Recently diagnosed

[PatriciaC]

Hello. My name is Patricia and I live in the UK. I had my first seizure in 1998 at age 33 and my second seizure in September of this year. I have started on medication called Epilim which, I believe, is known as Depakote in the US. I have a question for those on valproate: after being on an introductory dose, has anyone experienced an excerbation of initial side effects when increasing to the dose prescribed by their doctor/neurologist?

[montse]

Which side effects are you having?

[RobinN]

Hi Patricia,
Welcome to CWE. I am sure there will be others that will come by soon, that have experience with these meds. My daughter has not been on these.

Glad you decided to join us.

[brain]

Patricia!

Glad to have you here at CWE!

[PatriciaC]

Which side effects are you having?

Hi there! I experience the odd bout of oedema which I keep at bay by drinking lots of water and keeping my feet up. The main side effects which are of most concern to me are some itching which I thought had worn off but seems to have flared up again (I actually wonder if I have developed some food allergies) and the spontaneous bruising. I have had some blood tests done and, thankfully, they are all fine but I can't help worrying that these side effects might get worse when I double my dose to 800mg a day.

Regards

Patricia

[Bernard]

Hi Patricia, welcome to the forum.

Yes, Stacy has experienced increased side effects when increasing the dose of anti-epileptic drugs before.

[PatriciaC]

Hi Bernard

I am sorry to learn that Stacy had this experience. I don't wish to pry, but was Valproate the drug in question, by any chance?

Patricia

[RobinN]

Patricia,
For my daughter Rebecca, it didn't matter which drug she took. Each caused an increase in side effects.
I believe it is a rare case that has little to no side effects from these type of drugs.
As Bernard pointed out to me once, it is most likely that those having positive results, don't end up in forums such as this.
For us it becomes a matter of quality of life, as to whether or not the drugs side effects are worth its possible benefit.

[Birdbomb]

Welcome Patricia

Here is some info on Depakote. Maybe you ought to put a call into the doctor and see if you should switch to some other medication. Especially if the side effects worsen. Most of the time the body just needs time to adjust to the medication and the side effects go away.

Seek emergency medical attention if the person taking this medicine has nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, or loss of appetite, low fever, dark urine, clay-colored stools, or jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes). These symptoms may be early signs of liver damage. Some of these symptoms may also be early signs of pancreatitis. Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:
unexplained weakness with vomiting and confusion or fainting;

easy bruising or bleeding, unusual weakness;

fever, skin rash, swollen glands;

fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms;

urinating less than usual;

blood in your urine;

hallucinations (seeing things that aren't there);

weakness, lack of coordination;

a red, blistering, peeling skin rash;

extreme drowsiness;

unusual bleeding or bruising; or

double vision or back-and-forth movements of the eyes.

Continue using Depakote and talk with your doctor if you have any of these less serious side effects:

drowsiness or weakness;

diarrhea, constipation, upset stomach;

depression, anxiety, or other emotional changes;

changes in your menstrual periods;

enlarged breasts;

tremor (shaking);

hair loss;

weight changes;

a red, blistering, peeling skin rash;

vision changes; or

unusual or unpleasant taste in your mouth.

Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.

[montse]

I was on valproic acid, 1.500 mg a day, three pills of 500, I was with it about 10 years, the most "important" side effect I had was hair loose, but thanks god my hair is abundant. But every one is a world, so be patient and wait and see how it is going on.
I wish you the best, take care.

[Bernard]

Patricia, it was one of them, yes.

[Meetz1064]

Hi, hello, and how-do-you-do?

Nice to meet ya, Patricia. Forgive me, I'm in a strange mood. I wanted to say welcome to CWE. Lots of friendly people here, with lots of good info, and support, too. Feel free to ask questions, vent, rant, whatever ya need to do. We'll be here for ya.

Take care.

Meetz

[kirk267]

Hi I can not really relate on that particular name of epileptic medication but I have had epilepsy since I was 13 and am now 27 and from my experience with epilepsy and medication is if your on a small dose your chances of side effects are not as high as having an increased dosage because there is more of the medication in your system and therfore a bigger risk of having a side effect or numerous side effects to that medication. Also if your taking 2 or more epileptic medications at the same time of day as the rest of them it could not always but possibly cause side effects that are not even listed on the fact sheets under side effects of that medication.

I hope atleast some of this information explains and or helps you out with your problem your having with your epileptic medication and I wish you all the better luck in the new year !

[stringbean]

Welcome Patricia,
I find this a wonderful site!!