Divalproex sodium User Reviews & Ratings (Page 2)

• Anonymous
• September 7, 2009

For Bipolar Disorder "I would give Depakote a lower rating based on my personal experience with it, but I don't want to skew the overall rating. For whatever reason, I did not respond to Depakote as a mood stabilizer. This is surely not the case for everyone. The problem is that while taking this medicine, I gained 30 pounds, as I constantly felt hungry. I was warned ahead of time that this tends to keep the brain from perceiving fullness (or something to that effect). I noticed this within a few days of starting Depakote but continued taking it because I didn't have many other options at the time. The weight gain created an entirely new aspect of depression. Just something to keep in mind if you're just starting it and weight gain is an issue."

• chr...
• April 20, 2010

For Bipolar Disorder "Although reading the possible side effects can be scary, this medicine gave me my life back. I had a little hair loss at doses above 1000mg, but it's been great in stabilizing my mood swings. If I go off of it, I have an episode within a month. I had no weight gain (actually lost weight I had gained from taking Seroquel previously). I take it with Wellbutrin SR and a little Abilify. But the Depakote is by far the most effective. I've been on it for over 3 years."

• Ano...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 23, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "I am honestly the happiest person ever since my psychiatrist prescribed Depakote for me. NO MORE RAPID CYCLING! I take two 500mg tablets about 20 minutes before bed, and I sleep throughout, only waking up when my back is aching in pain. I'll save that for my Baclofen and Prednisone post. I do not experience the manic highs as I once did; however, I still have my low days, but everyone does! My low days are nowhere near the days when I was on Trileptal or any SSRIs. I was taking Abilify and Lithium for a week (this is my experience). I started seeing the world in two-dimensions, sort of like the early Nintendo characters. I was freaking out! That was it. Make sure to get blood tests every month to ensure your Depakote levels are in line."

• Moo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 9, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "I must start off by saying everyone is different and will react differently. My condition is unofficially diagnosed. But I was told when I was a teenager I was a manic depressive with a possible hormonal imbalance. Recently, I have had two major mania events: accelerated heart rate, palpitations, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, mood swings, confusion, and memory loss to name a few. The night I took this medication, I felt it kick in. I felt great and had so much mental energy I didn't have before. It has been working for me. I suggest eating when you take this medication, it can make you nauseous. I haven't seen any side effects other than that. Each to their own, though. Just wanted to post this to this forum to let you know if this doesn't work for you, there is a medication that will work. Don't give up!"

• Tig...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 20, 2014

For Bipolar Disorder "I'm on Depakote 250mg in the morning and 500mg at night. I am also on olanzapine 5mg and fluoxetine 20mg, which works wonders together. I have bipolar, and while on Depakote, suffered a bad spell of depression, so was put on fluoxetine, which has changed my life. I'm such a happier, calmer person now."

• Cra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 30, 2014

For Bipolar Disorder "I recently found out I was bipolar 2 at the age of 24. I was 16 getting panic attacks, didn't think anything of it. Finally, I started getting more stress as I got older. I was on an antidepressant for 4 years not knowing I was bipolar. Someone who is bipolar should not just take an antidepressant because it will just put them into mania. That is what was happening to me. I checked myself into the hospital for intrusive thoughts. I'm not depressed, I don't want to hurt anyone or myself, but didn't know why these thoughts were coming so often. I also suffer from severe anxiety. I now take 40mg of Prozac, 500mg of Depakote, and 0.5mg of Ativan twice a day. My medicines are starting to work wonders for me. I'm me again!"

• Mad...
• December 4, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "I have been on generic Depakote for 12 years. Prior to it, I took lithium for 28 years. On Depakote, I lost 30 pounds and did not have hair loss. I do get tired in the afternoon and take a nap. I feel the medication helps me live a good life. I believe I would be dead without medication that keeps me from being manic."

• Nec...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 27, 2021

For Bipolar Disorder "I love this medication. It has been a lifesaver. I have anxiety that cripples me emotionally and physically, but when I started this, I literally felt a weight lift off my shoulders. At first (didn’t last long), it made me a little drowsy, but I didn’t mind, I'd rather be drowsy than panicky and fidgety with racing thoughts. I will say this medication works better for me in smaller doses. If I take 500 mg all at once, it makes me emotional. So I take 250 at night (sleep) and 250 in the morning if I need it."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 1, 2012

For Bipolar Disorder "I am 29 and just diagnosed with bipolar after a horrible manic depression cycle. It's worked great to stabilize 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?"

• SOa...
• January 27, 2020

For Mania "I have been on antidepressants and benzodiazepines for over thirty years for depression, anxiety, and racing thoughts from the anxiety. Started Depakote ten days ago, and it has made an amazing difference, slowed my mind down enough to significantly reduce my anxiousness, only side effect, mild tiredness, no groggy feelings. This has been so wonderful."

• bus...
• July 6, 2010

For Bipolar Disorder "I am shocked to read the high amount of mg's that people are being started on. Every review I have read about Depakote, it's been mainly 1000mg or 500mg. That just blows my mind! With any medicine, you have to be eased into things and adjust from there! I began with 250mg. My doctor told me that after a few weeks I could adjust it to taking 2 doses (500mg). Just to play around with it to see if I, in fact, needed to go higher. So I did. When I changed to 500mg, it made me crazy, nutty, mean, and intolerable. I backed off and on 250mg again. I have been normal and perfectly stable ever since. I have yet to read a person taking the lowest dosage as a starting point. Start slow and work your way up (if needed). This medicine has been a lifesaver!"

• Ann...
• May 15, 2013

For Bipolar Disorder "I've been on Depakote for almost a year now. I also take Paxil and Wellbutrin. I gained around 10 lbs 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 feel 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."

• Dep...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 22, 2019

For Bipolar Disorder "No way! Been on it twice in my life. I was extremely bloated beyond recognition and in a deep mental haze. I could barely function. My doctor kept saying, “You need to take care of yourself before you can care for your family.” And she was right. I got off it, weight loss has been slow, but I got my face back. I looked like a hamster on it, and I went up 5 pant sizes on this medication. I got my energy back. On this stuff, I slept all day. Off this medication, I am enrolled in school and on the path to a new career, and I am able to be awake to live my life off this stuff and care for my family."

• Qbu...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 10, 2014

For Bipolar Disorder "Depakote was given to me for onset postpartum psychosis and underlying bipolar 1 as a mood stabilizer. It did its job. Wonderful results mentally, obsessive thoughts were all but gone and combined with my antipsychotic, it made my life much better. But, the weight gain was hellish. I have gained 11 pounds in two weeks, and am looking at switching at my appointment on Monday. So, not good if you are looking for a weight neutral mood stabilizer."

• Chr...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 19, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "I have to say this drug did more harm than good, and my body is very dependent on it. In only a year span, I started having serious weight and back issues. I have never had any issues with my back, but all of a sudden my bones started to get brittle. Then the disc herniations started happening, and like a domino effect, my entire spine was damaged. I see a lot of info on children or babies affected with their spine, but apparently, it can do the same for a grown adult. I was put on this medication for anxiety and what my doctor thought was bipolar disorder. Turns out, as time goes by, the doctor lowers my Depakote and came to the conclusion I do not have bipolar disorder. Great... Damage done... Abnormal EEG, spine damage, and severe chemical dependency... Lost my hair, my looks, weight."

• Tob...
• October 15, 2013

For Migraine Prevention "I've also been trying different preventive medication for migraines with my doctor and so far Depakote is working the best. I started with 250mg a day for the first week, now at 500 mg a day. Before this medication, I would wake up daily with chronic head pain in the neck or behind the eyes. Now I wake up almost every morning with a clear head. I haven't seen any side effects yet at this dosage and I've even lost weight since I've been proactive with daily exercise. I started walking 2 miles daily since taking this medication. With proactive exercise and eating habits, I think anyone can keep potential side effects at bay. Previously, I was on Topamax and had to stop taking it as the nausea/head fuzz was too severe for my line of work."

• Car...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 4, 2018

For Bipolar Disorder "I am very pleased so far with my experience taking Depakote. Before Depakote, I was taking Seroquel for quite some time (a couple of years), and although I was happy on that medicine, I was way too tired. Luckily, my solution was Depakote. All I can say is I have tried medicine for 4 years now, and it has been a long journey! I will always remember my first time taking Depakote. Normally, I get very fearful and panic that the med will make me sick. Not Depakote. Instead, I felt immediately better, happy even, and giggled. Once that wore off, I felt normal and slept an hour or two after taking it. I enjoy how I still get tired on this medication like Seroquel, but it does not overwhelm my senses with sedation and fog my memory as much. If anything, I have never been more myself! The only thing is now sometimes I laugh too much."

• 1ks...
• October 4, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "I started Depakote 3,000 mg straight off when I was 15 years old. I have since been taken off it and am still paying the price for it. It made me hungry constantly, I gained a total of 50 pounds in 7 months. I had no energy at all and no feelings-no happy thoughts, no sad thoughts. I was literally a zombie, and now I'm still seeing new doctors and switching meds all the time, and I've had enough. Nothing is working, and no one can help me. I really need help and can't find it anywhere."

• Bos...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 27, 2019

For Migraine Prevention "I was on Depakote 500 mg once a day with no effect on my migraines. But I have noticed I’m no longer impulsively spending. So I guess it’s possible that I’m bipolar as well...? My doctor has upped my dose to twice a day, and so far so good. No headache this month and adding to my savings every week, lol."

• TLG...
• September 1, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "I have major bipolar disorder as well as severe depression and PTSD. This med (along with Seroquel and Wellbutrin) has been a literal lifesaver. For the first time in my life, my moods are stable as well as manageable."

• Glo...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• October 14, 2012

For Bipolar Disorder "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."

• cle...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 8, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "I was recently diagnosed with Bipolar II. This medication has been a lifesaver (literally) for me. It has helped keep my emotions in check. I took another medication, Lamictal, that caused one continuous headache that never went away. My psychiatrist started me on a low dose of that medication so I wouldn't get a deadly rash. My emotions were all over the place, and I was miserable. My psychiatrist put me on Depakote. At first, this medication made me sluggish and hungry. I gained 5 lbs in the first 2 weeks. Since then, I have laid off the snacks and beverages and have since gotten adjusted to the meds (also taking Zoloft). Three pounds have come off without trying. Each person is different, but this has really worked for me."

• Bar...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 14, 2020

For Migraine Prevention "I have been taking Depakote for over 20 years for migraines. Tried everything out there, and this is the only drug that helped at all. I had no side effects. However, after about 15 years, I had to increase the dose from 500 to 1,000 daily. About four years after that, I found that my osteoporosis had significantly worsened. Just a warning: if you are a woman nearing menopause or past menopause, keep an eye on bone density, as this drug can potentially reduce that with long-term use or high dosage."

• Bip...
• April 2, 2016

For Bipolar Disorder "I took Depakote 500 mg for a week, then increased my dose to 1000 mg after the next week. The next day, I began having terrible stomach pains and pains in my kidneys, especially after eating. I emailed my doctor, and he told me the side effects would subside, but they didn't. They actually got worse, and the abdominal pain would linger all day and night. I also had a hard time sleeping, I would wake up every 1-2 hours and sleep less than 6 hours a night, along with having very vivid dreams. The dreams later got more and more violent/terrifying, and I began to fall into a very deep depression, one I had never felt in my entire life. I stopped taking this medication after three weeks. I will never take this medication, even if it saved my life."

• jdk...
• March 1, 2013

For Bipolar Disorder "I am on the 500 x 2 ER, and people tell me I'm a lot 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, it kicks in. As far as weight gain goes, no changes there. Hair loss? I was already losing it. I have been on lithium, and that didn't work. Tried Tegretol as well, come to find out I am allergic. So, if I can feel normal and blood tests on liver and kidneys come back fine, hey, I will give Depakote 2 big thumbs up for a normal life."