Anyone on or been on Depakote?

I was put on Depakote several months ago and a few days ago had my dose upped another 500 mg because Saturday I had 5 episodes of dep/hypomania, Sun.-4 episodes. Now, I am taking 2,000 mg. (I am bipolar II, mixed, with rapid cycling.)

Has anyone else ever taken that much? Does that seem like a lot? I also take Zoloft 150 mg.

I now have symptoms, since starting the extra dose, of feeling just in a fog, headache, sleepy, low-grade fever, dizzy, flu-like symptoms, achy all over, urinating a lot now, and back pain. My psych. dr. didn't call me back yesterday, and I am a little worried because I can't really figure out if this is a side-effect from the medicine or what and am not sure what to do.

I saw on the board some comments about symptoms people have had with their hair falling out and not growing, which I have, tremors which I also have big-time. I am a little concerned about even being on this drug now, as 1,500 mg doesn't even seem to help. I have just been through so many medicines with bad mental side-effects though and am afraid to try another one.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

Good Morning,

One thing I do know for sure about Depakote is that it does make your hair fall out, but there is some kind of vitamin or something the pdoc can prescribe to sort of counter act this side effect. I hope you are going to feel better soon and your symptoms are not part of the flu or something. It's bad enough just having side effects from meds. DK just to let you know with those many cycling episodes did your doc say you are also Ultra Rapid Cycling as well. I know if you have these many in just one day it's even harder to adjust your meds to get stable. Good luck today and keep in touch.

My doctor called and thinks the side effects will wear off, but I am having a level done on Tues. Mentally, I feel better, just physically I don't. She didn't seem too alarmed.

I was on Depakote for about a year and a half. For the first 3 weeks I slept 18-20 hours a day (was unemployed at the time, luckily) and threw up everything I tried to eat.

That went away, but later on I had the hair falling out and some liver problems, which were reversible, fortunately.

I was on a very low dose -- 750 mg, I think.

Everything works different for everybody, but I'm glad you're getting checked out. Good luck.

Candy

Oooohhhh, dkbear, I know the feeling!! I started out with Depakote for Bi-polar 1 Disorder just about a year ago. After 4 months on the drug, and 2000mgs. later, I felt like I was on the freeway dodging cars at rush hour!!! My episodes were bad and many, many of them per day as yourself........but the pdoc would not take me off of it. He told me there wasn't another drug I could take. I went to my primary care dr. after looking up bi-polar meds. on the net, and found Lamictal. I tried that, and the difference is night and day. I never felt so good!!! I've had to have it adjusted, but that's comparitively small to the alternative. Since then, I have a new pdoc as well, and he's keeping me on the Lamictal after having to increase it to 100mgs. per day. I'm not having near as many episodes, and I can control them
much better now. You can give Depakote a try a little while longer, but I didn't like the fact that it goes thru the liver and is hard on the kidneys as well. That's why they draw blood every 2 mos. or so. Now with Lamictal, I've been set free.
And I don't gain weight like you do with Depakote.

Hi dkbear,

i'm on both Depakote (750) and Lamictal (250). At 1500 Dep and 400 Lamictal, the cognitive failures were really bad and tremours and balance problems.

I don't know which was the culprit or the combo. but my pdoc reduced them both right away, somewhat gradually, and all is well side-effects wise.

now the anxiety....

hope it gets sorted out for you soon.

btw, dkbear,

i find it odd that your doc hasn't talked to you or reccommeded Lamictal to you. it helps so many.

I couldn't handle the side-effects of Lamictal. It gave me weird thoughts and had one episode of all the sudden wanting to kick the walls out of our new house for no reason. (Thank God I didn't do it.) I felt like a whole different person that I didn't even know. Geodon made me have weird little tics and movements.

I had a really bad episode of mania yesterday on this increased dose of Depokote where I got really upset at the store with my husband. I had more irritability and anger than I can remember. I remember being okay until a baby started crying. Then, I couldn't find something, and almost sat down in the floor and began crying. Then, I couldn't find my husband in the store and was suddenly just lost and didn't know what to do. Later, he had pulled on my purse at the meat counter and I got furious, he mentioned it to me later, and we had an argument, which I sort of agged on and called him horrible names, and the mania ended the way it always ends...me crying hysterically, having to be calmed down, and then going to bed.

I don't think I need to be on this medicine at this dose!!! I am pretty scared. I can't take acting like that, plus physical symptoms on top of that.

Okay, I went ahead and took my extra morning dose like a good girl. Now I am really, really angry for pretty much no reason. I work at home and my work is making me mad. I am a medical transcriptionist and the dictators are ticking me off and I am ready to just literally quit, I am so enraged, which is not normal because it is just normal work, nothing happened. When I posted that earlier I was pretty calm. Now, it is a good thing I am alone because I would not be good company, I am so angry.

THIS is why I don't work in an office with people!!!!!

These mood swings are unbelievable. I hate this medicine and my doctor is not open on Mondays. I don't see the point of even getting a Depakote level. She said something about lowering it and putting me on something else.

I just want to go back to bed, I hate everything.

My 1st pdoc put me on Depakote. I was in a mixed phase & it helped with the agitation but did nothing for the depression. He said as long as I wasn't getting "special messages" from the tv or radio (never had those as symptoms!) I was to stay on it.

Fired him!! found a pdoc that would actually listen. Got off Depakote, now on Abilify , Lamictal, Trazodone, klonopin, Concerta & Provigil. Doing much better despite my not wanting to be on so many meds. It's been about 6 yrs. now & they really help so I don't want to change them.--Suzy

Hi Dkbear,

Sorry you're having such a tough time of it lately. I know how it feels to be manic and just want to get out of your own skin sometimes. Everything tends to get magnified and no matter what you do it feels like nothing will get better. Right now I am feeling both hypomanic a little and also depressed somewhat. It just depends on my state of mind and what's going on around me. I am really trying to find the more positive side of things, which you know is difficult to do with this illness. I'm tired, but can't sleep right now and i want to go to bed to be honest with you. I'm waiting on my husband to get home so we can have supper. I actually cooked spaghetti and sausage today, and that's an accomplishment for me. At least during my hypomanic episode I cleaned everything that needed to be done. However, there are more clothes that are dirty, so I guess tomorrow I have to do this chore. Any suggestions on what to do for supper tomorrow? I hope you were able to get your job done for today since you said you were going back to bed. PM me if you want or email me too. Oh I started writing in my computer journal again today and I didn't realize how much I missed doing it.