Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), including Depakote, increase the risk of suicidal thoughts or behavior in patients taking these drugs for any indication. Tell your doctor if you have new or worsening depression, suicidal thoughts or behavior, and/or any unusual changes in mood or behavior.
Does Depakote make you feel depressed?
Patients taking anticonvulsants for any reason may develop depression, and people with a history of mental illness are at an increased risk of worsening depression while taking Depakote.
Is Depakote good for severe depression?
Conclusions: These pilot results indicate that divalproex is effective in reducing the symptoms of depression and anxiety in bipolar I, depressed phase. These positive results support the need to perform a larger, multisite study of divalproex treatment for bipolar depression.
Does Depakote make you emotional?
What are the potential psychological side effects of taking Depakote? Depakote causes suicidal thoughts in a small percentage of people who take the medication. Seek medical help if you experience these thoughts or other changes in your behavior or mood.
Can valproic acid cause depression?
Valproic acid may cause some people to be agitated, irritable, or display other abnormal behaviors. It may also cause some people to have suicidal thoughts and tendencies or to become more depressed. If you notice any of these side effects, tell your doctor right away.
Does Depakote help with bipolar depression?
Previous studies suggest that Depakote is promising in the treatment of mixed and depressed episodes of bipolar disorder. This study utilizes the extended release formulation of divalproex sodium, with demonstrated increased tolerability.
How long does it take Depakote to work for depression?
Tablets take 4 hours to reach a peak, Depakote sprinkles take just over three. Food can delay the absorption of Depakote (food has a more significant effect on the tablets compared with the sprinkles). It may take several weeks of regular dosing before an effect on mood or seizure frequency is reported.
What is mood stabilizer for depression?
Mood stabilizers are psychiatric medications that help control swings between depression and mania. They’re prescribed to restore neurochemical balance by decreasing brain activity.
Is 500mg of Depakote a lot?
Depakote ER is indicated for prophylaxis of migraine headaches in adults. The recommended starting dose is 500 mg once daily for 1 week, thereafter increasing to 1000 mg once daily.
What are the long term effects of taking Depakote?
Side effects of Depakote and Depakote ER can be serious and sometimes deadly. Depakote side effects include liver damage, life-threatening pancreatitis, suicidal thoughts, and blood and metabolic disorders.
Does Depakote make you happy?
Most voted positive review. I’ve been taking depakote for 9 months and it has some what helped my mood swings, but it has really improved my concentration and anxiety problems.
Can Depakote cause racing thoughts?
Extremely irritable or agitated mood; feeling “jumpy” Having “racing” thoughts or talking very fast.
Does Depakote help anger?
Other studies have shown that anti-convulsant and mood-stabilizing agents can curtail aggressive anger; Depakote is considered both an anti-convulsant and a mood stabilizer.
Can Depakote change your personality?
Divalproex sodium may cause some people to be agitated, irritable, or display other abnormal behaviors. It may also cause some people to have suicidal thoughts and tendencies or to become more depressed. If you notice any of these side effects, tell your doctor right away.
Which is better for bipolar lithium or Depakote?
Divalproex was as effective in rapid-cycling manic patients as in other patients. Conclusions: Both divalproex and lithium were significantly more effective than placebo in reducing the symptoms of acute mania. The efficacy of divalproex appears to be independent of prior responsiveness to lithium.
Is valproic acid an antidepressant?
Valproic acid, beside its anticonvulsant action, is widely used as a mood stabilizer in the therapy of bipolar disorder. The potential antidepressant action of valproic acid has not been sufficiently characterized so far.
What is the best mood stabilizer for bipolar?
Lamotrigine. Lamotrigine (Lamictal) may be the most effective mood stabilizer for depression in bipolar disorder, but is not as helpful for mania. The starting dose of lamotrigine should be very low and increased very slowly over four weeks or more.
What happens if your Depakote level is too low?
Some people will experience seizures, mood swings, or migraines at the low end of the therapeutic range while some people will experience excessive side effects at the upper end.
What is acute bipolar depression?
This condition, sometimes called “manic depression” or “manic depression disorder,” is a chronic illness that causes periodic shifts in mood from high (mania or a manic episode) to low (depressed or sad). 1. OF ADULT. AMERICANS.
How long does it take Depakote to reach therapeutic levels?
Peak levels of valproate in the blood are reached in 7 to 14 hours. At equal doses, the bioavailability of Depakote ER is about 89% that of regular Depakote. To achieve equivalent bioavailability, the once-daily dose of Depakote ER needs to be 8% to 20% higher than the total multiple daily doses of Depakote.
How long does a severe manic episode last?
Bipolar I Disorder is defined by manic episodes that last at least seven days (most of the day, nearly every day) or when manic symptoms are so severe that hospital care is needed. Usually, separate depressive episodes occur as well, typically lasting at least two weeks.
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