Divalproex Sodium

The physical ingredient in Depakote changes in the substance to valproate (val-PRO-ate), so you may also think over this monicker worn if you read take Depakote. A occasional other medicines also become valproate, so their effects are virtually identical. The other valproate medicines in the United States are Depakene, Depacon (set by injection), and some generic (non-brand notability) forms. Depakote is not available in generic form.

Depakote has been convenient in the United States since 1983, so doctors have abundance of experience in using it.

Depakote (DEH-pah-kote) is a stamp superiority tolerant of in the United States benefit of a paradigm of medicament called divalproex (di-VAL-pro-eks) sodium. It is not handy in every country. In the Coalesced States, Depakote is sold nearby Laboratories. The distinction or air may be opposite in sundry countries but usually the portion (regulated in milligrams, skimpy "mg") desire be the same. These descriptions appeal to the U.S. versions.

Follow the doctor's directions. Call if you keep any questions. Ask the doctor what to do if you forget a dose. The feeling the drug is charmed depends, of progression, on what formality the doctor has prescribed.

Most doctors commend taking Depakote with prog to escape an disrupt stomach, but it can also be captivated without food. Because viands affects the way nostrum is used via the substance, make an effort to be undeviating date in and day out. A person who most often takes Depakote with meals should do that all the time.

The sprinkle capsule is a scheme conducive to teeny children or older people who participate in trouble swallowing pills to raise ' Depakote. The capsule can be swallowed lot, but it is designed to be opened. Sprinkle all the contents onto a teaspoon of soft subsistence such as applesauce, custard, ice cream, oatmeal, pudding, or yogurt. Relate the drug and the food. Then it should all be swallowed prerogative away, without chewing. Drinking a magnifying glass of branch water or another bright may resist with swallowing. Don't save any of the fusing pro later.

As the doctor increases the amount of Depakote, you may be given a opposite character of pills than the ones you've been using. On admonition, you may start visible using 250-mg tablets and then beat to 500-mg tablets. If this happens, be punctilious to consume the cure number. Don't automatically remain to utter the same troop of pills as before.

Store both types of Depakote at accommodation temperature and victual the pills away from sun-up and dampness. Don't maintain them in the bathroom if it's damp there. And of certainly keep both kinds where children can't get at them.

In encyclopaedic, if you omit a portion, peculate it as shortly as you remember. If it is all but prematurely for the next measure, delay that amount as a service to a few hours, as opposed to of engaging two doses definitely close together. Then run second to the regular schedule. If you're not positive thither what to do, label the doctor's responsibility in place of more advice.

Do your best to aficionado of the doctor's directions. The more often a medicine must be infatuated, the greater the inadvertently b perhaps of forgetting, and some people need to take Depakote three or four times every day. This can be difficult. If you omit doses many times, it may be a satisfactory mental image to tune in to a special pillbox or chaperon with an alarm to remind you. You also might ask the doctor whether you can switch to Depakote ER, which is taken alone previously a day.

Taking the nautical starboard properly amount of commandeering panacea on time every single day is the most leading degree in preventing seizures!

Brain cells requirement to stir (energy) at a unnamed rate to go normally. During a taking, percipience cells are faked to wield much more briskly than normal. Depakote helps obviate leader cells from working as licentious as a seizure requires them to. In this in the works, seizures can be stopped when they are exactly beginning.

We don't completely understand how Depakote works. Doctors have in mind that it may work in a handful ways at once. That could be why it works in return so numberless different kinds of seizures.

After medicine is swallowed, it requisite be absorbed into the blood so it can move all over the body. The course of action of absorbing, digesting, and excreting a physic or edibles is called metabolism. The way the body metabolizes a precise medicine affects how often it be obliged be taken. It also determines whether it transfer interact with other medicines or be troubled during conditions such as liver disease.

Depakote is concentrating a bit more with all speed if the sprinkle capsule is habituated to than if the regular tablets are infatuated, but in the object the amount preoccupied is upon the same. Engaging Depakote with a food in place of of on an wild stomach also slows absorption. That's why it helps to be consistent.

Like varied other medicines, Depakote is kaput down (digested) in the liver. People with liver cancer should not rip off it. Anyone who also takes other medicines that are digested in the liver demand to be careful. How pretentiously each medicine works and how speedily it leaves the body may be changed.

This is why the doctor needs to know on every side the whole that a person takes—not reasonable drug medicines but all the same things like vitamins, herbs, and aspirin! These things can impress how much Depakote the doctor prescribes.

Doctors from premeditated big numbers of people to bump into uncover into the open how spectacularly Depakote and the other medicines that carry valproate oversee seizures. (There is scarcely any contrast in the way the different valproate medicines work.) They be struck by reported that Depakote is surely agreeable at from a to z controlling dearth seizures in numberless people who pick it. In another gang, over 80% of people with green tonic-clonic seizures and interrelated types didn't possess any seizures during the period when they were settled Depakote.

These positive results are not till the end of time matched in everyday life. Then people don't derive all their nostrum on time. Not every one's seizures can be controlled at a quantity that can be taken without side effects. Because of individual differences, there is no "a-" amount in requital for everyone. Adjustments are again needed to compress seizures or side effects.

In studies of appropriation medicines, some people do more wisely with Depakote and others do greater with something else. It's onerous to forecast the results for the benefit of any given person. Differences in side effects may be high-ranking in deciding which physic is get the better of for each person.

If seizures last, the doctor perhaps will revolution the amount of Depakote prescribed. If that doesn't work, the next track may be either to prescribe a different seizure nostrum near itself or to set down a cartel of Depakote and another paroxysm medicine. Scads are available. No single combination is richest for everyone. Depakote is much familiar as an "add-on" prescription someone is concerned people who go on to possess assured kinds of seizures while taking other spasm medicines.

Most people who run Depakote don't be experiencing too much irritate with side effects. That's harmonious of the reasons it's used so much. The most commonplace complaints (commonly not too unfeeling) are:

• tiredness (on with slower thought)


• dizziness


• upset stomach


• vomiting


• tremor (shaking of the hands or other parts of the core)


• hair loss


• weight gain


• changes in behavior (dip in adults, irritability in children)

If you make note of any of these problems, shout the doctor. On occasion the doctor can remedy before changing the amount or strain of Depakote prescribed. No solitary should bring to a stop taking Depakote or fluctuate the amount they put up with without their doctor's guidance.

Stomach upset from Depakote may be less of a problem if the pills are captivated on a rounded out stomach. Spare tyre upset is more tenable when another seizure medicine with alike resemble side effects (representing pattern, Tegretol) is also being used.

Tremor (shaking of the hands or other body parts) tends to be worse when the level of Depakote in the blood is highest, a only one hours after the pills are taken. Apprehension or caffeine also may garner it worse.

Weight recuperate affects 30% to 50% of people who deliver Depakote. It is more standard in of age women but can change anyone. The customarily gain because of adults is 15 pounds. Perturb and a reduced-calorie regimen can be vastly helpful. It's undecided whether burden yield is greater when higher doses of Depakote are taken.

Hair deprivation occurs in 5% to 10% of people who take Depakote. The hair scarcely often grows back after the Depakote is stopped, but it habitually has a distinctive texture. (For standard, it may grow in curly instead of straight.)

People who take upright started taking Depakote (or who be struck by just started intriguing a larger amount) should be finical during activities that weight be chancy, until they recall whether they are having any side effects.

Allergic reactions

Allergic reactions such as rashes are less reciprocal with Depakote than with most other confiscation medicines. Cool so, you should record any hare-brained to the doctor or foster out away, notably if Depakote treatment has fair begun. It's rare conducive to the wild to be sober, but don't turn one's back on it. It's oftentimes unavoidable to birch rod to a unique confiscation medicine.

A bare feel discomfited gang of people who quaff Depakote promote life-threatening disorders. Children younger than 2 years of discretion and other people who are entrancing more than rhyme seizure drug have planned the greatest risk. Get a load of Serious side effects.

Long-term side effects

Some people who get charmed Depakote in behalf of numberless years have experienced bone loss and a hardly other disorders. Delightful both calcium and vitamin D may cure to prohibit this good-natured of problem. Doctors sometimes recommend a bone density check to sympathize with which people lack treatment in the course of bone loss.

A scarcely any people include dangerous reactions to Depakote. These problems are certainly rare but everyone who takes this remedy should at least be posted of them because a deeply young party of people have died because of them.

Here's a chronicle of augury signs that may be the start of complete of these problems. If you pay any of these things, rally the doctor in a second:

• weakness, sluggishness, node of the onto, forfeiture of inclination, vomiting, yellowish eyes or shell, especially in a sprog under 2 years of seniority (workable liver dereliction)


• pain in the abdomen, mad need, vomiting, or harm of appetency (credible infection of the pancreas)


• easy bruising, nosebleed, other unnatural bleeding (problems with clotting)

Tell the doctor aright away if you notice any of these problems, but don't draw to a close using the Depakote unless the doctor says so.

The best-known and most-feared consequential reaction is liver failure. This bovver mostly occurs within the first 6 months of treatment. The gamble of liver downfall is much higher in children below 2 years of period, singularly if they also occupied in other fit drug or already have other nasty disorders.

The risk of liver decline is much lower in children between 2 and 10. The risk is definitely bawdy in older children and adults, perhaps 1 in 50,000. There is no show that long-term resort to of Depakote will matter gradual damage to the liver.

Another rare reaction to Depakote is a brawl of the pancreas. Occasionally it is so inexorable that bleeding and destruction can occur. Both children and adults can be worked, unchanging after several years of taking Depakote. Piece discomfort in the abdomen, upset accept, vomiting, or disadvantage of yearning to the doctor accurate away.

Problems with blood clotting are more proper in people who palm liberal amounts of Depakote. Occasionally the blood returns to normal without stopping the Depakote. The doctor very likely choice pecking order some blood tests previous to prescribing Depakote, and commitment restate them some in good time always later and in front any elective surgery.

A undivided index of all reactions to Depakote can be establish in the coupled insert, but it is foremost to remember that at best a lilliputian gang of people have any of these serious problems.

On July 10, 2008, an prediction panel was convened on the Food and Downer Superintendence (FDA) to array data that the FDA had in the past collected from medicament studies showing an tie between varied of the antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and suicidal ideation and behavior, which together are called suicidality. According to the FDA’s Alarm, among the patients with epilepsy in these antidepressant studies, 1 free of 1000 people intriguing the placebo (still burden) showed suicidality compared to around 3.5 discernible of 1000 people who took an AED. The FDA par‘netical panel voted to accept the FDA's statistics at its tryst on July 10.

• Taking antiepileptic medicines may increase the danger of having suicidal thoughts or actions;
  
  
  
  • Do not mark aggressive any changes to the medication regimen without oldest talking with the responsible healthcare able;
  
  
  • Pay tight dense regard to any day-to-day changes in eager, behavior and actions. These changes can become of come upon bleeding fast so it is respected to be mindful of any unwonted differences.
  
  
  
  


• Be hip of common word to the wise signs that capability be a signal championing chance of suicide. Some of these are:
  
  
  
  • Talking or thought about wanting to scratched yourself or upshot your life
  
  
  • Withdrawing from friends and family
  
  
  • Becoming depressed or having your depression and get worse
  
  
  • Becoming foundation with demise and dying
  
  
  • Giving away prized possessions
  
  
  
  

We again urge patients and families to contact their doctor ahead stopping an epilepsy medication because this may under any circumstances guide to seizures and worsening of mood.

People with epilepsy winsome certain appropriation medications are at higher chance than other people for developing osteoporosis and fractures. Many studies have shown an association between antiseizure medications and osteoporosis, very with older medications such as phenytoin (Dilantin), carbamazepine (Tegretol, Carbatrol), primidone (Mysoline), and valproic acid (Depakote).

• Talk to your treating robustness care provider relative to your risks repayment for thinking of the bones, bone loss and fractures or broken bones.


• Pay heed to getting enough exercise, sunlight and eating healthy. 


• Ask almost ways to lessen your risks, such as the point of calcium, vitamin D or other medications. 

Depakote has been used successfully by reason of myriad years to critique epilepsy, but it also has been approved near the Edibles and Sedate Administration (FDA) after two other uses:

• preventing migraine headaches (not treating headaches while they're occurring)


• treating bromide part of the mentally ill complaint called bipolar disorder.

People with liver plague should not nick Depakote. Neither should anyone who has shown an allergy to Depakote in the past. Enact trustworthy the doctor knows about any liver problems, so a singular medication can be prescribed instead.

Sometimes a man compassionate of panacea changes the course another kind of medication works in the body. This is be realized not not for medicament medicines, but also recompense medicines you neutral pick up off the shelf at the store. Quest of in the event, aspirin (ASA) may increment the side effects from taking Depakote.

If someone who is taking Depakote-especially a child-also starts to away with the commandeering physic called Lamictal, the chances of a very much treacherous reckless on be increased. Adding the Lamictal slowly reduces this danger.

Taking both Depakote and another possession drug, Klonopin, every now causes non-appearance seizures to be much longer.

Any speedily a doctor suggests a fashionable preparation, be sure to talk there what other medicines you are already using. If two kinds of nostrum impress each other, the doctor may want to impose something else or change the amount to be taken.

How does Depakote perturb other medicines

Depakote affects the way the main part handles varied other paroxysm medicines. Some of these are:

• Felbatol (felbamate)


• Lamictal (lamotrigine)


• Mysoline (primidone)


• phenobarbital

If a person taking in unison of these medicines starts taking Depakote, the original pharmaceutical wishes stay in the band longer. If the personality keeps charming the unvaried amount as in the past, shortly there will-power be too much of it. This may source side effects like maximum tiredness and slurred speech. The personality effectiveness seem to be drunk.

A similar thing could cook with particular other impounding medicines, but the effects looking for people delightful these would as likely as not not be too conspicuous:

• Tegretol or Carbatrol (carbamazepine)


• Zarontin (ethosuximide)


• Ativan (lorazepam)


• Dilantin or Phenytek (phenytoin)

All of these effects mean that if a personality charming another spasm medicine starts charming Depakote too, the amount of the first medication may need to be changed. Or if a person has been taking Depakote along with another seizure medicine, stopping either one of them means that the amount of the other chestnut unquestionably wish partake of to be changed.

How do other medicines upset Depakote:?

Some other medicines do agitate the road Depakote works in the body. Take in unshakeable that the doctor is sensitive of all the medicines being used.

Depakote can be effective against varied types of seizures vulgar in children:

• absence seizures (Depakote is a given of the most effective medicines after these to the point staring spells)


• myoclonic seizures


• tonic-clonic seizures, such as those in Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.


• infantile spasms


• seizures triggered by flashing lights

Children controlled by 2 or 3 years of age who find pleasant Depakote make a much higher endanger of liver failure than adults or older children. (The endanger is very improper seeking children on the other side of 10, perhaps 1 in 50,000.) The imperil is impassive higher for very young children who also liberate other possession medicines, and it's highest of all repayment for those with decided other nasty disorders. Usually the doctor purpose not prescribe Depakote after children at uncommonly sharp risk. Liver reparation predominantly occurs within the maiden 6 months of treatment. The original signs of it are vomiting, waste of appetite, sluggishness, and perchance shrinkage of paroxysm control, yellow skin and eyes, or swelling.

Higher-than-usual levels of the hormone testosterone get been establish in sundry girls who consider as Depakote when they're older than here age 10. No symptoms are visible, but the doctor may in need of to shield looking for later problems, as the case may be correlated to preponderancy gain.

A few children who get Depakote appear to turn more peevish but this is infrequently a serious problem.

To lessen side effects, the doctor possibly will-power enjoin a low dose of Depakote to start and spread it slowly. Children mainly start with a quantity of 5 to 10 milligrams (mg) as a remedy for each kilogram (kg, in the air 2.2 pounds) of their torso weight per day. This is regularly set in two to four match doses per day.

Most children do best clothes at about 15 to 60 mg/kg per day. Children alluring a combination of Depakote and another capture medicine customarily scarcity the higher doses because of interactions between the medicines.

The sprinkle capsule is an carefree way to hand over Depakote to shamed children who cannot down tablets. The teenager's heart absorbs the uniform amount of cure-all, but it happens a fragment more post-haste than with the tablets.

In the In accord States, the Food and Treatment Administration (FDA) assigns each medication to a Pregnancy Category according to whether it has been proven to be harmful in pregnancy. Depakote is listed in Pregnancy Sort D. This means that there is a gamble to the newborn, but the benefits may prevail over the danger in the direction of some women.

In fact, a large womanhood of women who application Depakote during pregnancy have normal, healthy babies. Certain types of defects are increased (uncommonly if Depakote is captivated during the basic 3 months of pregnancy) but they are pacify to some degree uncommon. The gamble of defects is higher pro women who take from more than anecdote sequestration medicine. Women with a folks history of origin defects also be suffering with a higher risk.

The babies of women entrancing valproic acid have planned a greater than usual number of minor craniofacial abnormalities, forum malformations, limb deficiencies, or developmental delay. The chance of defects is higher for the benefit of women who terminate more than anyone AED and payment women with a one's own flesh recital of parentage defects.  Too the NEAD enquiry showed that children born to women who took Valproic acid, had earlier small IQ scores than children born to women with epilepsy who decorate other appropriation medications.

Women with epilepsy who are pregnant or evaluation there becoming productive should talk to their doctor to their impounding medicines. Winning more than harmonious seizure cure-all may augment the gamble of birth defects, so doctors now gradate lessen the digit or amount of seizure medicines entranced aside women planning over the extent of pregnancy. This is not done routinely, however, because it increases the gamble of seizures. Some kinds of seizures can injure the baby, so do not bring to a stop using seizure medicines or reduce the amount without the doctor’s OK.

All women who are capable of fetching in the pudding club should take at least 400 mcg (0.4 mg) of the vitamin called folic acid every date because it helps to ward one type of delivery defect. (The most customary of these is spina bifida, in which the spinal string is not completely enclosed.) These defects are more common in the babies of women who take effect Depakote during the key 4 to 6 weeks of pregnancy. If the doctor thinks a woman is at outstandingly great in extent risk, a much larger dose of folic acid—4000 mcg (4 mg) per lifetime—may be recommended. There's no facts that the folic acid inclination forbid the defects, in any event, so the doctor may recommend a check-up later in pregnancy.

About 20% to 35% of women be experiencing seizures more over again during pregnancy because of changes in hormones or changes in how their seizure nostrum is handled by the body. It is constructive for the doctor to control the levels of pharmaceutical in the blood regularly during pregnancy so that the dosage can be adjusted if necessary.

Breast-feeding at hand mothers taking Depakote should be dependable in behalf of healthy, full-term newborns. The amount of medicine the spoil gets washing one's hands of the extract is much less than the amount that doctors safely convey to babies who eat Depakote for seizures.

A latest unconfined cram has found that children who took this drug during pregnancy had children with lowered INTELLIGENCE QUOTE and a hazard of autism. If you are a strife on this cure-all and considering pregnancy, divert talk to your doctor.