Divalproex sodium for Bipolar Disorder User Reviews (Page 2)

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

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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?"

• bus...
• July 6, 2010

"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

"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

"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

"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

"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."

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

"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

"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."

• TLG...
• September 1, 2016

"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

"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

"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."

• Bip...
• April 2, 2016

"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

"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."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 28, 2022

"My husband has bipolar. When we first started dating, I didn't know he was bipolar, but every day was crazy until he had a nervous breakdown and this great doctor put him on Depakote. It took a while, but he got back to handling life and being more of himself. Don't get me wrong, there are still bad days, where he needs to sleep all day or he's ready to fight everyone, but I try to be his anchor, no judgments, but just being there for him. I married him for better or for worse, and it's now been 14 years. He's now on disability with Medicaid, helps a lot. I love him. He knows that no matter what."

• Iva...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 8, 2020

"I've taken the Depakote medication since 2014, and this is the only drug that eases my symptoms without causing extreme sleepiness. Classified as a mild case, most of the time I experience hypomania. Upon finding closure in therapy to change my mindset and behavior, I've been channeling the disposition for self-development and productivity, gradually gaining confidence and control, becoming less dependent on the medication, only taking a tablet each time I'm unable to manage the irritability and distress."

• Sta...
• April 25, 2013

"I was recently hospitalized during a manic episode. I have been treated for bipolar going on 20 years (I'm 41). I have been on Zyprexa and other medicines for anxiety. I am a rapid cycler (frequent manic episodes). I have tried all the meds from A-Z. It's been a while since I've tried Depakote, but it's the first thing they put me on in the hospital. It's been 15 days. I think it's okay, but when I lay down, I feel like weights are holding me to the bed, and I seem to get disoriented as to my location in the house (weird, right?). When I get up, all is fine again. If anyone has experienced this, please share, it would really help. Let's face it, 'regular' people would freak just having this discussion."

• pre...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 30, 2018

"I've been on Depakote for over a month now, it has really helped me. I was diagnosed with bipolar II at the age of 16, I'm 21 now. This was the first medicine that I have tried. I still get down and depressed sometimes, but it is nothing like I used to. All of my suicidal thoughts have stopped, I used to have them multiple times a day. Depakote has also helped very well with my anger and aggression issues. I feel as if I can live a normal life now and handle tough situations better. I would definitely recommend this medicine for anyone dealing with bipolar disorder!"

• Anonymous
• October 3, 2012

"Depakote has been a lifesaver for me. I take 250mg in the morning and 500mg at bedtime. Weight gain was minimal, 5 lbs that I have lost recently by going on the South Beach Diet. I also take 200mg of Zoloft. I sleep okay but usually need a nap in the afternoon. I look forward to my life now instead of just existing."

• akc...
• September 27, 2014

"I started on Depakote with my new neurologist. I've had bad depression and bipolar attacks, but about 2 years ago, I started having seizures. This new neurologist took me off all my medicines and just put me on a low dose of Depakote. I've been seizure-free and much happier in general. The only issues are the constant snacking and I seem to catch colds and flus easier. Any advice about that?"

• Ste...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 13, 2018

"Today is my second day on Depakote. I was freezing yesterday, and it was 80 degrees. I have been on gabapentin, lithium, Celexa, Wellbutrin, Lexapro, and so many others. I tried to commit suicide 3 weeks ago, and that’s when I decided enough was enough. As soon as my oldest started ninth grade, I started sleeping on the couch, having crazy mood swings, and then my daughter graduated. I slept on that couch for 6 years. My husband worked 3rd shift and me day shift. I was self-medicating with hydros, then when I wanted to stop that, I got addicted to Suboxone. I also have a thyroid disease and had no idea that played into it. I’ve weaned myself off all drugs, and now they started me out 500 mg twice a day, and my thyroid medicine. This is going to be a long road, but I know it will be worth it. Please don’t give up."

• Bol...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 30, 2014

"This medication helped my symptoms tremendously. The main issue I had (and had to stop taking the medication) was a low platelet count. Please, if you are on this medication, have your platelets checked routinely. My therapist never told me this could be a side effect. I finally went to my family physician because I was bruising so badly."