Reaction to quitting Depacote

Can anyone that has taken Depacote for an extended period reacted when quitting cold turkey?

No, but I'm not sure I would quit cold turkey. I would go to the Crazymeds site and see how it recommends quitting. Read about the half life and stuff.

But would I quit Depakote? Yes. I won't even take it to start with. There's lots of better stuff with less side effects out there.

I've taken Depakote for 20 yrs. - it's been my only consistent med. One thing you may want to think about is that if you go off of it and want to go back on it it will take a higher dosage for it to be as affective as before.

I would talk to your p-doc. When I called my p-doc- he supported that it was my decision and I was on 500 mg at the time. I completely quit it cold turkey- was fine for 2 weeks, the next 2 weeks- had enough racing thoughts to get back on it.

I stopped taking it for four weeks earlier this year and that was a mistake. One thing that has helped me with Depakote is that I take two dosages of 125 mg 2x per day. You may want to consider splitting the dosage prior to quitting unless the side effects are that bad.

Good luck!

I tapered slowly off of depakote and it was very hard. Lots of withdrawal, however it is a lot safer then stopping cold turkey. Stopping a med like depakote too quickly could cause you to have a seizure.

The great part is that within a few months of stopping the med, I lost 30 lbs without trying.

That one really needs to be a taper... seizure risk for sure.

Crazy meds is good place for correct info.

Just think and have a plan before you leap

I tapered down - 1000 mg, 750 mg, 500 mg, 250 mg, stop. No withdrawal. I had hand tremor on Depakote that was very bad. It finally went away, but not right when I discontinued this drug. It took many more weeks for tremor to disappear. I was very much afraid that it would stay with me as a tardive side effect.

Note that I tapered down not because I was trying to be careful, but because I hoped to be able to stay on a lower dose for migraine prevention. It did not happen because I still had tremor at the migraine prevention dose (500mg) and even at half of that (the lowest dose Depakote comes in).

But in the end I ended up tapering down without any withdrawal symptoms. Unfortunately, the weight gain did not go away.

I think that going down by 250 mg a week would be safe and speedy enough.

23 years on it

do not go cold turkey ............the reactions of cold turkey will send u into the hospital ( unless your body has adapted it where it no longer has a effect ....then cold turkey would not matter )...but if it still has a effect on u then u most slowly decrease the dosing u were taken over 3 to 4 week period

no drinking for atleast 6 weeks to 2 months from the point u start to lower the dose ........then when u have some except it to hit u hard u are now a light weight 3 shots or 3 beers and u are drunk

the only other thing is make sure u have someone around u trust and listen too ....the mood swings will return and need someone to slap u back into this world

I'm not discussing anything with the dr. They don't pay my bills or contribute money as an income. I can't get myself out of this depacote fog to go find a job. I know when the mania returns, I will get hired, because then I can produce results, albeit an a-hole with swings, anger, and rage problems. That's better than being drugged up and flat broke.

Depakote made me lose two interviews. Both the fogginess and the hand tremor it caused. One biochemist later wrote to me that pdocs like putting bipolar folks on depakote because patients are not a danger to anybody and in such a fog that they won't bother the pdocs.

So I get what you are saying, but you need to taper down for safety.

Also neurologists treat movement disorder side effects that they recognize are commonly psychotropic drug induced. Psychiatrists are focused on their area which is to treat the mental illness so they aren't seeing the whole picture. Neurologists aren't specialized in treating bipolar but they recognize effects of such drugs as very dangerous psychologically and physically, possibly being a permanent condition. So it's up to us to see the big picture. Movement disorders are sometimes slow to develop that it's missed by doctors under time constraints. Like the stooped slow walking of Parkinsonism. So you'll go in and get an OK to continue on atypicals, etc. In fact, the only time I felt suicidal was when I suffered from this type of side effect. I'd much rather live with my anxiety and hypomania any day.

this drug takes time to build up in your system

the lvls u take a day is to maintain it ...........if u take the whole supply away after about 72 hours your system will flush it out with enough water/cranberry juice

going cold turkey is not a smart choice the sudden reduction of the chemical will alter your heads chemical even more .............to do this safe and avoid a freak out /hospital/money out of your pocket

depending on the total mg u take a day u need to start reducing it .........what u are at now is 100% .........u want to drop it to 80/75% and stay on that for 5/7 days then u take a full dose again and reduce it to a 60/50% again 5 to 7 days of this then take a 75% dose and drop it to 30/25% 5/7 days of that then u take a 50% dose and stop it your system will be clean 3/5 days after that

Quit 1000mg after a year and a half, tapered down very slowly in 250 drops over six weeks quit at 250,,,no bad affects,, would never quit any med cold turkey ,replaced it with lamictal and am very pleased with results