Question about Depakote

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Hi,
I was researching Depakote the other day and came across the following 2 articles: jcn.sagepub.com/content/19/1/26.short and sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/088789949290075A (i'm not allowed to hyperlink yet because i don't have enough posts). Are they to suggest Depakote is known to stunt growth or have an effect on puberty? I hadn't heard this about Depakote previously. Has anyone else learned of this from their doctor or elsewhere? Please forgive me if I have misunderstood the articles or if this connection to growth/puberty has already been refuted. Thanks.
 
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I couldn't access your first web address, just the 2nd one. I've been on depakote throughout my teens & into my twenties without any such problems with hormones. Of course I am male.

The Science Direct site said that something happened to only 1 individual girl during her time on depakote but gave no mention of why they thought it was the depakote or if there was any other reason to think it was the drug besides the timing. Also, they not mention it happening to anyone else. It just says that they want a study because there have not been any done yet.

If this is the only known person that this happened to & nothing to connect the drug to her hormone levels I really wouldn't worry. Remember, Correlation does not equal causation.
 
I honestly wouldn't take it too seriously either.
They hypothesize that what is known to happen to children might happen to adults. They don't say why they think that is possible nor do they say that it has even happened yet. I was on valproic acid in 1975 or 76 so if it's been around this long & there is only a hypothesis about it effecting adult bones but no one has seen it happen yet then I wouldn't worry.

They have created a condition where the valproic acid has slowed bone growth but you have to remember that many things that have been done in a petri dish or to rats can not been duplicated in the human body, after all it hasn't happened yet. On top of it, for any scientific study to be taken seriously it has to be constantly be reproduced with the same results.

Depakote isn't the best drug around and it does have side-effects but this report & another hypothesis is nothing to be scared about.

Also, I edited the links to the sites into your posts.
 
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Depakote interferes with folate metabolism. If you look at an image of folate metabolism, you will see that folate goes in, if available, and what can be a product of folate metabolism is nucleotides. Nucleotides are the building blocks of DNA and RNA. So I suppose it is possible to have stunted growth if you are on depakote and also consume low levels of folate or have some problem with your folate metabolism to begin with.
:twocents:
 
Does Depakote stunt growth? I think so.

My daughter was on high levels of Depakote when she was 7 years old. She didn't grow from the time she was 8 until almost 12 when they put her on Keppra and reduced the Depakote. I pushed for it to be looked into, and the doctors just put it off. When she was 12 I demanded that they check into it and they finally did. At 12, her bone age was 10. After that I switched doctors and the new doctor added Keppra and reduced the depakote to 1250mgs/day and reduced it again to 1000mgs/day. At 15 she just went through a growth spurt and finally started menstruating. I worry about the long term effects of the Depakote and I wonder if she would be bigger (taller) than she is now had she not had that period of 3 years where she didn't grow.
 
Thankfully I never took doses over 1000mg a day...it might of stunted my growth a little but genetically speaking I wasn't going to be tall anyway...currently I am taking 1,000mg a day and take 1,250mg when I need it (mania)...I started taking it when I was 15...I am now 30 and still taking it...will probably be taking it for another 1,000 years (sarcasm)...as for long term side effects??? Well unless a unicorn falls out of my ass I'm pretty much ****** there lol

As for folate...eat a ton of broccoli and spinach :)
 
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So imagine an 8 year old at 86 pounds taking 1500 mgs. She was definitely overdosed on it. In 3rd grade she weighed 86 pounds. 3 years later in 6th grade she weighed 85 pounds and had only grown an inch in 3 years. Her average growth prior to taking Depakote was 2 inches per year. The Doctors don't give a crap. They just push the meds. I did find a new doctor that did a lot more for her and got many more answers and found a better cocktail that worked to control the seizures. Please let me know if that unicorn ever does fall out of your a$$. I want to be prepared for what the future holds.
 
pwvillalta said:
So imagine an 8 year old at 86 pounds taking 1500 mgs. She was definitely overdosed on it. In 3rd grade she weighed 86 pounds. 3 years later in 6th grade she weighed 85 pounds and had only grown an inch in 3 years. Her average growth prior to taking Depakote was 2 inches per year. The Doctors don't give a crap. They just push the meds. I did find a new doctor that did a lot more for her and got many more answers and found a better cocktail that worked to control the seizures. Please let me know if that unicorn ever does fall out of your a$$. I want to be prepared for what the future holds.
Click to expand...

Okay sure I'll let you know and I'll send you a piece of it in the mail :lol:

but yeah seriously side effects just suck :mad:
 
Ok, my daughter is 9 years old. She started having seizures around April or so of 2012. We took her to a local pediatric neurologist who put her on Keppra. Nightmare. The side effects were horrible. Her moods were totally out of control. Sad, crying, 4-5 hour-long meltdowns a day, angry, paranoid, hypersensitive, suicidal, etc. You name it. We barely left the house at all that summer, as the physician urged us to continue for a short time longer to see the side effects wear off, as the seizures were in fact slowing down. We cooperated. Soon she started limping. Then dragging her foot, saying it hurt, but not able to tell us specifically where. Then she would not walk at all, and was in a wheelchair. When I could not take it anymore, I decided to Admit her at Nemours. She needed a specialist, or 2 or 5. I was not leaving without some answers. 5 days later they had switched her med from Keppra to Depakote. The seizures were at bay and the behavior was better. But now we are back to square one. The behavior is at times impossible to deal with and makes everyday very stressful. She is very mature and intelligent but that goes out the window very quickly and just being told no can set her off. She has tantrums, ALL THE TIME over silly stuff my younger kid does not even flinch about. We have her in behavioral counseling and getting nowhere with that. She was just tested for ADD and the results are in. Yes. but how can we be sure what is her and what is the med? The administration at school knows of our frustration and is working with us: we have a 504 plan in place, since I believe that the medication makes her figity and causes her to lose focus. We do not know what to do. I feel guilty for even complaining since so many parents are dealing with much more relevant issues related to seizures and meds, but to me, this is BIGTIME altering our quality of life as a family. Dad and I are in counseling also. I need something to happen. She could be such a great kid if not for whatever this is. I feel like she is not happy. Sometimes she is, but I feel like the episodes put my stress and anger level way too high and it lasts all day. I spend most days pretty pissed off at her because she is such a pain. It is very frustrating and the neurologist says that perhaps she needs to be on ADD meds. More medication? That is the last thing we need. Feeling helpless
 
Don't give up

My daughter started out on Depakote. Handled it well. Seizures weren't totally controlled, so they added Keppra. So far so good. I don't particularly care for ADD meds, but if they work, by all means do what works-within reason of course (what your child can tolerate). A child with epilepsy is on enough meds without adding ADD meds. The ADD meds will slow them down and make the individual more manageable, but I prefer to make every attempt first at controlling the seizures first, and I think the rest might fall into place.
 
Hi I would like to be able to add my own feelings about this matter. I have been on Depakote since 1983 & many things have happened to me as well as my children from this medication. However, I still continue to take it, which, is beyond me other than the fact that it helps my Epilepsy along with the Zonegran I am now taking.
My daughter has all four valves in her heart which are bad, she also had to have a bi-level back surgery at the age of 15, then my son has has several back issues since he was 13 & now his back is curved. Both my of them now have have high blood pressure, as well as myself. I myself have recently found out that due to the Depakote, I went through a bone density test and my bones are like a woman's of over a 74 year old age and I just turned 49, so...I have many other issues, shaky arms & hands, blurred vision, hair loss... but why do I take it you ask?
Apparently it does freakishly work, but if I could file a lawsuit against Abbott's Depakote? You dang straight I am! My children deserve it!
T T
 
Reality sucks

I hate the reality of what you post. I have wanted to take my daughter off it for the longest time. Keppra seemed to be working so well, but as soon as we started reducing the Depakote, things went awry. She is only 15 and I think of all the complications that she may have in the future-like having children and the liver damage it is most likely doing-but is there an alternative? Without the meds she is nearly comatose. You can hardly hold a conversation with her. And with it, it is like she is an average, every day girl doing normal things, hanging out with friends, playing sports and the like. Are there any steps that you know of that could lessen the effects, such as vitamins (which she already takes a teen vitamin for the Selenium-in hopes of preventing her hair from getting worse) or eating certain foods in abundance?
 
What I do to keep my hair growing instead of falling out is go to GNC and buy Millcreek Botananicals Biotin Shampoo & Conditioner as this will help with growing the hair majorly! I want to tell you I only had short hair that would not even grow until I used this, the price is $7.99 each I believe.
Please feel free to contact me

Terri Tripp
Territripp1965@gmail.com
I will answer any questions you may have!
 
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I also take magnesium , 500 mcg daily and my doctor says it helps with those with seizures...however, I would consult your neurologist.
 
Questions. ?

pwvillalta said:
I hate the reality of what you post. I have wanted to take my daughter off it for the longest time. Keppra seemed to be working so well, but as soon as we started reducing the Depakote, things went awry. She is only 15 and I think of all the complications that she may have in the future-like having children and the liver damage it is most likely doing-but is there an alternative? Without the meds she is nearly comatose. You can hardly hold a conversation with her. And with it, it is like she is an average, every day girl doing normal things, hanging out with friends, playing sports and the like. Are there any steps that you know of that could lessen the effects, such as vitamins (which she already takes a teen vitamin for the Selenium-in hopes of preventing her hair from getting worse) or eating certain foods in abundance?
Click to expand...

:ponder:

I'm puzzled by the comment you posted,is she having problems after reducing Depakote yet still on Keppra? Anytime you are on certain seizure meds, like Depakote (Valproate) , made by Abbott Labs, you risk that chance of having problems like liver issues amongst many other things. Cruel I know but this is what you are dealing with my dear. Now I do take many vitamins and I feel like they are having a great deal of help for me,such as magnesium, Super B Complex , Biotin(for hair, skin & nails) and many others. I just prefer the added help and my Neurologist seems to think that my "mix" of healthcare is working wonders, so I don't know each patient is different.
I know my type of seizures are different from your daughter's'. So I wonder if I helped you answer any questions you may have had?
Terri
 
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