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Thread: Depakote

  1. #1
    Banned Katrine's Avatar
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    Default Depakote

    Does anyone have any experience with this? My new head doc put me on this today. I havn't tried it yet, but as many of you know, I've been on and off pills and drugs for many years, and the battle never seems to end.

    The side effects seem hardcore, but I'm going to try the samples out and see if it helps me. Anyone have any advice or feedback?

    http://www.crazymeds.org/

    Oh No...I don't like this:


    So, what can you expect from the valproate meds?

    Instant middle age, no matter how old you are. Suddenly you'll be old.

    * You'll get fat.
    * You'll go bald, or your hair will thin or change in some way.
    * You'll always have heartburn, diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain or similar stomach complaints.
    * You'll be tired all the time.
    * Your hearing won't be as good as it used to be.
    * You'll have the shakes a lot. Gee, and this is an anticonvulsant?
    * Your liver will hate you.
    * You just won't feel that sexual any more. As if all the the above weren't enough to turn you off, valproates and other anticonvulsants mess with your testosterone.
    Last edited by Katrine; 02-28-2007 at 08:35 PM. Reason: OMFG!!!

    "Have you ever been to American wedding? Where is the vodka, where's marinated herring?" - GB
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mia M
    If a cupcake was tossed at me... well, I'd only be upset if it missed my mouth

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    Featured Member Hello_Kitty27's Avatar
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    Default Re: Depakote

    My friend was on this for a long time....she did gain weight and had TERRIBLE shakes. She'd send me a card or letter, and it was very difficult to read her writing. However, she's on a massive cocktail of anti-depressants, anti-anxieties, anti-psychotics and mood stabilizers. So I'm sure it wasn't just the depakote that did this to her. Oh and she also lost her sex drive. Again, could be all the other meds she's on, I really don't know)






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    Default Re: Depakote

    I took depakote for a while because of migraines. I think it might be part of what ended up causing me to have elevated prolactin levels on a test another doctor gave which in turn caused me to be prescribed very expensive meds for the prolactin.

    It CAN cause you to lose hair. I have personally seen a guy who has taken it a while and he lost a good bit of hair at a young age. The only thing I recall though was some slight hair loss maybe. It's been a while. I do know it didn't help my migraines one bit.

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    Banned gingerlee's Avatar
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    Default Re: Depakote

    I took Depakote from when I was 12-19. It didn't make me lose my hair, but I did get tired very easily, and yeah, your liver will HATE you if you take it for a long time or in really high doses. I had to be careful about how spaced out the doses were, because if I waited too long between them, I would get really flushed and start to shake, get a headache, etc. It was lame, but my Neurontin does the same thing, I think it's just a crappy side effect with this class of drugs.

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    Veteran Member Cherie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Depakote

    Quote Originally Posted by Katrine View Post
    Does anyone have any experience with this? My new head doc put me on this today. I havn't tried it yet, but as many of you know, I've been on and off pills and drugs for many years, and the battle never seems to end.

    The side effects seem hardcore, but I'm going to try the samples out and see if it helps me. Anyone have any advice or feedback?

    http://www.crazymeds.org/

    Oh No...I don't like this:


    So, what can you expect from the valproate meds?

    Instant middle age, no matter how old you are. Suddenly you'll be old.

    * You'll get fat.
    * You'll go bald, or your hair will thin or change in some way.
    * You'll always have heartburn, diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain or similar stomach complaints.
    * You'll be tired all the time.
    * Your hearing won't be as good as it used to be.
    * You'll have the shakes a lot. Gee, and this is an anticonvulsant?
    * Your liver will hate you.
    * You just won't feel that sexual any more. As if all the the above weren't enough to turn you off, valproates and other anticonvulsants mess with your testosterone.
    Exactly what is this drug supposed to be treating??

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    Banned gingerlee's Avatar
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    Default Re: Depakote

    It's used for lots of things. Originally it was made as an anti-seizure medication, but as time went along they figured out it could help with some off label problems as well. *I* used it for mood stabilazation....and it did it's job quite well. I miss my Depakote, it was a med that actually helped me.

  7. #7
    Banned Katrine's Avatar
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    Default Re: Depakote

    Quote Originally Posted by gingerlee View Post
    It's used for lots of things. Originally it was made as an anti-seizure medication, but as time went along they figured out it could help with some off label problems as well. *I* used it for mood stabilazation....and it did it's job quite well. I miss my Depakote, it was a med that actually helped me.
    How come you stopped, if you don't mind me asking? Was it the liver problems? I'm taking it to stabilize my bipolar moods. I've been getting too manic, leading me to reckless behavior (usually alcohol sometimes followed by drugs) that I CANNOT afford right now (emotionally). Since I've stopped doing drugs, and drinking heavily, even a little bit affects me strongly and I get severe, extreme depression.

    I am hoping this will be a short-term solution while I develop good habits, and continue therapy. Depakote has also shown to help cocaine cravings and addiction.

    "Have you ever been to American wedding? Where is the vodka, where's marinated herring?" - GB
    "And do the cats give a shit? No, they do not. Why? Because they're cats."-from The Onion

    Quote Originally Posted by Mia M
    If a cupcake was tossed at me... well, I'd only be upset if it missed my mouth

  8. #8
    Banned gingerlee's Avatar
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    Default Re: Depakote

    Quote Originally Posted by Katrine View Post
    How come you stopped, if you don't mind me asking? Was it the liver problems? I'm taking it to stabilize my bipolar moods. I've been getting too manic, leading me to reckless behavior (usually alcohol sometimes followed by drugs) that I CANNOT afford right now (emotionally). Since I've stopped doing drugs, and drinking heavily, even a little bit affects me strongly and I get severe, extreme depression.

    I am hoping this will be a short-term solution while I develop good habits, and continue therapy. Depakote has also shown to help cocaine cravings and addiction.

    I stopped taking them because I knew exactly how much would kill me, as opposed to just making me sick. Having that knowledge as a teenage schizophernic in high school was worse than giving me a gun, so I guess it was for my own safety.

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    Featured Member Hello_Kitty27's Avatar
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    Default Re: Depakote

    Quote Originally Posted by Katrine View Post
    Depakote has also shown to help cocaine cravings and addiction.
    So weird that you mention this .....my friend was constantly talking about how she WANTED cocaine while she was on depakote. She'd always talk about 'the good old days" and how good it would be to do all that again.

    Quote Originally Posted by gingerlee View Post
    I stopped taking them because I knew exactly how much would kill me, as opposed to just making me sick. Having that knowledge as a teenage schizophernic in high school was worse than giving me a gun, so I guess it was for my own safety.
    Congratulations for realizing that and taking a step in the right direction. The friend I always talk about when this type of topic comes up is SUCH a pill-popper. I know she's not suicidal, but she WAY over-does it on her pills to the point of having to be rushed to the ER, but able to survive, and I know it's for attention. I hate to say it, but I know her. I'm afraid that one day, she will die from it. And I really won't be surprised. Her dr just took her off seroquel, b/c it made her heart weak and irregular, but I know deep down inside that it's most likely b/c she is constantly doubling/tripling/quadrupling EVERY pill she has. (And yet her dr's keep prescribing things like xanax, etc. Ugh) It's just sad. And although I don't really know your situation, I respect you a lot for trying to take the right course of action.

    (Sorry to have gone off on a tangent .....my apologies to Katrine for highjacking)






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  10. #10
    BrunetteGoddess
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    Default Re: Depakote

    I hated it. I was always tired, and lost some hair.

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