Hi, I'm new here, I have a question about Depakote

[nadpip83]

Hi, I'm a mom to a beautiful 2 1/2 year old boy. My son has complex partial, cystic encephelomalaysia, he is legally blind and has both focal and myoclonic seizures. He started having seizures a few months after he was born and as he gets older they have gotten stronger. He has been on a number of anti-seizure medication: Klonopin, Trileptal, Topomax, Keppra and now his DR. wants to start him on Depakote. I've read and heard so many horrible things about this drug, for example, hair loss, liver failure, etc. and would like to know if anyone on this forum has had any experience with this drug, good or bad?

[epileric]

I'm afraid that despite being on valproic acid for many years I was on it with at least 2 other medications so it was hard to know what side-effect came from which drug. I do remember that it is one of 11 drugs cited by the FDA as increasing the chances of suicide. Suicide Risk From 11 Epilepsy Drugs

Here's what drugs.com had to say about it http://www.drugs.com/mtm/valproic-acid.html

Meanwhile get comfy & check CWE out. The people here are really supportive & also very informative. Once more, Welcome.

[Nakamova]

Hi nadpip83, welcome to CWE!

Unfortunately all the meds have potentially unpleasant side effects, but they don't show up for everyone who takes them. What works for one person might not work for another. A med that causes hair loss for one person, might have no effect on hair for someone else. For some folks the side effects wane as their bodies adapt to the med, for others they get worse.

If your son needs a new med to help control his seizures, then Depakote might be worth a try. But pay close attention to any side effects he may be experiencing, and if they seem intolerable, then rule the Depakote out.

I haven't tried Depakote myself, but others at CWE will no doubt chime in, and you can search for info on the site as well. I hope you and your son find the answers you need.

Best,
Nakamova

[skillefer]

I took depakote for...wow...2o years.. For me, it worked great. The only 2 side effects I noticed were some minimal hair loss ( I have thick hair, so it wasn't really an issue) and weight gain. But it worked great for me for a long time. I didn't have any liver issues.