Depakote for Bipolar Disorder User Reviews (Page 5)

• Anonymous
• November 18, 2011

"I have been Bipolar for 20 years and have tried many medicines, with Depakote and Lithium being the worst. I also needed antidepressants too. I went from 117 lbs to 225 lbs in 2 years on Depakote and being a zombie I did not notice the huge weight gain. I switched to Lamictal and Effexor and felt so much better. I started a daily exercise program and was able to cut down on food and lost over 100 lbs within 2 years."

• larubia
• December 7, 2009

"I was prescribed this because it is a mood stabilizer. In other words, I sank down pretty low in mood with long term stressors such as death of family members and a couple of moves, not going to AA and not being in therapy (ugh). I started this recently and at 500 mg seemed to be able to sleep. At 1000 mg, I was restless. If I'm feeling low then it's doing what it's supposed to I suppose. I will cut back to the 500 mg and take it in the morning and see if it makes me sleepy or hyper. I take 22 mg of Buspar at night because I was also suffering from anxiety that was not letting me sleep. I liked the fact that Depakote works well almost immediately, and I was assured that after three weeks, I should feel "normal" again and can quit."

• qwert...
• July 12, 2011

"I use Depakote 500 mg twice daily, and felt improvement in the first 10 days, my mood is stable and my severe anxiety has disappeared. Also I see improvement in OCD and I now can better focus. I'm also on Seroquel 100mg twice daily."

• Ockmed
• December 28, 2010

"Been on Depakote for 6 months and gained 30 pounds, now with the disorder I worry about my weight like crazy. I also take Geodon which has slowed me down with NO motivation at all. Beginning to wonder if it's all worth it. I do notice I never want to argue with anyone at work and at home I'm quiet 24/7. "

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 12, 2023

"Highly recommend it. I’m only on day 3 and it already is working wonders. I’m so much calmer. I don’t even crave weed or caffeine and I have been using both daily for over 20 years. Thank you God for Depakote, it is a miracle."

• angry...
• November 27, 2010

"My daughter is 12 years old and her Depakote was recently increased to 1,000 mg a day. Immediately I saw some harsh side effects. To begin with she has a very petite frame and dropped 9 pounds and now weighs 62 pounds. My daughter started vomiting with the high dose. She hasn't slept a normal nights sleep in a long time. She never wants to eat which has caused her dramatic weight loss. She experiences nausea, vomiting, irritability, and many more side effects. Depakote may be a life saver for some but this medication isn't for everyone."

• Anonymous
• May 29, 2011

"I started taking Depakote 500mg with Lexapro about 2 years ago. It made me feel like a zombie all day but worked well on my swings from extreme anxiety to deep depression and crying spells. I was very tired all day and had a hard time waking up for work so we reduced to 250mg daily. That seemed to be the sweet spot for me. I don't think I have many side effects from it besides maybe trouble losing weight, I'm very active and eat well but never seemed to get any weight off. I would also occasionally feel disconnected and distant from the world, but this was rare. I can't imagine life without Depakote, it has it's problems but I can function again."

• Jill
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 25, 2018

"Been on Depakote and Prozac for three days. I take 20 mg prozac in the morning and 750mg depakote before bed. First day great..I felt better! My mood was noticably happy and I could actually think clearer without being agitated. Second day had trouble sleeping, anxiety, tremors and a little hallucinations. Third day terrible nausea, panic attack, in the bathroom every 20 mins seems like, bedtime abdominal pain and diarrhea. I'm slowly coming off of this med now."

• Eko...
• July 11, 2011

"I was finally diagnosed with bipolar disorder early this year after spending most of my life not knowing what was going on with me. I was prescribed Depakote at 750mg a day to start with. I'd never had any other medication so cannot compare it to anything else but without it I don't think I would be here now. I got that bad with my mood swings becoming so severe. Yes, I've put on a little weight but I'd rather that than go back to how I was. Yes at times I'm still hyper and then exhausted for a few days, still better than being erratic and bouncing off the walls for days/weeks on end. I know it wont work for everyone but I'm doing much better with it."

• Catxoxo
• December 25, 2022

"I’ve tried over 15 medications. My doctor is still on the fence between MDD and Bipolar because my episodes don’t seem to be clear. I suffer from horrific depersonalization and derealization. I’ve been in a 4 1/2 episode, PTSD, and GAD, and what seems to be a very up and down mood throughout every day, crying fits, impending doom, catastrophizing. I tried lithium, and it used to work for me, I was hospitalized in July and they put me back on it. It did nothing for months for my depression and anxiety and made OCD tendencies, catastrophizing, and intrusive thoughts 100x worse. I was petrified to go onto Depakote because of things I’ve heard. My doctor has me on 750mg. I’ve had one crying spell in 2 weeks vs. every day, my anxiety is still definitely there but more controlled, my racing thoughts have lessened, and I’m thinking more positively. My only complaint is I’ve gained 7lbs and am having difficulty staying asleep. But I’ll take that over what I was dealing with"

• jut
• May 5, 2010

"When it worked it was great. Couldn't keep my levels the same, though. When levels went too high, I got tired and shaky and could not sleep. When it went too low, I rapid cycled between mania and depression. May work for you, but not for me."

• ehsan...
• September 9, 2015

"I was diagnosed as bipolar 2 20 years ago and use lithium as mood stabilizer. After a period of discontinuation of drug I switch to depakote and after that I have disk herniation problem and ear pain ."

• Anonymous
• May 11, 2011

"I take 1000mg a day for Bi-polar II. I first went on this medicine at 200mg back in September last year when I was in a manic episode and was first diagnosed. At that time they also put me on quetiapine and citalopram. I am not just on Epilim. I am stable apart from a couple of days a month where I am very down. Reading the reviews I am totally relieved to hear that other people just don't feel full on this medicine- I am constantly hungry. I never feel full and eat and eat. I go to the gym four times a week to try and counteract this though. I have gained 28lbs since starting to take this medicine and I'm really trying to lose it but it's tough going to be honest. Better than me being mad though."

• RageF...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 10, 2012

"I am currently on Depakote. I was put on Depakote while I was in the hospital after having an acute anger episode. It worked the at first but now I am getting highly irritable for no reason and am bruising easily and it is very unusual bruising. I want to get off of it because I am having a lot of episodes. More than ever before. I have been on Abilify and Prozac and now this. Nothings working that well."

• Bano
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 4, 2021

"In 2015, I got on Remeron and Seroquel. They made me gain a good amount of weight... 25 lbs, up and down. After years, they didn't have the knockout effect. Last year, in 2020, I was just stressed, all messed up, anxiety out of control. I was currently on 15 mg of Remeron and 300 mg of Seroquel. I was forced on Depakote last year, one year ago in March. Mentally, it worked great, 500 mg twice a day. My anxiety and stress went away. It's still gone a year later. The bad news is I've gained 35 pounds, have less sex drive, and thinning hair on the front, but not sure if that's the Depakote... but lots of people say so. Apparently, on 1000 mg a day, that happens. I'd say it's a great medicine for your anxiety and stress. Maybe only take 500 mg a day. Just like any of these medications, you will gain weight and have cons. But honestly, I was forced into it from the mental hospital a year ago; it did the trick, it fixed my life... and I love my kids, I still have emotions. The worst part is the weight gain and tiredness."

• slatt...
• January 9, 2011

"I have taken this medicine for seven years.....six of those in conjunction with Zyprexa. I ballooned from 120lbs to 210lbs in that space of time. I was not warned that this medicine has the potential to cause massive weight gain, and she insisted to me that the gain was nothing to do with the drug. Came off the drugs independently for 13 months, 95lbs fell off me easily, but had another episode after that time. Am now on 500mgs Depakote and 10mgs Abilify. Don't notice any beneficial effects from this medicine hair loss, nails breaking below the quick, hand and body tremors, forgetfulness, being abstract and far away, irregular sleep patterns. Want to ask the doctor to try me on Lamictal."

• Anonymous
• January 13, 2010

"Depakote made me go slow on everything I did. I was a totally different person. My family thought I was on harsh drugs, I didn't function at all on 1200mg. Now I am on quetiapine and citalopram and my moods have totally stabilized. I am a different person."

• bobc
• September 10, 2010

"I was prescribed 500mg Depakote twice per day. I does make me feel sleepy and the MD stated I needed to take both in the evening. I did so and awoke feeling like I was jacked up and bouncing off the walls. I thought what the hell is going on. So I took another dose and an hour later had a nap and I was fine. The downside of the medication does make me feel like a zombie. My concentration is nil and confused a lot. Currently I do not have any insurance and when I go to the ER they say just wait to you see your MD next month. I am very frustrated but learned the hard way to not discontinue your medicines. I did so and got in a lot of trouble."

• semi-...
• December 6, 2011

"I was prescribed this for a mood disorder they couldn't pin down (didn't know where on the bipolar spectrum I fell, I suppose) as well as sleeping issues. I became very jaded, too jaded. I didn't get any more sleep than usual, and my previously sun-sensitive skin is now showing minor allergic reactions to sunlight. I haven't been on it for years, and the allergy is still there. It did nothing for me and just made it harder for me to operate in the typically diurnal society of today. Not a positive experience."

• So-so
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 14, 2019

"I haven't really had a major manic episode since I started depakote. However, it did not help me with normal agitation, violent thoughts, or anger. But trade-offs were weight gain, significant hair loss, and tremor. I was on 1250mg/d and decreased to 750mg/d. Cutting down didn't make me feel any difference. I wish this works out for most of you since this is one of the main therapies for maintenance."

• theni...
• August 14, 2010

"I was prescribed 250 mg, but to take three times a day (every 8 hours). I don't think that's really too high. Perhaps it's because I was on such high doses of other things in my past--who knows. So, to me, my body is used to truly high doses of such medicines. Either way, 250mg of Depakote DR is the lowest you can be given, and that will only carry you through part of the day. This is why the doctor has to make you take it three times a day. I haven't had practically any side effects, except for a little "wet noodly" feeling, but none of the side effects (yet) that are listed. Guess it's different for everyone."

• pdxbr...
• October 10, 2011

"I am an active person with a healthy, gluten/dairy-free diet and within the first 2 months I gained nearly 40 pounds. I was crying all of the time, fatigued, and then my hair started falling out. It also lead to a suicide attempt. Depakote may work very well for some, but for me it was worse than disease. Aother downside was the cost. With insurance it was nearly 150.00 dollars a month."

• Tristan
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 10, 2022

"Diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder BP1 year & half ago. On generic brand ER (once daily in pm). Stops mania. Took a year to find appropriate dose (750 mg). No weight gain. Exercising & eating well. Mostly sleeping well. Though on occasion must take 10-25 mg of seroquil to help with sleep onset. Must increase water intake as it increases thirst. Eliminates paranoia, delusions & irritability & destructive manic behaviors. My humor & empathy returned after episodes of psychosis (before my diagnosis). I’m stable now. Getting good sleep is a priority. Stimulants & THC trigger worst mania. With doctor’s supervision I did go off depakote to see if I could manage without having bp1 symptoms & quickly realized ALL symptoms returned. I immediately began taking depakote again & all symptoms receded. This is an effective medicine for bp1. BP1 is a treatable illness. Depakote helps me live a full life."

• Anonymous
• August 21, 2011

"I have been taking this medicine for 3 weeks. During the three weeks I have experienced severe mood swings to the point of psychosis. I have had irritability on a daily basis and worsening of depression. The psychosis has made me stop taking the medicine. I had been on Seroquel for years and because of a huge weight gain, I stopped taking it. I don't know where to go from here."

• volynn
• May 14, 2011

"I took Depakote for 3 months at 100mg to treat bipolar disorder type I. I did see improvements in my mood, but I also experienced weight gain due to the side effect of always feeling hungry. Also, I never felt the signal from my stomach telling me that it was time to stop eating and that I was full. "