Posted by SLS on April 4, 2006, at 12:15:38
In reply to Does Depakote have stabilizing FX below 750mg/day?, posted by greywolf on April 4, 2006, at 11:51:54
> Does Depakote have any mood stabilizing effect below 750 mg/day? I'm presently at that dose (which is fairly low, from what I understand), but I feel somewhat lethargic during times I need to be more alert for work purposes. I was wondering if I dropped it to 500 mg/day whether I would experience any mood stabilizing effect.
I can't really answer your question. Sorry.
There are people who claim to receive a mood stabilizing effect at 250mg. When evaluating reports like this, I think one must take into account the uncertainty of knowing what illness each person suffers from. For acute drug-induced mania, I need a minimum of 1000mg for Depakote to have any effect. 1500mg is about right for me. Of course, the dosage necessary for prophylaxis (stabilization) might be lower than that needed for acute treatment.
I guess the only way to know is to try it. You might want to get a blood level to use as a reference. You really should get some blood work done periodically to check liver enzymes and platelet count, anyway.
What illness are you treating with Depakote?
How long have you been stable for?
Why do you want to reduce the dosage?
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:628660
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060403/msgs/628670.html