Have you ever taken depakote

I am currently taking Depakote ER (1500mg at night) & have been for about the last two years. It is prescribed to me for bi-polar 2 & mood-swings. Depakote is also used to treat epilepsy.

It is important to always remember to take Depakote & do not skip any days. When it is working I do not notice I feel better. I will think that I do not need to be taking it because I feel fine & I will stop for a few days. My family can tell when I stop taking it though & they will always ask if I am still taking it when I act angry or have bad mood swings. Stopping suddenly can also cause seizures.

So to answer ur question, it helps to make me feel normal. It keeps me from having mood swings & although I have a hard time noticing the difference in my mood when I stop taking it, everyone else can see it pretty easy.

I was fine in the pooping department :) butttt It made me gain a lot of weight! I was on it for about 3 months..and within that time frame i gained about 50 pounds..My sister was also prescribed Depakote (she was taking it for headaches) & she gained around 70 ponds within the first 8 months.I sat with my doctor & pretty much told him I needed something different because the weight gain was bad & not healthy it was also taking a toll on my self esteem.Weight gain is a side affect.although It may be different for some people.Hopefully u wont gain the weight.but if u do.Switch those pills hunnie! now as far as if it worked with my mood..It didnt really do much for me.it did help my sister though with her headaches..Good luck :)


Also if ur doctor ever prescribes u Effexor, Efectin, Effexor XR, or Efectin ER be careful because it increases Sucidal & depressive thoughts, & gives young women Breat Milk.It sucked badly when i was on it :(

I was on it for a year. It did not really do anything positive or negative.

Now I am on Lamictal instead as a mood stabilizer. I do not think Lamictal does anything either! But the doctors want me on it. I do not really have many mood swings-- I am pretty much just depressed all the time so I do not notice much difference when I take a ''mood stabilizer.''

Depakote did not make me gain weight, but supposedly it can make u gain weight. But there r other mood stabilizers if Depakote does not work.

I have not taken it but many people I work with are on it. Do not know what your reason is for taking it but; make sure you are diligent about taking it, and get your levels checked regularly, and you will probably have stool problems.

My son has a similar experience as ''bug'' above.he can sleep very well and is able to function during the day. His mood swings are less erratic and he is able to actually enjoy life. He has been on depakote and clozaril for over a year now.

I throw up out of all my openings, gross.

I've been on it for a few months. My pshrink put me on it for mood swings. The only side effect I had was pooping 6 times a day for the first couple of weeks. It is doing a good job of leveling out my moods and helps me sleep without making me drowsy all day.