Divalproex sodium for Bipolar Disorder User Reviews (Page 3)

• Lin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 19, 2012

"I have just been diagnosed with bipolar disorder after goodness knows how many years of episodes. It took my shrink the best part of 2 years to finally diagnose me after many different antidepressants, sleepless nights, racing thoughts, and wild partying until the early hours (sometimes on my own!). I just started on Depakote 3 weeks ago, initially on 500 mg per day, which didn't help my mania. Now I'm on 500 mg in the morning and 500 mg in the evening, which calms me down, helps me sleep, deals with my irritability and mania, and generally slows me down. I have found that I get eye jolts and fuzziness, but for the first time in 3 years (when it all started back up!), I am beginning to feel 'normal.' We'll see how it goes. My consultant has mentioned lithium also."

• 46j...
• August 18, 2016

"Depakote was prescribed to me after two manic episodes. I've been on a lot of bipolar meds, so many that have made me so depressed I spent a whole summer in bed. Depakote definitely saved my life. It's been a year now, a little anxiety, but not nearly as much as I've had in the past, and a little weight gain and tiredness. But no mania and very little to no depression, so thank you, Depakote. I rate you a 10, it's been a year and no mania. :) You're a lifesaver. I take 1500 mg, though, so that might be why I'm so tired."

• qwe...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 26, 2017

"Love this medication. After 2-3 years of severe, long-lasting manic episodes, I finally decided to take meds full time. Hardly any side effects, very hungry, simply eat normally and you won't put weight on. The medication doesn't make you fat, eating does. Occasionally very tired, and my stomach, from time to time, gets a little funny. Just take with lots of water and food. Very calm, can concentrate, no racing thoughts, level, basically gave me my life back. Works well at 750 even though I'm 80 kgs. Dr. upped me to 1000 mg but felt too sedated, so dropped back down. I move to 1000 mg if I feel like I'm starting to drift a little for a few weeks, then move back. However, this is the 7th med I have tried, all others have failed. Never write one med off."

• Bel...
• July 22, 2015

"This was my first medication for bipolar. I'm a 40-year-old woman and a long-distance runner. This medication was great because it made the rapid thoughts and anxiety go away. However, if you're an athlete like I am, I found this difficult as it caused extreme fatigue to the point where I was a couch potato not wanting to do anything. I gained 10 pounds in the first month and found it exhausting to run even a mile, where I'm accustomed to running much more. My doctor is switching me to Topamax, today will be my first day taking it, and I'm praying for good results."

• Deb...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 7, 2020

"I was diagnosed with Bipolar I, forty years ago. On Lithium first. Made me worse. Treated with over 30 drugs, all made me worse, before realizing Depakote ONLY was the med for me. A doc explained to me that folks who lean toward mania should not take antidepressants. Hindsight! Then, after years of benzos PRN, I started experiencing interdose withdrawals that wrecked my entire immune system. NEVER take benzos!!! Trying to get off of them almost killed me. I got down to 95 pounds. Also, coming off of them is DANGEROUS! Must be done SLOWLY under the guidance of a medical professional who is experienced with the withdrawal risks and tapering schedules. Google the CNN Lisa Ling special. Now with anything I try, one new medicine at a time under close medical supervision. Then I know what it does FOR and TO me. Less is more. After years of being on various cocktails, Depakote alone is best for me."

• Anonymous
• October 15, 2012

"This medication has kept me stable for 4 years. I am now 23 and was on 1000 mg at night. I recently went down as my blood tests came back too high. So I went back down to 700 mg and had another manic episode. I am now in the process of finding an antipsychotic to go with it. I have managed to stay at 110 lbs for 4 years with a healthy diet and exercise. The only side effects I had were major hair loss, slight tremors, and nausea. All of which have passed within a year."

• 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."

• X21...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 20, 2014

"Had to take it in conjunction with Seroquel for it to work. Currently on 1g of Depakote ER per day and 50mg of Seroquel per night. With the two mood stabilizers, I am able to take 20mg of Dexedrine ER for my ADHD to focus on work/school without spinning myself into a hypomanic episode. Keep experimenting until you find what works. I know it can be discouraging, but you'll get there eventually."

• 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."

• J2 ...
• December 1, 2017

"I'm going to say this. This medication has been a lifesaver for me. I've been on it for six months now. I take it for migraines, bipolar, and seizures. No noticeable side effects except for a lot of ear popping. I am a lot calmer than what I used to be. My anxiety is still there, but it isn't as bad as it was. I can actually function on this medication. My family can be around me now. I used to rapid cycle and have mixed episodes at least ten times a week. Now they're gone. It's nice to be normal for a change. No grandiose delusions. No audible delusions. I am a little bit sleepier than normal. But with a change of diet, I'm okay. No hair falling out. Just the normal hair loss when it comes to the change of weather."

• SF1...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 2, 2018

"I am a guy who underwent 30 years of treatment for anxiety/depression until I was finally correctly diagnosed with BP2 and ADHD. Depakote ER 2000 mg at night is my mainstay med. My default mixed states are well-controlled by Depakote. Xanax works as a rescue med at far lower doses than I took before Depakote. Early hair loss (now resolved), no weight gain. I take 20 mg Dexedrine daily for ADHD; Depakote doesn't let it trigger hypomania. Ketamine infusions and nose spray cover the depressive side."

• Sus...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 27, 2016

"Honestly, this medicine has saved my life! I went from having multiple long-lasting episodes of mania to none. Yeah, I still get the thoughts, but I'm relaxed and able to make conscious choices now that I'm on it. The only negative side effect is the hair loss, but it's temporary, but so worth it. Nothing is better than feeling like you are in control of yourself, and this medicine does this for you. Don't be scared to ask your doctor about it!"

• Kir...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 2, 2013

"Depakote ER is the only medicine I can take for my bipolar. I have side effects to every medicine I've been on for bipolar. I can't take the generic. It really bothers my stomach. It doesn't do much for depression. Anything I take for depression makes me manic. I have been on almost all medications on the market. I have to learn to live with depression and work my hardest to accept it. I've been living with bipolar for 38 years. I wish that the brand name wasn't so expensive. It's very hard for me to afford, but it must come before food if necessary."