Depakote for Bipolar Disorder User Reviews (Page 3)

• Cri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 4, 2020

"First day of starting it had bad abdominal pains, headaches, lower back pains, spasticity in legs, dystonia, tired, ankles hurt, tender muscles very sore. Blurry vision, not happy at all. But Lamictal also caused all of these side effects as well. I hate the bipolar meds they offer."

• Bea...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 17, 2019

"Depakote has worked amazingly well for me for the past 2 decades. I have changed over to something else for a short period of time when it became ineffective. That has only happened 3 times in 17 years. It is not the greatest drug when you have to get off of it. You have to taper down very slowly."

• sf1...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 7, 2018

"I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety 35 years ago, but finally received a diagnosis on the bipolar spectrum two years ago at the age of 60. Depakote ER (2000 mg at night) fixed things I didn't know were wrong and has stilled the ultradian cycling that was really my problem all along. I feel lucky that the only side effects I have encountered are hair loss at first (now resolved) and occasional heartburn. It relieved most of my depressive and hypomanic symptoms within three weeks, but I just added Lamictal to help a little more with depressive symptoms. I take a complicated stack of meds to manage psych symptoms, but Depakote is by far the most important."

• M M...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 9, 2016

"I take Depakote 500 mg extended release at night for bipolar. Mostly mania. I like Depakote because it keeps me leveled. I feel normal. No mania. No depression. I do sometimes have trouble sleeping, but not much. I have felt nauseous, but I'm gonna go to my primary doctor because my psych says the nausea would've happened in the beginning of Depakote, and I've been on it for a while, so it's probably not caused by Depakote. Anyone taking Depakote, make sure you go to your follow-ups to check liver enzymes in your blood since it can cause liver damage. Overall, I think Depakote is effective for me. I tried Lamictal and Abilify, and I hated them. They made my ankles swell up to four times their size. My ankles were very red, painful, and swollen."

• D P...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 22, 2015

"My husband says Depakote is having a positive impact on me as well as our family! I'm not in bed all day or hanging around the bedroom. I'm up and about the house. Since decluttered, even organized! My personality has blossomed too. The last six years, I tried a wide spectrum of medications: Seroquel, Lamictal, Latuda, zonisamide, carbamazepine to name a few! My bipolar worsened five years ago after our last child. The side effects were hair shedding within three weeks, but no significant weight gain. I have always had a thick head of hair, so it's not really noticeable, but I can tell one side limp and not hanging full. I've started biotin along with a multivitamin. My Doc also told me to try a zinc supplement. Overall, I feel it is working."

• non...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 8, 2020

"Was given a choice of Depakote or lithium when diagnosed with bipolar three years ago. I chose Depakote while knowing nothing about it. I've had three manic episodes in my life, and Depakote's brought me back down from every one. And since I have mixed episodes, they get really dangerous, so I probably owe Depakote my life. The only downside I've experienced is nausea and vomiting, it can hit pretty hard and out of nowhere sometimes. Made me want to stop the drug at one point, but for me, the pros outweigh the cons. You have to get your blood tested every few months, and it interacts with some other medications (like Lamictal), so take care."

• Yel...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 7, 2018

"I've taken Depakote for 13 years along with Citalopram. 250 mg Depakote with 10 mg of Citalopram. It helped with my intense excitability, my severe depression, and suicidal thoughts, which happened to me 2 weeks out of the month. It was so bad. After taking these meds, I felt so much better, like a 'normal' person. I had no side effects. My symptoms were down to 3 days instead of 3 weeks, which I could deal with, and I didn't want to kill myself anymore. I'm bipolar and/or PMDD. They are not working for me anymore, so I'm going to have to change to something else. Hope this helps someone. :)"

• mou...
• July 19, 2013

"Have been bipolar since '89. I have been on Depakote for 9 years, 500 mg x 3. I went from 210 lbs to 304 lbs. I have been on just about everything over the years. A little bit lethargic, but this seems to have stabilized me the best."

• Rus...
• June 17, 2015

"Since 2006, I have been on some sort of med for my depression or what my family doctor thought was depression. First med was Lexapro, and boy, did it send me into a manic stage. Never felt so high in my life, a cloud was lifted. That drug worked for a while, but soon after, it lost its effectiveness. Tried about every SSRI on the market until we ran out, and at that point, I did not want to live anymore. Family doctor sent me to a psychiatric hospital in which I saw my first psychiatrist, who said my OCD was the root of my depression, so he put me on Luvox along with my Klonopin. After a while, I seemed better, but not for long. Been on Depakote ER 1000MG ever since, and everything seems fine, except weight gain. Mood better."

• BAE...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 30, 2015

"Depakote worked for me as a mood stabilizer, but caused a lot of side effects. Weight gain = 30 pounds in 3 months and pancreatitis. Doctors didn't realize the pancreatitis was from the combination of two of my medications until I had it three times - pancreatitis is excruciatingly painful and led to me losing my job from losing so much time at work. I'm giving this medication a low rating even though it worked well for my mood because there are so many other medications out there for bipolar that are weight neutral and don't cause organ damage."

• the...
• August 11, 2010

"I've read many people have been gaining weight from this drug. This is why it is SO important you care about your health from day one, and it should be a part of your lifestyle and regimen, no matter what. This way, whatever the side effects are of the medicine, you're on top of your game and won't get hit as hard. I've been on many bipolar medications which make you gain weight, but I barely noticed because I work out and eat very healthy. It's of utter importance that you lay down a solid, healthy foundation before and during therapy. The healthy lifestyle will also make the medicine work better. It's common sense."

• P I...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 19, 2019

"Depakote has proved a good med to keep me from being manic, has twice brought me down from mania, both times with increased dosage. Much more effective than antipsychotics alone, namely Abilify, Zyprexa, and Seroquel. Now I am on 2 grams a day, split into 1 gram doses twice a day. Great for mania, not for depression. I'm currently in a depressive episode, recently started another med for that, alongside the Depakote. I struggle to control my appetite on Depakote, but eating healthy, wholesome meals helps me not to give in to unhealthy cravings. Good outweighs the bad for me :)"

• Med...
• December 2, 2015

"I've taken a lot of meds in 19 years and took Depakote for around 1 year. Weight gain about the same as Lithium. This drug gave me hallucinations at night and freaked me out big time. Beware. I didn't hallucinate before the drug, and now that I've stopped it 6 months ago - no Depakote = no hallucinations."

• Mel...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 2, 2016

"I am not very fond of Depakote. When I took it, it didn't improve my mood swings that much. In the beginning, it made me nauseous and caused my hair to fall out. No, I didn't go bald, but it thinned out my hair enough that my hairstylist noticed. Eventually, my hair stopped falling out, but I gained a lot of weight and I had very bad tremors and bad coordination. If you do decide to take this medicine, make sure your doctor tests your blood regularly. I think you are supposed to have your blood tested every 6 months."

• Pat...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 12, 2013

"I started up on 250 mg and ended up at 1500 mg. I noticed very subtle effects, if any. Hard to remember, I went through a lot and was on Seroquel also at the time. Seemed to have a slight calming effect. However, after time, it raised my liver enzymes and lowered my platelet count (which is a potential side effect). So I went off of it. I don't have many hypomanic episodes and never a manic episode, so I don't know why my dose got that high. Didn't notice anything significant. Gained 20 lbs, made me sick and tired. Wasn't for me."

• Anonymous
• June 20, 2012

"Manic bipolarism for 7 years. Know I'm a type 'A' person, Depakote, Effexor, Xanax. I come from the medical field, lab, and have seen people come in for blood work on everything from lithium to Thorazine. I have (with M.D. agreement) backed down from 500 mg ER Depakote to 250 mg 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 lifesaver."

• Anonymous
• November 5, 2009

"I have bipolar disorder. This is the only drug that's worked without breaking me out in rashes or making me feel so drugged I couldn't work or function. The only problem I have with it is it makes me a little hyper. It controls my temper well, without making me sleepy."

• Man...
• May 15, 2016

"Noticed that Depakote improved stability of mood and reduced depression. However, it did not help with mania mood swings. This drug also totally removed my libido. I have never experienced such an inability for sexual activity than while taking this drug. A week after stopping the drug, and sexual libido is back. I would avoid this drug if male."

• Dep...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 4, 2018

"After the birth of my daughter, I had a depressive episode. I would like to note I was 40 pounds overweight after having my daughter, normal after childbirth. I delivered a healthy baby, and my pregnancy had no complications, and I had normal lab results on physicals before Depakote. After being on it, I ballooned up another 40 pounds. The Depakote messed with my thyroid issues, gave me obesity, sleeping about sixteen hours a day, mental fog, severe fatigue, depression, and fatty liver diagnosis. I like walking every day, and after the depabloat, I could not get the energy to walk anymore. The doctor blamed everything on me (wonderful doctor). Before Depakote, I did not have any of these problems. So beware. The professionals can care less what the medication does to you. I wouldn’t take this medication again. This was all over the course of eight months. The doctors will blame you for every adverse side effect to cover their own bottoms when prescribing this crud of a medication."

• Kba...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 15, 2019

"I’ve noticed no change in my mood swings or manic tendencies on this drug. I still go through both; in fact, I’m concerned it could be causing me some insomnia. I’ve taken it for about a year, and in the last month I’ve dealt with major depression and mood swings, which bring me swiftly to paranoid thoughts and delusions. All in all, it’s done literally nothing it’s prescribed to do. Everyone will have a different experience on different drugs, so take this with a grain of salt."

• Sio...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 12, 2016

"2007 - Put on 750 mg/day of Depakote alongside Lithium 800 mg/day. Killed libido stone dead. Did not help stabilize mood but worked away destabilizing good lithium effect. Found this out after stopping Depakote in 2014. Depakote has caused prostate cancer, which was removed by radical prostatectomy in June 2014. So it has caused me to be severely incontinent now, with erectile dysfunction. This month, June 2016, it has been confirmed I have Multiple Myeloma, a blood cancer. Depakote is the suspected trigger again. These effects result from being put on Depakote for seven years with no investigation of physical symptoms being reported to 'psychiatric professionals.'"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 14, 2012

"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."

• Gag...
• October 6, 2015

"I honestly don't know how many stars to give this medication as much as I've never had such an experience. I was in a coma-like sleep when my therapist came, I heard myself say, 'we need to go to the airport,' when actually I never said anything at all. I felt drunk waking up, started losing my hearing, and it got cloudy. I only took it for a month, but being in that state of mind frightened me. I gave it up, and my hearing is mostly back, about 98 percent, but my balance and coordination still suffer from the medication but have improved since I stopped it. I was so upset that I called the FDA and reported my experience, I would hate for anyone to go through that. On the plus side? When I was awake and aware and not 'drunk,' it did help my manic episodes."

• Sav...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 26, 2022

"I've spent my life since puberty trying various SSRIs and one SNRI with poor outcomes. Finally, I received a BP2 diagnosis, and since then have been on this medication for a little over a year. I've had neither crushing lows nor frenzied highs since starting this medicine. Even old triggers, like poor sleep or the onset of wintertime, do not cause me much disturbance anymore. This is the only drug I take for my condition. It has significantly curbed my anger and anxiety as well. The only side effects are nausea and stomach cramps if I take it on an empty stomach. The pills smell like vanilla and have a coating that makes it easy to swallow (doesn't stick to your throat). For the first time in a decade, I feel very close to 'normal.' I have hope for my future. For me, this medicine has been a blessing. Bipolar is a serious neurological condition, never be afraid to seek help and advocate for yourself. To all reading: you've got this, and I believe in you!"

• els...
• November 24, 2011

"I was diagnosed with bipolar type II almost 2 months ago at age 40. It was long overdue. 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 master's 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."