Any GOOD about Depakote?

[RunningGirl85]

I'm just curious... has anyone here taken Depakote WITHOUT all of the negative side effects? Like... not gaining a bunch of weight? I know my neurologist is going to try to put me on it... Last time I saw him (which was too long ago), he said if the Vimpat and Lamictal weren't doing it for me then he wanted to try something stronger, like Depakote... Well, my auras aren't getting any better... if anything, they have been getting worse. Soo... I kinda wanna see if someone hasn't had terrible reactions to the medicine

 

[MrE]

Take a small dose my dear...works great...I'm currently taking a small dose but sometimes need to up it a bit or I will transform into a power ranger...(extreme manic episode)...but yes give it a try darling...can't hurt...right? I've been taking it for 15 years now with great success...maybe you can too! :tup:

The only thing I really ever experience is being a little groggy...but it's very mild...like my dose...so give it a try and see how it makes you feel...

Have any further questions/concerns please don't hesitate to ask!

 

[RunningGirl85]

Thanks! Yea I saw my neurologist this afternoon and told him I would try it and if I didn't like the side effects I would change. He says depakote and lamictal work really well together so I would be dropping my Lamictal dose and taking a lower dose of depakote. What is your dose currently at?

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[MrE]

Yeah Depakote works great (for me)...

My dose is 2 x 500mg once a day of the extended release tablets...alternating to 3 every other day...so 1,250mg

 

[RunningGirl85]

Mine is only going to be 750 (3 x 250 ER tablets) once I get to my dosage... well, for now. I would like to keep my dosage as low as possible though to avoid side effects... I'm petrified of gaining weight and losing hair... and of course all of the other side effects - but those are the most obvious side effects.

 

[MrE]

Mine is only going to be 750 (3 x 250 ER tablets) once I get to my dosage... well, for now. I would like to keep my dosage as low as possible though to avoid side effects... I'm petrified of gaining weight and losing hair... and of course all of the other side effects - but those are the most obvious side effects.

Lol you look pretty good though...I don't think you'll gain any weight or lose any hair with such a lose dose...and those are just POSSIBLE side effects...doesn't mean they are bound to happen even with a higher dose...just calm down...don't worry...I have not gained any weight or lost any hair with my current dose aside from a few random "silver" hairs that I believe are caused by other reasons...but I think they look neat...it's like my 30 year old bodies way of saying "here have a silver hair you've earned it"...so like I said before the only thing I experience is being a little bit more groggy than usual...but that's normal with any medications like these...especially the extended release tablets...


Keep me informed

 

[RunningGirl85]

Haha, thanks. And you are really reassuring! I know on all of the medications I have been on weight gain is a possible effect, but if anything I lost weight (I think more due to eating habit changes than the medications themselves, but still). I lost some hair, but it stopped pretty quick into the treatments. Usually the change in medications make me feel sick, or I have some time where I'm just out of it... I am hoping that the low dose of Depakote does the job without too many side effects..

And yeah... I already have some silver hairs at 28... They have slowly been creeping up on me since I was 25... fortunately they have been creeping very slowly. My dad greyed early so I am hoping not to follow in his footsteps! I guess that is what hair dye is for though!

 

[MrE]

Your welcome! Anytime!

and yeah I have lost weight too but that's only because I workout and eat better now...I can actually see my ab's now lol

and yeah hair dye has it's good and bad...like frying your hair if you use it too much...no you want naturally healthy beautiful shimmering hair!

 

[N Sperlo]

And yeah... I already have some silver hairs at 28... They have slowly been creeping up on me since I was 25... fortunately they have been creeping very slowly. My dad greyed early so I am hoping not to follow in his footsteps! I guess that is what hair dye is for though!

Grey hair is sexy, so that's a bonus! My wife has a grey streak around the bangs and I love it!

If you're really a running girl, I don't think you have much to worry about. Hopefully if you're like me, you'll probably be craving a lot of healthy food. I did. Whole watermelons. Whole cantaloupes...

I don't take Depakote anymore.

 

[MrE]

Well any hair can be sexy really...imo it's not so much the color as it is the health of the hair...you don't want dull dry looking hair that looks abused and/or unhappy...you want happy bouncey hair that has OOMPH! Now THAT is sexy

and yes if you run a lot you shouldn't have much too worry about...just take it easy and keep doing what you're doing

and good thing I'm not a fan of watermelon and cantaloupes because I'm allergic to them

but Sper may I ask why you broke up with Depakote? What part of the relationship wasn't working???

 

[N Sperlo]

I slept 16 hours a day and was always tired. Gave Keppra a try and it was much better for me.

 

[MrE]

I'm curious to try something else just to compare how I feel but I'm sorta stuck at the whole "if it aint broke don't fix it" :|

 

[N Sperlo]

I'd like to drop the Keppra now that Vimpat is working so well, but I don't want to risk the driving.

I thought this conversation was about sexy hair, though...

 

[MrE]

Lol but having a good relationship with your medicine will affect the health of your hair...so in reality it's about the intimate love life of Mr. Hair & Mrs. Medicine...or vice a versa depending on your situation

 

[MrE]

And with Valentines coming up it is especially important

 

[RunningGirl85]

Haha. I am trying to make sure I take multivitamins and keep up with anything that might affect hair/weight. I'm still building up on the medications, but so far no negative side effects, except being really tired. But that's how I've felt on every medicine at first, so I am hoping it disappears. I also really like coffee, so hopefully that helps with that side effect And I make sure to eat lots of healthy foods anyways! When I'm getting sugar cravings I am trying to eat grapes. I'm just wondering if the cravings/increased appetite are what cause weight gain, or if it's the actual metabolism. Because I haven't really felt my cravings increase, and if anything, there have been times I haven't really felt like eating (like this morning)... if it's metabolism, I will have to be even more careful. It IS good I like running though. I ran eight last night, so I'm happy about that

Actually, I did notice my hair falling out this morning. I'm being extra careful to take care of it though - I'm not even brushing when it's wet, just running my fingers through.

I took Keppra as my first medication... I don't know if it did much for me, and my moods were not good. I was pretty depressed... though right now I'm feeling pretty down - more so than I have in awhile. I'm hoping it's just circumstantial and not medication related. The guy I was seeing decided he wants to "scale things back" - I guess I'm the most serious person he's had since divorce, and he's been divorced for awhile. And we weren't even serious... He says he's not sure he wants to do the dating thing right now. And then the whole epilepsy thing is killing my work life. I mean... crying in front of your commander (I'm military here) because I can't even keep up with normal things like making appointments, is not a good feeling!

 

[N Sperlo]

Depakote did not effect my metabolism at all. I have very good metabolism, but just ate a ton. Never gained an ounce. I'd make my own alfredo sauce that was packed with the most unhealthy things. Never exceeded 125 lbs.

I won't comment on the relationship thing. I don't know the situation and I'm pretty opinionated with regards to relationships.

I read the work issue earlier. Sounds like depression really has a grip on you and its effecting work. I've gone through something similar, but it in no way impacted my life because it was a lame job. Not as serious as your job. It sounds like you're embarrassed about the crying thing. Just the feeling I get. Being military doesn't mean you have to mask your emotions.

I'm forgetful and need constant reminders. I have three jobs. Two are solid schedules. Same times, same days. It helps. Responsibilities vary. The full time job is a solid routine. The other job is MY gig with MY rules. I'm the boss. No worries there. Number three has a sporadic schedule. I have my boss text me the schedule to confirm I can work the days and he sends me messages the day of to make sure I can make it for the few hours I have to work.

I have pretty bad ADHD and have learned over the years how to deal with being absent minded about some things. I guess that is why I never saw it as a problem that could possibly have to do with medication.

I have known doctors with ADHD to put colored rubber bands on his wrist to remind him of tasks. After a task is complete, he take the rubber band off. You just need to find what works for you.

I'm happy to toss some suggestions your way.

 

[RunningGirl85]

Wow I thought I replied already! Those suggestions sound good... I'm not sure I could get away with wearing colored bands on my wrist while in uniform though! I am learning how to better cope... I now have a whiteboard on my front door so before I even walk out the door there is a list of my upcoming appointments/anything I need to take care of. After I missed two appointments in the matter of two months (that's a BIG deal in the army... we can get into some trouble - and to top it off, I'm an officer, so I'm not supposed to be messing those types of things up), I decided my phone reminders apparently weren't enough... My commander is also trying to help me out after my little breakdown yesterday... she's asking me if I have any upcoming appointments in the morning and is having me e-mail her my appointments for the week so she can remind me if necessary.

But yeah.... I'm pretty sure crying in front of a boss in ANY job when they are telling you what you are doing wrong is probably frowned upon... of course, I could be wrong, but I feel like losing my composure is just not a good thing...

 

[RunningGirl85]

And as for the metabolism thing, that makes me feel better. It makes me think as long as I can control those cravings and keep exercising that I won't have to worry much about weight gain!

 

[N Sperlo]

Its the stress of your life that has you, not the stress of your job. I'd give you a pass on that end.

Regardless, it sounds like you have a pretty good start with your coping mechanisms and I'm sure you will tweak them as time goes on to better fit you. Be sure to step back and breathe every once in a while.

NGU