Depakote for Epilepsy User Reviews (Page 2)

• Anonymous
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 16, 2013

"I was on Depakote for many years, and in 2001, I had a case of a high fever, which was finally diagnosed as drug-related hepatitis after 3+ weeks in the hospital and having almost every test under the sun. After I was taken off Depakote, my fever went down, and I lost approximately 15 pounds."

• Dan...
• September 22, 2009

"I have been on Depakote for about two years now, and it has certainly been effective in stopping both grand mal and petit mal seizures. I was diagnosed with localization-related epilepsy when I was 21, but this drug is great in that it treats many types of epilepsy. Still, I did experience negative side effects, such as hair loss, a little weight gain, and drowsiness, although all of these were slight enough that they didn't really affect my life. Because Depakote isn't ideal for young women like myself, my doctor suggested I try another drug. After a brief stint on Keppra (which made me feel like I was walking in a haze - awful!), however, I switched back to Depakote, only this time adjusting was way harder - I was incredibly emotional."

• APe...
• September 20, 2015

"I was on Depakote for 1 year following 3 grand mal seizures that had been brought on by starting fluoxetine. Fluoxetine, and most SSRIs, carry the risk of seizures. They hit me hard and without warning, so I was on Depakote for a year after the final seizure and after stopping fluoxetine. It does what it is supposed to do. I had no more seizures; however, I gained over 20 lbs quickly. The weight came back off once I was off the Depakote, but you will most likely put on weight with this medication."

• Anonymous
• April 28, 2010

"Depakote was the first epilepsy medication I ever took, and it did work in controlling my seizures; I never had a single one while on it. However, every single 'lesser' side effect on the drugs.com description sheet happened to me. I became depressed, I gained weight, my body clock went totally haywire, and my periods, which were already irregular, became even more so. I attributed most of this to me just being in middle school (I was in 7th grade at the time), but most of it stopped after my doctor switched me to Lamictal a few months later."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 23, 2012

"On the morning of June 23rd, I awoke with a terrible seizure (my first). Throughout the day, I got progressively worse, went into the doctor's office, and the following morning, had slipped into a deep coma. In this coma, I apparently continued these seizures. Depakote was used through my nasogastric (NG) tube, and it seemed to help a lot. My only issue now is some trembling, which is more noticeable when I'm weaker or more tired. Overall, the use of this medicine has been very beneficial."

• dre...
• October 28, 2009

"I have been on Depakote for 13 years after I had 2 grand mal seizures in one year. After being placed on the Depakote delayed release, I have been fine ever since. There was a time that I tried the extended release and my legs started to show some spikes, so I switched back to be on the safe side, which was the better call. I also use the sprinkles. As for the weight gain, I never really gained more than about ten pounds, but I stay active and mainly keep it off. My doctor also put me on Topamax, which helps balance out the weight gain because Topamax makes you lose weight and Depakote makes you gain, so they both kind of cancel each other out. Topamax also helps with seizures, so it was an addition, and I have been seizure-free for 13 years."

• Lep...
• August 24, 2009

"As far as control, this drug has been a godsend. In the way of weight gain, this drug has been a nightmare. I have gained 90 lbs in the 10 years on this drug. I have tried switching medicines, but have had two seizures doing so. I am healthy other than the weight gain. The drug has done what it is meant to do: stop seizures. I call it being fat and functional."

• Sur...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• June 19, 2021

"I have been on Depakote since 1990. It is the one and only drug that has managed to stop my grand mal seizures. I had brain cancer in 1989 and was put on several other anti-seizure medications that didn’t work or had horrific side effects before finally being put on Depakote. It has saved the quality of my life immensely. I highly recommend it."

• Anonymous
• March 26, 2010

"I was put on Depakote originally to control my seizures. I loved it. Then, when I found out it also was used as a medicine for bipolar disorder, I was thrilled. However, then the love affair ended. My husband and I went to a reproductive endocrinologist and found out that it commonly caused women to have polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS. I now have it and am taking medicine for diabetes, which PCOS can lead to. I still wish that I could take it because it really helped with my seizures and also helped with my bipolar disorder."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 27, 2022

"I have been taking 1000 mg daily (500 mg every 12 hours) for 12 years since I was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy. I had both petit mal and grand mal seizures. This was the first medicine the doctor prescribed to me, and it is working. The only time I had a seizure was when I tried reducing my dosage to half without talking to my doctor. Once I got back to my regular dosage, I got no more seizures. I do consume chocolate and caffeinated tea liberally, coffee (no more than a cup a day), and occasionally alcohol (but never in large doses), and this has not caused any seizures in my case while taking this medicine. Although I do have a milder form of epilepsy and most certainly I do not recommend or believe that doing this is safe for every epilepsy patient, this could be very dangerous or fatal for some, I just know my limits well. I had mild side effects from this medicine, such as the occasional tremors when tired, but nothing more. I am satisfied with it."

• Mba...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 16, 2021

"WORST EXPERIENCE. I suffer from epilepsy and was prescribed this with various medications due to my active seizures that regularly happen 2-3 times a month when I was still in high school (age 14-18). This medication didn't help at all. Instead, it messed up my mood. I was a teenager when I was first prescribed it, and it drove me crazy as I wasn't able to handle the side effects. My friends and teachers felt bad, and most could tell the sudden mood changes when I'm taking it. One time the teacher actually thought I was consuming an illegal drug or alcohol. Side effects: 1. Didn't help with my seizure at all 2. Super aggressive (reduces depression but makes you aggressive) 3. Weird sleeping patterns 4. Bad memory. Really affects your memory 5. Increases heart rate and anxiety 6. Hallucinations. For those suffering from epilepsy, I recommend another drug because I think Depakote focuses more on moods (bipolar and depression) instead of seizures."

• 1te...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 16, 2020

"I have had epilepsy for 40+ years now. About 15 to 20 years ago, my neurologist switched me from Dilantin to Depakote, Zonegran, and Phenobarbital (I used to get fever convulsions). I have been seizure-free since."

• sjm...
• July 27, 2010

"I have no problems with this medicine not working unless I forget to take my medicine! I am not sure if it causes you to have seizures that you normally wouldn't have had (if you hadn't forgotten your dose) or not? I think for me, yes it does. So, for myself, if I miss a few doses, a seizure is bound to happen!"

• dsk...
• June 13, 2008

"I was on Depakote for 17 years with little to no breakthrough seizures. Then I suddenly developed leukopenia and had to be removed from the drug. I have not found another medication that has been as effective as Depakote. I am presently on Carbatrol and have had breakthrough seizures monthly, and after 7 years have again developed leukopenia from it."

• Jb3...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 30, 2020

"I have been taking Depakote a while now. I've been seizure-free for years, however, I feel this drug has some side effects. I feel depression, can't sleep most nights. I'm thinking of talking to my doctor and getting off this drug. Honestly, I don't want any drug. I want to try to go drug-free and hope for the best."

• kat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 22, 2019

"I was on Depakote when I was 16 or 17 for my epilepsy. I started having suicidal thoughts two weeks after starting Depakote. It really freaked me out. I told my parents and my doctors, and they took me off of Depakote. As soon as it was out of my system, the suicidal thoughts went away."

• Anonymous
• November 22, 2011

"This medicine has been generally quite effective in controlling my seizures, once I controlled for other factors like sleep, caffeine, etc. I gained 10% or so of my body weight in the winter, but I'm pretty confident if I work harder I can reverse that (by more regular workouts and more careful fat and especially carb intake)."

• Ros...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 9, 2019

"I just recently started taking Depakote for seizures. I was on Keppra 1000 mg 2x daily. I was losing a lot of weight, from 150 to 129. I had a seizure that caused full body paralysis. It usually only happened on the left side of my body. I suffered 2 strokes and then started having seizures after 1 year ago. I was diagnosed with a blood disorder that causes clots, hence the strokes and then seizures. The neurologist diagnosed me with what they call Todd's Palsy. Then, just recently, I had a bad seizure with blackouts and full body paralysis. She also diagnosed me with FND (Functional Neurological Disorder), my brain isn't sending the right signals to tell my body parts what to do. Slow, slurred speech. Memory issues, word searching when speaking. So we changed the medication to Depakote as I was losing a lot of weight. I was a week away from signing my DNR because of how thin I was. Mind you, I'm only 48 years old."

• Epa...
• July 25, 2020

"Due to seizures, I’ve been on different meds, starting with Carbamazepine/Tegretol for 25 years, then a neurologist switched me to Keppra and Depakote. My question is to all who have taken these meds: have you ever been diagnosed with high blood pressure because of these meds?"

• Mr ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 20, 2020

"Not sure if this drug caused me to get into a car accident triggered by a dizzy spell or not. Initially, doctors thought I was having seizures at age 53. I had to consult with three neurologists before one came to the conclusion I didn’t fit the clinical context of seizures. The only credible diagnosis seemed to be adrenal insufficiency causing blackouts. I may have had an underlying undiagnosed issue but would be very cautious with this drug."

• NRu...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 16, 2013

"I have been on Depakote for 15 years, I have juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. No side effects for me. I really like this medicine. It makes me feel safe all the time."

• Ale...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 20, 2020

"If you want to lower your IQ 50 points, take Depakote."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 10 years or more
• May 25, 2022

"Long-term use results in involuntary hand tremors. Can't miss one dose without risk of suffering from nocturnal seizures. Bad!!"

• Joe...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 4, 2018

"Makes me so drowsy all the time. I'm on 1000 mg a day. Gained 40 pounds. Affects my work and grad school. Slows down my brain and gives me anxiety. Icing on the cake is I’m balding now at age 24."

• JRM...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 16, 2012

"Hair loss, extreme fatigue, weight gain, hands trembling, and sometimes ringing in ears."