetamine yet it is very successful at treating the ADD/ADHD focus, etc. Read all the info available on both med's and see what you think...Just be aware of the potential risks with ALL your medications so that you can decide for yourself if the benefit outweighs those risk's! Let me know how it goes. Good luck and Peace...Erin

[ge0]

I've been taking depakote for a few weeks and thus far I'm amazed at how I feel. I seem to have a bundle of energy. I take 1000mg before bed. It does make me real sleepy and so an added bonus is a good nights rest. I work outdoors in the Southern heat and so far so good...

Only side effect thus far has been vomiting, but not sure if that was from my strong coffee and it only happened once. I will remain openly optimistic with my treatment...

[mom2my3boys]

my 10 yr old son takes Depakote ER 500 mgs nightly for a mood stabilizer due to Bipolar I disorder. When taking this please be sure to get any blood tests ran that your prescribing doc requests as they need to keep up on your blood levels of Depakote. My son was taking 250mgs and had to be moved up to 500mgs due to his levels not being right. He has had no major side effects from it.
Good luck

[ge0]

Well just an update. My Dr. increased my dosage and I thought my wife was going to need to call 911… I was vomiting, followed by the most violent chills/sweats I’ve ever experienced. I called his receptionist and she got in contact with the Dr.

I contacted my Dr. I guess on his day off or last Monday. I expected him to call back and not the receptionist. Needless to say he never called back and I’m not sure this dR is right for me…


mom2my3boys;-- I need to go tomorrow and give blood

[ge0]

I was wondering if this Depakote is supposed to due anything mentally? I thus far have only noticed it increase my physical feeling or the get up in go… I enjoy this feeling but often get frustrated off the smallest thing that does not go right. Will the Depakote do something mentally?