Depakote Product Description

Drug Uses

Depakote is an oral drug that has an antiepileptic, antimanic and antimigraine activity. Depakote can be prescribed as a monotherapy, as well as concomitantly with anticonvulsants, sedatives or psychotropic drugs.

As an antiepileptic (anticonvulsant) drug, Depakote can be used to control seizures at any age, as well as to maintain seizure control in children younger than 2 years. As antimigraine or antimanic drug, Depakote should be prescribed only to patients aged 18 and older.

• Depakote is effective in treating multiple seizure types, such as simple and complex partial (focal), myoclonic, tonic-clonic seizures; petit mal absences; and generalized epileptic discharges.
• Depakote helps to prevent migraine attacks, but does not affect the mechanism of the occurrence of usual headache. Therefore, Depakote tablets should not be used to relieve non-migraine headaches and other types of pain not associated with migraine.
• Depakote provides an expressed antimanic effect only while treating manic episodes in patients with bipolar illness (manic-depressive illness). If acute mania is caused by another mental disorder, other mood stabilizers should be prescribed instead of Depakote.

Missed Dose

If you forget to take a dose of your antipsychotic / anticonvulsant, you should take Depakote tablets as soon as possible. If you have remembered about the missed dose of Depakote when it is almost time for the next scheduled dose, skip the missed dose of Depakote and return to the prescribed treatment regimen.

More Information

If the patient loses his appetite, significantly reduces water consumption or experiences excessive daytime sleepiness during the antipsychotic / anticonvulsant therapy, decrease in the total daily dose of Depakote or termination of using this drug can be recommended.

Storage

Depakote tablets are advised to store in original tight, light-resistant containers, away from children, at temperature not above 30°C.

Depakote Safety Information

Warnings

Depakote may have a toxic effect on the liver and cause serious hepatic dysfunction. The problem of hepatotoxicity is most acute in the first six months of using Depakote. In infants and children under two years, as well as in patients with inherent or acquired mitochondrial dysfunction or mitochondrial diseases, the potential risk for liver dysfunction is higher than in other groups of patients. Liver function tests are periodically recommended for the patients considered to be at risk.

Disclaimer

Information about the treatment of epilepsy, migraine and panic attacks provided in Depakote review is intended only for general informational purposes. This information cannot be considered as an alternative to or a substitute for consultation with epileptologist, neurologist, psychotherapist or other qualified healthcare professional in the field of neurological diseases. The online pharmacy disclaims any responsibility for any damage (including direct or consequential) arising from the use of information about Depakote.

Depakote Side Effects

Depakote may cause a variety of adverse reactions, the most frequent of which are: nausea, headache, vomiting, tremor, indigestion and back pain. Less frequently, Depakote may cause asthenia, depression, fatigue, rash, sleeping disorders, pyrexia, anemia and weight changes.

Just as exceeding the dose, change of Depakote dose may cause such adverse reactions, as convulsion, stupor and alopecia. Typically, these adverse reactions do not depend on the patient’s age and sex; however, clinical trials of Depakote drug have shown that children are more prone to agitation, nervousness and disturbance of attention.