Posted by Krazy Kat on May 9, 2002, at 16:00:09
In reply to So, who likes depakote?, posted by jaby on May 9, 2002, at 15:24:16
i like depakote. i take it for bipolar disorder. i take 2000 mg at night.
i am also trying ritalin to counteract some of depakote's side effects (and my general laziness:)).
side effects for me:
some hand tremors (there is a med one can take to counteract this)
sedation
anhedonia
flatnessthe ritalin thus far has helped with the anhedonia and flatness some, and a little with energy. i take a low dose of ritalin at this point, 10 mg a day.
i cannot take anti-depressants - they trigger mania, which leads to heavy depression, which leads to agitated/suicidal depression.
depakote causes some to gain weight. it can also cause hair loss. one can take supplements to offset this. it can cause liver damage. you must have labs done periodically to check the level, but more importantly to check your liver function, etc. of course, that also gives one piece of mind re: one's health.
it acts quickly, within a week - 2 weeks. i get an immediate benefit from it when in that agitated depressive state.
it is a "big gun". i have tried other stabilizers - this has worked best for me.
- kk
poster:Krazy Kat
thread:105761
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020503/msgs/105766.html