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.
Can Depakote cause personality changes?
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.
Is aggression a side effect of Depakote?
Report any new or worsening symptoms to your doctor, such as: mood or behavior changes, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, or if you feel impulsive, irritable, agitated, hostile, aggressive, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), or have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself.
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.
How does Depakote make you feel?
DEPAKOTE can cause other serious side effects, including: Bleeding problems: red or purple spots on your skin, bruising, pain and swelling into your joints due to bleeding or bleeding from your mouth or nose. High ammonia levels in your blood: feeling tired, vomiting, changes in mental status.
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.
What happens when Depakote levels are too high?
Symptoms of overdosage of Depakote include changes in consciousness, fainting, and slow or irregular heartbeat. Contact your doctor urgently if you experience stomach pain that spreads to your back, nausea and vomiting, dark urine, facial swelling, loss of appetite, or yellowing of the skin or eyes.
Does Depakote cause mood swings?
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 cause cognition?
Divalproex treatment was associated with accelerated brain volume loss over 1 year and perhaps with greater cognitive impairment. The long-term clinical effects of these changes are not known.
Can Depakote cause agitation?
Yes, the depakote can cause agitation.
Is there a lawsuit against Depakote?
Federal Depakote Lawsuits Settled for $1.5 Billion
Patients who experienced severe side effects would go on to file lawsuits against Abbott, and later AbbVie. Before that, the Department of Justice went after Abbott over accusations that the company promoted Depakote for off-label uses.
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.
Is Depakote safe to take long term?
To date, there are no known problems associated with long term use of valproate. It is a safe and effective medication when used as directed.
Is Depakote used for schizophrenia?
Anticonvulsant medications such as valproate (Depakote and Depakote ER) are known to be effective for related conditions such as bipolar disorder (manic depressive illness), and are also used by some physicians in clinical settings in combination with antipsychotic medications to treat symptoms of schizophrenia.
Can Depakote make you more 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.
Which is safer lithium or Depakote?
Patients taking lithium had lower rates of self-harm and unintentional injury compared to those taking other bipolar drugs, such as valproate (Depacon, Depakote), olanzapine (Zyprexa) or quetiapine (Seroquel), said lead researcher Joseph Hayes.
What is explosive behavior?
Intermittent explosive disorder involves repeated, sudden episodes of impulsive, aggressive, violent behavior or angry verbal outbursts in which you react grossly out of proportion to the situation.
Does Depakote stop anxiety?
Valproic Acid (Depakote)
Valproic acid is an epilepsy medication that is now used for the treatment of panic attacks as well as other psychiatric problems.
How does Depakote work in the brain?
Divalproex sodium works by increasing the amount of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain. The body produces GABA naturally. It is a chemical neurotransmitter — or brain messenger. Faster than normal electrical impulses in the brain can cause erratic impulses.
What is the toxic level for Depakote?
Its action is similar to that of other common anticonvulsants, such as phenytoin and carbamazepine. The therapeutic range for valproic acid is 50-100 mcg/mL. The toxic level is >100 mcg/mL.
What is a good level for Depakote?
Ordinarily, optimal clinical response is achieved at daily doses below 60 mg/kg/day. If satisfactory clinical response has not been achieved, plasma levels should be measured to determine whether or not they are in the usually accepted therapeutic range (50 to 100 mcg/mL).
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