Posted by cache-monkey on May 27, 2005, at 13:49:22
In reply to Depakote ER Question-Input Needed Please, posted by theo on May 26, 2005, at 22:23:58
I had virtually the same response to Depakote ER: I felt much more depressed and isolated. And it didn't do anything really for my anxiety/agitation. I also had roughly the same periodicity to my mood. I would start to feel better about 4-5 hours before my next night-time dose. I attributed this to the delayed peak in the drug concentration with the ER formulation. I.e. only after the drug level had peaked and fell below a certain point would I start to feel better.
When I complained that I thought it was making me more depressed, my pdoc told me to double the dose! Un-f-ing-believable. I felt even more depressed and isolated.
Out of curiousity, what aspect of your diagnosis led you to try Depakote? For me if I have BP, it is very soft. And I spend most of my time in depression/dysthymia, particularly so over the last couple of years. (My only true hypomania was anti-depressant induced.) Since Depakote is an anti-manic, I think it was a questionable choice for me without an antidepressant.
I've switched pdocs now, and we're looking at Seroquel (supposedly quite good for bipolar depression) and other possibilities.
Good luck,
cache-monkey> I've been taking Depakote ER 250mg for a couple of weeks and it wasn't doing anything much and my doctor (not pdoc) said to go to 500mg and try it for 6 weeks.
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> Since being on 500mg for a few days, I've felt like doom and gloom and almost timid to be around people, like sad and ashamed. I thought this stuff was suppose to mellow you out? I did feel this slightly on 250mg.
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> My delima is, do I risk feeling this way in hopes these feelings (side effects) will pass? I sure as heck cannot handle this lower than heck feeling for 6 weeks. I'm taking no ther meds, just the 500mg Depakote ER.
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> I called my doc to report this, along with some mild soreness in my neck and between my pecks. I got a call back from the nurse saying "he just said to try it 6 weeks." Doctors amaze me sometimes, not even responding to my side effects.
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> I take it at 10:00pm and start to feel good the next day about 5:00pm. I don't know if the feeling good contributes to the Depakote ER working or simply the fact that it's wearing off!
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poster:cache-monkey
thread:503404
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050527/msgs/503701.html