Depakote(1)

Cherjer

Just wondering if anyone on this site has used Depakote for their LO.

JJAz

Yes, some success.

toolbeltexpert

Dw took it and had to stop it. It caused her blood platelets to drop dangerously low.she could have bleed out if they didn't stop it. It did seem to be helping some but only at a higher dose.

Cherjer

Thank you. I guess all these meds seem to be a guessing game.

Stuck in the middle

Some patients, such as my son, become depressed and irritable on Depakote, but many are helped by it.  You just have to try it and see how it affects you.  That is true of psych meds in general.

M1

Cherjer you're right, a lot of it is try and see.  Depakote (also known as valproic acid, valproate) an be very effective when it works--both for behaviors and for seizures--but it does have to monitored, with blood checks for drug levels, liver function, and blood counts.  There is definite toxicity if levels get too high (and in some individuals even at "therapeutic" levels), and you have to watch for interactions with other drugs that can change its metabolism.   That makes it a little more burdensome to use than some of the other drugs.

Cherjer

MI...that is good information to have and will discuss with our dr. This may have been the reason our dr. did not prescribe this for a very long time, yet my care manager was surprised that the dr. did not do this sooner!

toolbeltexpert

M1 spot on that information. I was told when my wife started depakote that this was the drug they were to use before they went to an antipsychotic. Dw blood platelets went from 230k to 59k before they stopped it. It took a week to get back close to base.