Depression Question

[Irish Clovers]

I have had depression (Bi Polar) my entire life and it seems my life now is becoming quite unbearable so my doc put me on Depekote.  Anyone tried this?  It's freaking me out a little as I've never been on more than one med (also on Lexapro). 

Thanks all!

[HogwartsAlum]

I've never tried that, although I was on Prozac for a short time due to a situational depression.  You might ask your pharmacist if he/she has any literature on the drug, and about possible interactions with any medicine you are already taking.  Having the information will help you and your pharmacist should be happy to answer any questions you have. 

[Irish Clovers]

Thanks.     I've read all of the literature on it but I wanted to know if anyone had tried it before.

[Evil Duckie]

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[ladiedeathe]

I'm a nurse, and Depekote seems to be my facility's drug of choice for more severe bi-polar disorder. I've never taken it myself, but I've seen it work near miracles for our folks.

Do let your doc know if you have any side effects.

Side note: please be careful if you are on Lexapro or Celexa. DO NOT EVER double a dose, take a dose more than an hour or so after you should have, or change dose without your doc's approval. The effective dose and toxic dose of these meds are very close. Do not abruptly stop and then resume these meds for any reason- get the doc to ok the dose if you don't take it for more than a day or two and want to start again.

[jais]

I worked in an assisted living facility for elderly bipolar, schizophrenic and early Alzheimer's patients.  In my opinion, this is a WONDERFUL medication.  From the time they originally arrived until I saw them again (I worked every other weekend and fill-ins) they seemed like TOTALLY different people.  The correct combination of medication can make all the difference in the world.

[Just Lori]

My mother switched to Depakote to treat her epilepsy.  Her seizures are under control, but she has gained a ton of weight - somewhere in the vicinity of 50 to 100 pounds.  (I'm not about to ask my mother how much she weighs, and I'm a poor judge of pounds.  Suffice to say she's morbidly obese.)  I've found several studies on the internet that link Depakote with weight gain, although it's not an automatic assumption.  It's not like my mom eats a lot - she doesn't.  But the weight gain was the trigger for a cascade of other symptoms - diabetes, heart issues and now the need to replace both her knees.

Do keep this in mind, especially if your weight starts going up for no reason.  There are other bipolar medicines out there.  I think the NAMI and other mental health organizations might be able to point you in the right direction if you want to do some of your own research.

[JoyinVirginia]

I work in health care. Depakote is a drug that has been around for many years and works well for many people. All drugs have potential side effects that can be different for everybody. Talk to your pharmacist and keep in close touch with your doctor about how the drug makes you feel.
joy in Virginia

[Irish Clovers]

Thanks everyone!

I've been taking it for a week now and the only thing I'm noticing is that I feel kind of emotionally numb.  After tomorrow, I get bumped up to 2 pills a night so we'll see what happens.

However, if I start to gain more weight, I'll have to try something different. 

Annie

[Rei-chan]

Hey Anniejack, I'm Bipolar as well (although not 1 or 2 as I have some atypical symptoms), and I ran the gamut of meds, including Depakote.  I can sympathize, believe me!   

I ran into a lot of side effects (including a nasty bowel one) and had to go off it pretty quickly, but from what I remember, you will end up having to have either liver or kidney tests (simple blood work) every few months to make sure no damage is being done.  This goes for Lithium as well.  I also didn't like how either of the 2 made me feel (that numb feeling).

The last med I took that worked well for me was Abilify, but there was a weight gain issue.  In 8 months, I put on about 30lbs!  The other problem with that was Abilify makes you kind of speedy until you get used to it.  In the first few weeks, I refinished my dressing table and chest of drawers, including new hardware.  The upside to this was that I got motivated to do projects, and the downside was that I drove DH crazy for a while.  I ended up going off of it due to their being no research on the effects of Abilify on a fetus, and DH and I are getting ready to start trying for kids. 

I was misdiagnosed for years before we got to the Bipolar diagnosis, so I have taken MANY of the meds on the market for depression and such.  If you need to talk about anything, feel free to PM me if you feel comfortable doing so.   

[Morty'sCleaningLady]

One of my ex-boyfriends is on Depekote for epilepsy.  He hasn't been highly successful with it and has to keep other drugs in the mix.  His sister tried Depekote for her epilepsy as well and it didn't work at all.  I second the suggestion to keep an eye on side effects.  Rick had some lethargy with his medications that seemed severe to me.  (He is old school about doctors and never discusses problems or doubts their expertise.)  Good luck to you!