I hated that med..made me never sleep and I lost all my hair..but don't panic, doesn't happen to everyone.

I went through over 30 med combo's before I finally found some stability on a low dose of Depakote .

Depakote is a tricky med, you have to make sure your dosage is correct. Even as much as 25 Mg , high or low , can make a huge difference.

Yes there are side effects . ALL meds have side effects .

But Depakote has a long history of being a med that does not trash your body as badly as some meds do, when taken long term.

Side effects you might have

Loss of some hair
Weight gain
Excessive nasal secretions
Sneezing fits

Like all meds, it works great for some , and not so great for others

I call depakote --depa(bloat) because I gained 40 pounds even though I was eating right and walking every day. It messed up my metabolism. I haven't taken it in years and now am just losing the weight. *But everyone is different* Good luck

I have been on depakote for years and it is the only drug that has worked for me, And I have tried every thing there is out there, Yes one of the side effects is weight gain, But that is my fault, If I would have eaten right and excersised from the beginning I would have not gained, It has been around for along time and there are not alot of side effects, I am on 3000 milligrams a day, I would give it a fair try but remember to eat healthier or you could gain, I had a friend that was on depakote and she was really skinny, I think every one is different, Good Luck

Well doc put me on depokote and I had a severe allergic reactions. Ended up in the ER unable to breathe with my throat swelling. I guess Monday it will be time to try another medicine.

Grrr.. I just want to find the medicine that works for me.

Depakote made me lose hair. Now it's thinner and I can count 20-30 hairs in the sink daily. Want off it.

To slow the hair loss and and almost stop it take Zink and Selinium, works like a charm. ALthough I a not on Depakote I was losing hair by the handfuls. It has really helped. You will notice within a few weeks. Well worth it. They are just derivitives of the B vitamins but they are minerals.

I have been taking it (also known here in Australia as Epilim *sodium valporate is the active drug ingredient) for as long as I have been bp. Until recently I was on 200mg and 500mg day and night (700mg a day) now MAYBE NOT ******see new post on general topic I just posted,

especially you dancingd

I had no real problem until it was increased and I have major weight gain, bloatness, big big appettite, And dr had increased to where I was taking 3000mg a day. Tonight we spoke on the phone and he says I could stop and try a different med. Cold turkey. what the hell?
Never have I heard this is a good idea! He will see me in 3 days. He said we can then start with a clean slate. What the hell happens till new med? Dunno. All the best octobermom79

My doctors got me taking selinium for the hair loss since I started Depakote. I started out losing 25 hairs in the sink, then in the 40 range and it kept increasing until yesterday I counted 125 hairs!! Called my doc and told her I didnt like this and that I lowered my dose of Depakote from two down to one. What is the average dose of zinc you take?

8 years on Deprokote - excellent stabilizer for me!

Needed tweaking, once it worked and worked well, my pdoc adjusted the dosage little by little, so I wasn't "tired" or "blah" so, too much is zombie like, too little not effective...

Good drug, simple - blood test suck, but twice a year, wasn't that bad!

I was taking this for the last 6yrs, not anymore. New psychistrist is going to see me tomorrow. May have not been working for me all this time and who could really tell? Feel a lot like a guinea pig right now.

Depakote took my highs from me altogether. I cannot get excited, enthused or happy about anything. It's given me lows of an "i don't care" attitude and at times aggression. Also I would rather isolate, I am having a hard time tolerating me around others while on this.

I've been on this med for 4 yrs now. i've had no side effects. I've tried most of the other meds for bipolar and have had bad side effects with those. Depokote has made me feel normal. I'm calm, relaxed and it helps me sleep. I don't have any more anxiety.
When I was on Lamictal my anxiety was through the roof, I felt so horrible.
I am now on 1250 mg of Depakote at bed time and I sleep through the night. I got my blood test taken when I was on 1000 mg and the dose was too low for me so we increased it to 1250 mg and feel better yet... Check out this website from patients that have taken Depakote.
http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=18723&name=DEPAKOTE

18 years on Depakote (1250 to 1500 mgs/day over the years). Your pdoc will keep an eye on your liver function. Some weight gain and my weight fluctuates between 205 to 230 but I'm 6'2" now. I was 160 when I started at 36, I gained weight to about 190 pretty quick, the rest I chalk up to age. I did not have the hair loss, at least I didn't notice it. Risperdal did that for me. Everybody is different.and has varying degrees of side effects. I'm on Lamictal for a very long time too. I tolerate that well too. I was concerned about the long term side effects of both, but they are used in the treatment of epilepsy so it is taken by a lot of people. It's funny when I go to a new regular doc for something and list the meds I'm on the first thing they ask "are you epileptic?" and once, "when was your last seizure?"

OOPs got my math wrong its been 19 years on Depakote. It wasn't even approved by the FDA for the treatment of bipolar back then, but it was for epilepsy. It was considered an off brand treatment for bipolar, talk about feeling like a guinea pig. Lithium was horrible it made me itch all over.