Coming off Depakote, too quick?

[darcness]

Well my wife is coming down to her final days of Depakote!

It's been all of a terrible medication for her, that's for sure. She's currently on Keppra 1000mg a day, and still taking 500mg of Depakote for the past month after being on 1000mg a day for 7 months before that. The neurologist wanted to her to half her dose (the 1000-->500) and then stop taking that 500mg after a month, so in other words 500mg a day down to zero.

I'm concerned this might be a little too quick. She has 5 days left of the month and I would think she should do 500mg every other day for the last week. Either that or call the neurologist and see if he can do 250mg tabs for her that she can go down to for a while.

Anyone have any experience with tapering off Depakote? It just seems steep to me to be going from 500mg a day to nothing, just like that.

[Meetz1064]

on it for 7 years. I had to be taken off in 250 mg increments because of the length of time I was on it. I think perhaps your idea of alternating every other day is an EXCELLENT one. Call the neurologist, and run it by them, see what they say. I don't think they'll object, given the fact that you participate so much in your wife's care.......

Take care!

Meetz

[Nakamova]

Better to go too slow than too fast. I've found that the doctors tend to forget how sensitive the human body is to even small doses of meds, and to the withdrawal of the meds. I think there's nothing wrong with going slowly, unless there's some kind of reason to rush the drug out of her system. Definitely give the neurologist a call.

[darcness]

No reason to rush. Only the fact that it's a horrible drug (in her case). I know she's pretty happy about not taking it anymore, and I am too.

She skipped it today because it makes her so tired and crabby and we had to go shopping as we're buying a house.

Looking forward to her being off it all togehter. I'll call the neurologist on Monday and run it by him as well. Thanks for the suggestions all Meetz and Naka!