Divalproex sodium and Anxiety: What Users Say

• 46j...
• August 18, 2016

Divalproex sodium for Bipolar Disorder "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."

• Piz...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 17, 2022

Divalproex sodium 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."

• Anonymous
• March 1, 2012

Divalproex sodium 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."

• SFL...
• June 10, 2011

Divalproex sodium for Epilepsy "I have used Depakote for the past 13 years now, 500 mg per day. The only side effects were nausea and anxiety for the first day or two. At that point, I was taking 1000 mg. My neurologist pulled back the dosage to 750 mg and later 500 mg. I've never had weight gain as a result of it and notice no ill effects with light drinking. I did stop taking Depakote for about 6 months about 10 years ago and soon thereafter had a petit mal seizure. I immediately went back on Depakote and haven't had an issue since. Really couldn't be more satisfied with this medicine."

• top...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 22, 2022

Divalproex sodium for Epilepsy "This is the worst drug I have ever taken. I started off with double vision, muscle weakness, and instability, so I could not walk, and dizziness. I fell and broke three ribs. I had hallucinations, aggressive behavior, anxiety, mood changes, and paranoia. I was in the hospital when all this happened, and they kept giving it to me. I tried to escape the hospital, and the goon squad stopped me. One night I was convinced I was going to be kidnapped. I had to go to rehab to learn how to walk with a walker. The rehab doctor cut the dosage, and my mental health improved. They kept giving me opiates for my back pain. I also had other side effects such as back pain, runny nose, difficulty sleeping, and constipation. When I finally got home, I quit taking this stuff. In about four weeks, I was back to normal."

• Anonymous
• October 30, 2011

Divalproex sodium for Bipolar Disorder "I was prescribed 1 week ago and seen an immediate improvement, although I started feeling more anxious all day, so I am now on Xanax instead of Klonopin, which I was originally on. I started with 500 mg for 3 days, then 1000, and now 1500, but I feel much more stable. I definitely feel hungry all the time. I was on Lamictal previously, and I believe that made my disorder worse. I feel great now."

• Bi-...
• April 27, 2011

Divalproex sodium for Bipolar Disorder "I was diagnosed with bipolar back in 1993 after the birth of my last child. Being the youngest in my family, I was not told of the condition being hereditary. I was prescribed 750 mg to begin with and now at 500 mg a day. I cannot attribute any weight gain to Depakote, as at current I am in postmenopause and weight gain is likely. I've had no issues with my liver; however, I do bruise easily. At the time I began Depakote, I was running on overdrive and zapping out, not sleeping, not eating, feeling guilty, anxious, panic attacks, etc. Since then, I have returned to a relatively normal life. I have currently been put on Effexor to help with my postmenopausal symptoms. I'll update you on my progress."

• Edd...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 31, 2022

Divalproex sodium for Epilepsy "I'm epileptic. I have been having seizures since my early teens. I’m 52 now. I was born with a tumor in my brain. The tumor has been removed, but the damage of the scar tissue is causing me to have seizures. I have been taking Depakote 2000mg a day, and I take with it Keppra 1000mg a day for 2 years, and the side effects suck. I can’t sleep, I stutter, I’m always anxious, and I have tremors. I have my ups and downs, mood swings. I lost my hair, I’m easily angered or frustrated and nervous. I also have high blood pressure now and have to take high blood pressure meds. I smoke THC and CBD to help. I’m usually nauseous, and I have digestive problems, if you know what I mean. I still have seizures, mainly blackouts. I haven’t had a grand mal seizure for a bit. But I would like to know if anyone came down with high blood pressure when started taking the meds."

• Edd...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 31, 2022

Divalproex sodium for Epilepsy "I'm epileptic. I have been having seizures since my early teens. I’m 52 now. I was born with a tumor in my brain. The tumor has been removed, but the damage of the scar tissue is causing me to have seizures. I have been taking Depakote 2000mg a day, and I take with it Keppra 1000mg a day for 2 years, and the side effects suck. I can’t sleep, I stutter, I’m always anxious, and I have tremors. I have my ups and downs, mood swings. I lost my hair, I’m easily angered or frustrated and nervous. I also have high blood pressure now and have to take high blood pressure meds. I smoke THC and CBD to help. I’m usually nauseous, and I have digestive problems, if you know what I mean. I still have seizures, mainly blackouts. I haven’t had a grand mal seizure for a bit. But I would like to know if anyone came down with high blood pressure when started taking the meds."

• Jil...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 25, 2018

Divalproex sodium for Bipolar Disorder "Been on Depakote and Prozac for three days. I take 20 mg Prozac in the morning and 750 mg Depakote before bed. First day great.. I felt better! My mood was noticeably happy, and I could actually think clearer without being agitated. Second day had trouble sleeping, anxiety, tremors, and a little hallucinations. Third day terrible nausea, panic attack, in the bathroom every 20 mins seems like, bedtime abdominal pain, and diarrhea. I'm slowly coming off of this med now."

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

Divalproex sodium for Epilepsy "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."

• its...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 29, 2022

Divalproex sodium for Bipolar Disorder "Before Depakote, I was a complete mess. Crying, rage issues, kept feeling like something bad was about to happen or I was going to lose my mind. It was a very rough 2 months of these feelings. When I started Depakote, I started noticing pretty quickly how much better I was feeling. I take 750 mg. My only negative is I've gained 11 pounds in 2 months and cannot shed them. I need this medicine increased, but the weight gain increases my anxiety and depression. So not sure if I'll stay on this. But it definitely helps if you don't mind gaining weight!"

• Und...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 12, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "After two valiant attempts to get past the adverse effects, I'm finished with Depakote. The first attempt lasted a week; as it can exaggerate the effects of other meds, I became so drowsy I couldn't drive. For the second attempt, it wasn't combined with any other medication and lasted 3 weeks. I felt continually agitated and anxious, began to quickly gain weight, had terrible gas, and was going to the bathroom 4-5 times a day. Additionally, my hair began to fall out so quickly, even my husband noticed (and he's not very observant!). The most disturbing symptom was the frequent presence of pronounced, irregular heartbeats and at least one near-syncopal episode. All this in just 21 days-thanks, but no thanks!"

• Kmc...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 29, 2023

Divalproex sodium "So I’ve been diagnosed with bipolar and then undiagnosed. I have severe MDD, crying fits, severe panic, and anxiety. I was petrified to try Depakote. I started at 250 mg ER twice a day and went up to 750 mg (250 mg three times a day). I have light sensitivity and I did gain weight, but partially that’s my fault for eating foods I should not. It has been my lifesaver. My new doctor recently lowered my dose and I feel horrible. Severe anxiety and depression, sleep issues, I’m going back up on my dose. Personally, my side effects have been minimal. Depakote is also very different as it helps produce GABA, which helps anxiety and panic disorders. I was losing hope, but it has been my lifeline."

• AFC...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 12, 2022

For Bipolar Disorder "I have type 1 bipolar disorder, but have always had depression and only one time mania. The psychiatrist only gave me valproic acid and antipsychotics that weren't effective, no matter how much I told her that valproic acid did not work for me, it wasn't effective for the depression I had. In addition, it was difficult for the doctor to order tests to measure blood levels. Look for information, and valproic acid only protects from mania and ''can help with depression,'' but it does not treat it. I am from the depressive pole, so it is not effective for me. She never let me stop taking valproic acid, so I changed my psychiatrist, and the new one put me on lamotrigine and risperidone. I changed risperidone to quetiapine and finally stopped it. In the year that I have been taking lamotrigine, I have not had mania or depression, and only occasional anxiety due to stressful situations, which is normal. Thank God I no longer take valproic acid, it should be one of the last options in bipolar disorder."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 30, 2017

For Epilepsy "My husband took this for a week, and he turned into an unmotivated, angry, heart-palpitating, paranoid zombie. He had no relief for his headache and had tremors so bad he could not hold a fork to eat. Stomach pain, loss of appetite, hair falling out, and left arm pain, to name a few more. I don't know why any doctor would order this for brain tumor pain. It is just awful. This drug may work for others, but for pain, it's useless."

• Bad...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 18, 2021

Divalproex sodium for Mania "I started on 2000 mg a day, 1000 mg in the morning, 1000 mg at night. Got taken off 7 other meds that were working for it. Have been having bad manic episodes, depression, and anxiety. Have tremors, can't eat or sleep. Almost as bad as Haldol. Not a wonderful drug at all. Been on it over a month and now have to wean myself off it. I just want this out of my life."

• Van...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 11, 2022

For Bipolar Disorder "Psychiatrist added 750 mg in 10/22. I'm now more positive/not pessimistic and not irritated at silly stuff anymore. 150 mg Pristiq alone doesn't help me with that. Pristiq since 2012. For me, Divalproex isn't for depression, fatigue, my fibromyalgia, etc. Withdrawal (major psychiatric distress - incredibly overwhelming low feeling that's literally physically painful in my brain) once ~24 hr from trying to decrease it to 500 mg after just 2 months of being on 750 mg. Never again. Going up to 1,000 mg gave me major anxiety. Never again. So, 750 mg is my sweet spot for my particular body composition (5'11 and neither obese nor stick thin). Dx'ed with Bipolar 2 in 10/22 after trying 3 times to slowly taper down Seroquel 50 mg (due to a b/c pill psychiatric distress reaction). Divalproex was added. Still had a trip to the psych unit a couple months later for psychiatric distress. Latuda was then added and progressively raised. Still not a good fit for me and trying to find something that is."

• Anonymous
• September 25, 2009

Divalproex sodium for Mania "It made my mania go away. I was less tense and more calm... but it seemed to increase my anxiety."

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

Divalproex sodium for Epilepsy "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."

• Anonymous
• May 21, 2010

Divalproex sodium for Bipolar Disorder "Working much better than Lithium for bipolar disorder. Lithium caused slurred speech and made me feel sluggish and foggy. Doing much better except for anxiety, which is still the same."

• Anonymous
• September 30, 2010

Divalproex sodium for Migraine Prevention "Depakote twice a day worked for the headache, but made me so anxious that I could barely function. Once a day is not working for the headache. Guess I have to try something else."