What is divalproex used for in mental health?
The medication Depakote (divalproex sodium) is an anticonvulsant. Doctors prescribe it to treat seizure disorders and to prevent migraine headaches. People also use it to manage the manic phase of bipolar disorder. Depakote side effects can be serious and sometimes fatal.
Does divalproex make you sleepy?
A: Common side effects experienced with Depakote include drowsiness, nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, low platelet count, tremors, tiredness, and hair loss.
Is divalproex used for anxiety?
Panic disorders: Divalproex has been used successfully in the treatment of panic and anxiety disorders. It also helps to stabilize mood swings in people with behavioral instability.
Can divalproex be used for depression?
Conclusions: These pilot results indicate that divalproex is effective in reducing the symptoms of depression and anxiety in bipolar I, depressed phase. These positive results support the need to perform a larger, multisite study of divalproex treatment for bipolar depression.
Is divalproex good for anxiety?
Because of its ability to boost GABA production, Divalproex calms overstimulated nerves and soothes and calms the brain. Thus, it has been successful in treating patients suffering from panic or anxiety disorders. It is also helpful in stabilizing mood in people with behavioral issues resulting from anxiety.
Can Depakote damage your brain?
Divalproex treatment was associated with accelerated brain volume loss over 1 year and perhaps with greater cognitive impairment. The long-term clinical effects of these changes are not known.
Does divalproex cause weight gain?
Mood stabilizers used to treat bipolar disorder include lithium (Lithobid), valproic acid (Depakene), divalproex sodium (Depakote), carbamazepine (Tegretol, Equetro, others) and lamotrigine (Lamictal). All of these medications are known to increase the risk of weight gain except lamotrigine.
Does divalproex help anxiety?
Does divalproex affect your memory?
Conclusions: Divalproex treatment was associated with accelerated brain volume loss over 1 year and perhaps with greater cognitive impairment. The long-term clinical effects of these changes are not known.
Can divalproex make you lose weight?
Commonly reported side effects of divalproex sodium include: abdominal pain, asthenia, dizziness, drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, thrombocytopenia, and anorexia. Other side effects include: abnormality in thinking, alopecia, ataxia, nystagmus disorder, tremor, weight loss, fever, and skin rash.
Can divalproex make you depressed?
Some people may alternate between extreme episodes of mania and depression. Antiepileptic drugs, including Depakote may cause suicidal thoughts or actions in a small number of people, about 1 in 500.
Is divalproex used for depression?
What is divalproex prescribed for?
Divalproex (also known as valproate or valproic acid) is a prescription medication used to treat seizures and manic episodes in people with bipolar disorder and to prevent migraines. This medication may be prescribed for other uses.
Is divalproex a controlled substance?
Valproate products are FDA-approved drugs to treat seizures. Some valproate products are also approved to treat manic or mixed episodes associated with bipolar disorder (manic-depressive disorder), or for the prevention of migraine headaches. FDA-approved product labeling identifies approved indications for each product.
What does levetiracetam 500 mg do?
Levetiracetam slows down these electrical signals to stop seizures. Levetiracetam also works differently from most epilepsy medicines. It joins with a protein that’s involved with releasing certain chemicals in the brain. The exact way this works is not fully known.
What is Depakote ER 500 mg used for?
Depakote ER is indicated as monotherapy and adjunctive therapy in the treatment of adult patients and pediatric patients down to the age of 10 years with complex partial seizures that occur either in isolation or in association with other types of seizures.