Depakote User Reviews & Ratings (Page 5)
Depakote has an average rating of 6.4 out of 10 from a total of 331 reviews on Drugs.com. 49% of reviewers reported a positive experience, while 26% reported a negative experience.
Reviews for Depakote
- els...
- November 24, 2011
For Bipolar Disorder "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."
- Sio...
- Taken for 5 to 10 years
- July 12, 2016
For Bipolar Disorder "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
For Bipolar Disorder "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."
- Kba...
- Taken for 1 to 2 years
- November 15, 2019
For Bipolar Disorder "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."
Are you taking this medicine?
Your review helps others make informed decisions.- Mis...
- Taken for 1 to 6 months
- October 27, 2020
For Bipolar Disorder "This is a very effective drug for most people with bipolar and anger disorders. It can be used in higher doses when there is also a diagnosis of insomnia. It does different things to different people, but it is generally tolerated well. I'm a RN with bipolar and also work with a psychiatric population. Just a PSA: if you have a loved one with psychiatric issues in a facility because you don't want to/can't deal with taking care of them yourself, you have no right to complain when the facility medicates for behavior issues. 1) You didn't want to deal with it yourself, but now you expect others to. 2) 'Behaviors' usually indicate the patient is in a distressed state; nobody hits/kicks/screams/refuses care because they are comfortable and happy. It might upset you that mom can't be away exactly when you want her to be, but it's really not about you. Take her home and take care of her yourself, and if you want to stop psych meds when it's your turn, then more power to you."
- Anonymous
- December 3, 2011
For Bipolar Disorder "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) every day, 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 130 lbs starting, now am 178 lbs."
- Bip...
- Taken for 1 to 2 years
- February 21, 2016
For Mania "Good medicine. Blood tests are annoying. I wet the bed a couple of nights a week on this med because it knocked me out. It takes a while to get used to, but it's overall not that bad of a med. Works well for mania."
- tee...
- Taken for 1 to 2 years
- January 20, 2018
For Bipolar Disorder "I have been taking Depakote at 1000 mg for the past year and a half. I also take Risperdal at 1 mg and just added Zoloft at 100 mg as well. The only positive thing this medicine has done for me is rid me of mania. I am constantly depressed and have persistent suicidal/negative thoughts. I feel like I have been sleepwalking through my life since I have been put on this medication. Also, I have gained 50 pounds and am so hungry all the time. I also have zero libido. When I say zero, I mean zero. I have had sex on this medication, and it was the most unenjoyable experience ever. Just nothing. Next time I go to see my psychiatrist, I am going to ask to switch medications. This might work for some, but it has not worked for me in the slightest."
- Kay...
- April 23, 2011
For Migraine Prevention "Depakote worked great as a migraine preventative, but caused a weight gain of over 100 pounds in less than 3 months. It also caused non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (aka extreme fatty liver). I also now have Type 2 diabetes. My body was shutting down because of Depakote. If you decide to take it, please, please, please keep up with the blood tests to check liver function and see your doctor immediately if you have sudden weight gain. By the way, after over 12 years, the last 50 pounds of that weight gain is stubbornly hanging on."
- Piz...
- Taken for 1 to 6 months
- December 17, 2022
For Bipolar Disorder "HORRIBLE!!! I tried taking this for 4 months, and I had to cut it cold turkey. The side effects: unmanageable, it made me manic, it made me HUNGRY all the time, for carbs, carbs, and more carbs, irritable at things I never would imagine being angry at, bloated, screaming, crying daily. It made everything so overwhelming. I couldn't take it anymore. Now, I never recommend cutting cold turkey, I just never have physical side effects from doing that, my whole life. I just could not do it anymore, it made me feel like I was going crazier than crazy."
- tay...
- May 4, 2009
For Mania "I cannot account for those with bipolar I, but this may apply to you if you have been diagnosed with social anxiety, bipolar II, or a mild form of the disorder. On 1000 mg (combined with 200 mg Lamictal), I felt 'far away' when talking to people. I cut back down to 500 mg. I began to feel it was inhibiting my creativity; sometimes I felt 'dumb.' I used other drugs to combat the Depakote from holding me back. Plus, drinking on it caused depression and knocked me out. My doctor should not have put me on this medication to treat me for anxiety."
- lin...
- March 14, 2014
For Epilepsy "Taking Depakote for grand mal seizures since I was 12. I'm 28, it has always worked unless I don't take it. It thinned out my hair, made me gain 15 lbs, and makes me really tired. I take 1000 mg a day. It is very toxic for your liver, you really should not drink on it! Working out helps with battling the tiredness. Hoping to switch to Lamictal again. I hate the side effects, but it works great for grand mal seizures!"
- mop...
- June 4, 2010
For Bipolar Disorder "My 17-year-old daughter started taking Depakote 750 mg 1 1/2 months ago. She has gained 28 pounds. When the dose was upped to 1500 mg, she had daily migraines. We have seen several improvements in her symptoms, but not enough to keep her on a medication that makes her gain weight and decreases her self-esteem."
- Kar...
- Taken for 1 to 6 months
- December 9, 2016
For Bipolar Disorder "Didn't realize how great it was till it was gone. After 4 years of failed cocktails until I found Depakote with Zoloft. I was on it for 3-5 months @1250mg and had excessive weight gain, insatiable hunger, but worth it! I was productive, positive, stabilized, making plans and following through. Then liver enzymes high @ 6 mo. and abruptly taken off... horrible move by panicked doctor. On my third medicine since and all bad results. Any opinions on Depakote retry while protecting my liver with milk thistle & turmeric? My last blood work was best it's ever been. I have no faith in my doctor and am seeking a new one."
- Tam...
- Taken for less than 1 month
- July 11, 2016
For Bipolar Disorder "I took my first dose of Depakote at night before bed. The next day, I was so leveled out; I wasn't talking fast. It was great. The rest of the day, starting around 1:00 p.m., I slept all day. I woke up at 12:00 a.m. with my eyes extremely wide and dilated, my skin on my arms and legs was swirling (like the Starry Night painting), the walls were moving, and things on the wall were levitating up and down. I was up until 3:00 a.m., and an on-call nurse told me to sleep so it would wear off; I have never taken this medication again. (Taken for schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type)"
- Rac...
- Taken for less than 1 month
- June 2, 2013
For Bipolar Disorder "I've been on this for 3 weeks now. It has definitely helped my mania. But I'm still very depressed. I've been having very vivid nightmares, which is strange because I take medicine for those. I also take Ambien and citalopram. I feel like that's a lot of chemicals in my body. I am a drinker, but that hasn't seemed to affect anything. My side effects are pretty much exactly what I've been told and read up on, with the exception of the bad dreams. Blood work must be fine. Doc hasn't called. So far, so good."
- Cpc...
- Taken for 1 to 6 months
- July 23, 2014
For Migraine Prevention "I have struggled with migraines for 14 years. I have tried so many medications over the years. The past 3 years, my migraines have gotten worse. I have been put in the hospital for a week to a week and a half at a time. The last time I went to the neurologist, they added Depakote twice a day to see if it would help cut back on the number of migraines I was having. I would have at least one a day. I was currently on Topamax twice a day, Fioricet, and Zofran. When I started Depakote, I noticed my weight was going up. Well, I have been on the medication 3 months now, and I have gained 40 pounds. This is so crazy. I used to weigh 298 lbs, and I don't want to go back there when my scale started going over the 200 mark again."
- car...
- Taken for 1 to 2 years
- July 9, 2013
For Migraine Prevention "Got on it for migraines, it worked great for the first 8 months. The last 4 months, I've gotten depressed, panic attacks. I lost weight, so weight gain wasn't an issue, but I've always had issues with weight loss and not gaining. Made me lose appetite a lot, and I was never thirsty either."
- Hap...
- Taken for 2 to 5 years
- March 4, 2015
For Epilepsy "I'm 24 years old, and I've been epileptic for about 12 years. I've seen my fair share of doctors, and I was either too medicated or ignored, so remember, the doctor isn't always right. I recently found my current doctor about 3 years ago, and she has gone above and beyond for me. I am currently seizure-free and can drive. I currently take 1000 mg Depakote ER a day, 200 mg of Topamax a day to balance out the weight gain. I do have a slight problem with my hair, it won't grow, but that's okay."
- Anonymous
- March 1, 2012
For Migraine Prevention "Taking Depakote for migraine prevention. My headaches finally went away after a year and a half of chronic migraines. Free for 7 months, but my headaches have returned now. I've also gained 10 pounds since I started the medication, had some hair loss at the beginning, and I do have a problem with constant anxiety."
- Luc...
- October 21, 2011
For Migraine Prevention "For prevention, I give Depakote a 10. I was having migraines 7 days a week. Mine began at the age of 4 (at least that's when I was old enough to put words to how it felt in my head. The doctor said I'd probably had them long before that). I have genetic and environmental migraines. Lucky me! I was in a test group that tried Depakote to see if it worked for the prevention of migraines. I went 14 days without a headache for the first time in 10 years. That was almost 30 years ago. Then the weight gain started. I already had a yo-yo weight problem. My weight (at 6' tall for a female) had never gone over 190. On Depakote, it skyrocketed to 262 lbs. Not nice! I told my neurologist who told me it was all in my head. Changed doctors, taking Topamax now!"
- Rox...
- Taken for 1 to 6 months
- February 9, 2019
For Bipolar Disorder "Depakote has overall been a very good experience for me. I started it about two months ago, and I have not had a manic episode since. I was on Lamictal for 8 years, I went all the way up to 500 mg, and it touched on it and even caused motor tics. The reason why I was able to last that long on it was because Klonopin was masking the symptoms. Once I discontinued, the motor tics vanished. I did not lose hair on the Depakote or have any nasty side effects, but I did gain weight. Now it's stable, and I changed my diet and started exercising. It increases appetite and slows down metabolism, especially in women. But overall, I would say great medication! I no longer need the Klonopin either, which became habit forming."
- csb...
- May 5, 2010
For Migraine Prevention "Very good for helping with migraines, but if you're prone to weight gain, be careful or reconsider. I have gained about 30 pounds in 5 months. I struggle with depression, so gaining weight is not something that I'm dealing with in a good way. It came on very quickly, and I was already overweight... (Just a word of warning about the weight gain)."
- Lif...
- Taken for less than 1 month
- October 14, 2017
For Bipolar Disorder "I've recently gotten married to my partner of 6 years. Last year, he was diagnosed with bipolar. He has tried all different kinds of medicine, but he’s started a new one called Depakote 5-10-17. For the last 2 weeks, he’s had 2 personalities: Mr. Nice and Mr. Horrible. It can change within minutes. Do you think I should contact his doctor or bear with it? He’s never been like this. I can’t talk to him, I can’t even look at him without him asking me what my problem is. This is really out of character. He is normally down, and I know when they are coming, and I can take time out, and after 3-4, he’s back to his normal happy self. But this, I’m not sure how much more I can cope with! We have a 5-year-old who keeps saying, will Daddy get better? I’m just in desperate need for some help."
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For Migraine Prevention "Before Depakote, I've tried vitamin B2, verapamil, and Topamax, but for one reason or another, none of them have worked. About 6 months ago, my doctor started me on Depakote. Once I started using it, my daily headaches became a lot more tolerable, but haven't gone away completely, and my severe migraines are at about once a month. However, like many others, there was a noticeable weight gain-about 20 pounds-soon after I started, and it's been pretty steady since. I've also had a bout of depression recently, but it's hard to tell how that's related to the medicine because it isn't my first time. As of right now, I'm not sure the minor benefits are worth the side effects."