Valproic acid for Bipolar Disorder User Reviews

• Res...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 7, 2021

"This drug is clearly extremely dangerous for some people. It was for me. I felt like I was an entirely different person - and not a normal person either. It was as if an alien had taken over my body. I had bizarre paranoid thoughts and started thinking I was seeing symbols in everything. I lost all motivation and purpose. I became depressed and suffered from chronic insomnia that caused me to be awake at night and asleep during the day. My right hand started to tremble involuntarily. It got so bad that I couldn’t write or type. I lost the dexterity of my fingers such that I had to purchase voice recognition software to type and use my computer for the work I was doing. And my memory crumbled. I would walk into the kitchen from another room only to forget why I went there. This happened constantly and daily."

• ver...
• February 29, 2020

"Once diagnosed with bipolar 2, they switched me from Seroquel to sodium valproate. Initially, 200 mg am & pm. The difference was amazing! Sure, a bit of loose bowel, but that went away. I was clear, focused, & calm. We did baseline blood levels. But whilst waiting to see the psychiatrist next, I went slightly high, then crashed the next week. Fortunately, I managed to get a message to the psychologist & psychiatrist. The doctor wanted to increase the dose, but when you've lived with lows, it becomes normal. I didn't know how bad I was. Luckily, my appointment with the psychiatrist was about 4-5 days later. He realized I could hardly tell what day it was. I had little memory of the previous few days. He wanted to admit me, but I have no care for my son. So, he increased my dose immediately to 500 am & pm. A bit groggy the first am, but I came good extremely fast. Absolutely an amazing drug. Acts so fast. A little bit of dry mouth, but I think that'll pass. It's a lifesaver. I really wanted to stay working, & it got me back to normal very quickly."

• Bja...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 9, 2020

"Have used this medication before with great results, but due to alcoholism, have always stopped taking it. I also have Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, which during severe flare-ups have to use corticosteroids to control it, which make my bipolar symptoms uncontrollable, especially the mania. Have started this medication again, and this time I will stay on it because I feel it will literally save my life. Some minor side effects like weight gain, dry mouth, etc., but that's nothing compared to the symptoms of my illness. All the best to everyone in a similar situation."

• M33...
• October 17, 2018

"Awful, awful medication. Gives me anger like I've never had, and at very random times. Also, I am not an angry person in the slightest. Secondly, it also gave me very depressive tendencies and sent me to the ER."

• Pal...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 6, 2018

"I’ve been on it for about 3 months now. I can’t say it has been good at all. Last month has been the worst - aside from the lack of efficacy, I experienced weight gain, thinning hair, tremors, diarrhea. From a ‘mind’ point of view, I have never been so confused, one minute good, the next very anxious and with lots of irrational racing thoughts (and I’ve been prescribed it over lithium for its supposed anti-anxiety properties). I’m trying to convince my doctor it’s not the drug for me. Best wishes to you all."

• Sch...
• March 17, 2017

"I was diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder in Aug 2016. I was initially started on 500 mg per day, but found my symptoms were still there. After seeing my psychiatrist the following month, this was increased to 750 mg. I still felt the same, so again I saw my psychiatrist, who increased again to 1000 mg. By this time, I was getting fed up, thinking, what's the point? Are these meds ever going to work? Anyway, I carried on taking them, but still no joy, so I went back. The psychiatrist increased my dosage another 250 mg, so I now take 1250 mg per day, 500 mg day / 750 mg night. After a couple of weeks, I noticed a big difference in my personality, and so did others. I'm much less stressed, my moods are normal, I'm so much more laid back, it's untrue."

• Im...
• August 22, 2013

"53 yrs old. Coming on for approximately 6 months, I couldn't think or remember anything. Stayed in bed for days (retired). My face would grimace. Hands and feet would just 'have' to move, trying to 'make the feeling stop.' Relatives said I was avoiding answering direct questions. I was scaring myself, went to the doctor. Already on an antidepressant, he added valproic acid 250 mg 2x a day. Worked perfectly for 13 days, then stopped. Went back in, and he said just hang in there. After another 10 days, it started working again. Every once in a while 'it' comes back, so I take a pill maybe a bit early. Stayed on 3 a day. It has been a miracle for me. Today, I took apart my ceiling fan that had been broken for 2 years and wasn't afraid to do so."

• far...
• January 7, 2014

"Brilliant. After 40 years of bouncing from one medicine to another, this was my answer. It gave me control of my own emotions, not fully, but enough. I'm on a high dose, but the best thing of all is it's just one medication. Nausea, yes, was there, but I found it worth pushing through."

• Mar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 30, 2021

"My husband was prescribed valproic acid for his bipolar disorder. He became a different person, or I should say a shell of a person. He could not even hold his head up. He became ill, vomiting, unable to hold anything down, and dehydrated. He ended up in the hospital over it. I would not recommend this medication to anyone."

• tkd...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 5, 2013

Depakene (valproic acid) "Appreciated what this medicine has done for me. I'm on a pretty high dose and haven't experienced any of the symptoms of nausea or anything like that except right in the very beginning, and that quickly wore off."

• Cas...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 6, 2019

"Wow. Quick acting and highly effective in stabilizing bipolar II disorder. Some initial side effects were vivid dreams, trouble sleeping, racing thoughts, and upset stomach. All of which have passed. That being said, this is my first mood stabilizer, but it has been really effective nonetheless. Turns out I’ve had bipolar and not just manic depression. Really worked for me. I’m on 500 mg CR per day."

• rwa...
• September 29, 2009

"Was prescribed this to stabilize mood swings. Tended toward depressive episodes while on this medication with severe side effects such as feeling faint when walking, going up stairs, etc., unable to sleep, nausea, foggy mind, unable to think of words, constantly dropping things, heart palpitations, very dry eyes, and anxiety."

• Ano...
• December 18, 2015

"One dose of Valproic Poison (Depakote) gave me a rash on my arms and legs. Three weeks later, I still have the rash. I didn't want to take this medication in the first place because of all the horrible side effects, and my doctor convinced me to take it. Trust your instincts."

• bee...
• August 7, 2016

"My p-doc wanted to get me off lithium, which I have been on for 12 years. Lithium was causing a big strain on my kidneys, which would eventually put me on dialysis. Lithium gave me amazing stability, but the combination with Geodon caused ED to be a factor on a semi-frequent occasion. I lost 14 lbs recently before I started Depakote, and since I've been on Depakote for 3 months, I haven't gone up in weight at all. I've had a bigger appetite. My only complaint has been stomach diarrhea, many times with sudden onset. Sometimes it's constipation for a day, followed by several days of diarrhea."

• Mis...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 23, 2019

"Have been on valproic acid 1000 mg. Recently was told to lower to 750 mg at bedtime for insomnia. Feel flat affect; would like my feelings back. Tremors were a problem. Less after lowering meds. Diarrhea aplenty! Thinning hair, depression, nightmares. Sharp pain in the right abdomen wakes me up from sleep."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 14, 2018

"The jury is still out on this medication (branded as Epilim). I was prescribed 1.5g a day to act as a mood stabilizer. It's hard to tell if it's any better than previous medications. I didn't suffer any immediately obvious side effects, and my mood does appear to have been mostly 'stable' since using it. Though I have suffered from increasing memory loss in the years since taking this drug, so there could possibly be a link there? I have read on some of the epilepsy (a condition this medication is usually prescribed for) forums that some 'users' have also experienced short-term memory loss. Perhaps one day (probably after I'm long gone, or at least after my mind has faded away) evidence will come out to support this? For this reason, I can only rate this drug as a neutral 5, with not much firm evidence either way. It's unlicensed for my condition, and hence I am (as we all are) being experimented on to some degree."

• Bip...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 25, 2019

"Not for me. Didn’t do much to stabilize me at low levels and sedated me at high levels. Also, the side effects of nausea, hair loss, zero sex drive, etc., didn’t help. There were periods where I thought it was working, but those never lasted."

• Loa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 21, 2020

"I’ve been taking 125 mg in the morning and 375 mg at night (total: 500 mg daily, I’m very small—4’11” and 100 lbs), and I feel like this med has helped me a lot. I have bipolar 1 disorder, which was never severe until last year when I turned 27. A few months ago, I was almost hospitalized after not sleeping for a week and being very agitated/hallucinating, but then I started this med. I’m sleeping 9 hours a night and able to work again! It has been about 2 months since I started the med, and I’m slowly rebuilding my life."

• cau...
• July 6, 2011

Depakene (valproic acid) "My doctor prescribed me this medication, and on the first night I took it, I had bad nausea. I told my doctor about it and decided to give it another chance a few days later. The second time, it caused nausea, heartburn, and left an acid feel in my mouth, so I don't know if it works for other people, but the side effects weren't worth it."

• Cry...
• January 9, 2020

"I was prescribed this medication after being diagnosed with bipolar. After a few weeks, I found I was in the most depressive state I’ve ever been in - no hope, no will to live, the most insecure I have ever felt in my entire life. Did I mention the weight gain aspect of it? - actually water weight, not fat, but it isn’t pleasant regardless. I work from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. I go to the gym from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. every night, yet I couldn’t sleep for the life of me. The insomnia it caused had me sleeping less than 3 hours a night, which when dealing with bipolar is just asking for trouble. I don’t like this medication, the side effects I had a problem with may seem “stupid,” but to me, feeling that way in general and about myself is not a life worth living. This medication made every day more of a struggle to get through than ever before. I have talked with my Dr. and am going to explore more natural supplements alongside my healthy lifestyle and therapy."

• Kim...
• January 14, 2016

"This was the first drug I was prescribed when I was diagnosed. I took it for seven months, and in the beginning, it seemed to get worse. I ended up having to take three a day, but even that didn't feel like it was working. Towards the end, it made my manic episodes worse and made me feel like I was spinning out of control. I had to switch drugs."

• Jay...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 16, 2020

"So previously I was on sodium valproate a while ago for bipolar disorder, and I think I was on a low dose alongside lithium, and back then I didn't notice any side effects. However, now I am on a 500 mg dose, and it is causing some problems. I've noticed that I am starting to urinate all the time, and I also believe it has gotten to the point of also causing unpleasant pains in my testicles. My gut feeling is this drug is not really suitable for bipolar, as it also slows the mind and creates bad brain fog, which I've experienced. Lithium really is the go-to for bipolar or lamotrigine."

• Jim...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 3, 2021

"Excellent! I've been completely stable since the medication fully kicked in and am now trying to put my life back together after 13 years of being manic and depressed (misdiagnosis). The only downside for me was severe insomnia when I first started taking the medication, my doctor prescribed a very ugly sleeping med to 'take when needed' (Nozinan). I almost stopped taking it, VERY happy that I kept taking it!"

• Cra...
• January 30, 2016

"Was prescribed this while rapid cycling and in a mixed manic state. Works great, I had no side effects. Been stable on it for 2 months now, taking 1000mg at night."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 11, 2012

"Hallucinations, depression, mania, aggression."