Posted by Mitch on October 11, 2001, at 23:05:22
In reply to Re: Depakote personal experience requested..., posted by Renegade on October 11, 2001, at 11:22:18
> Sorry to bring back old threads. I'm new here and wanted to know if anyone had any experiences with Depakote and other prescribed (or not) drugs, specifically when stopping Depakote but any experiences I'd like to hear. I'm taking it for it's anti-siezure effects, and have many lung related (severe asthma and lung infection) prescriptions. I've been trying to reduce my dosage per the doctors orders but its causing an unusually high amount of withdrawal symptoms. To the point I recognized it was like when I was taken of a morphine prescription. I weaned myself off the morphine a few years ago with doctor's guidance, but with this much milder medicine I'm having to have my roomates help. I keep having to these mood swings that make me angry and want to go find the pills (I gave her the bottle to dispense from early on because I'll never get the dose lowered otherwise). For instance it's about time for another dose and it's taking a tremendous amount of restraint not to bust into her room for the pills. Mood was never a consideration when I was put on this medicine. It was chosen because Dilantin (another anti-siezure med) gave me an allergic reaction instead. I've read about some who have experienced Depakote withdrawal but never to this point. The day dosage is being dropped because the levels interfered with my ability to do much during the day because of the other meds (the night dosage is the same). It's only 250 day 500 night (was 500/500). Any thoughts would be appreciated.
>
> RenegadeHello,
Got a few questions, first. What type of seizures are you needing to control? Are you making a switch (cross-taper) from Depakote to a different AED, which one? I am guessing you are being switched away from Depakote onto another AED, otherwise you would lose seizure control, right? I was switched from Depakote to Gabitril a couple of years ago and I had a decently uncomfortable agitative withdrawal (and was warned by neuro about it), but it subsided after a couple of weeks. I went from 500mg/day to 250mg/day for a week, then stopped it. When I *stopped* it was when the agitation started. The reason I ask the above questions is that the AED you are being switched to (if any) may be the cause of the anger and agitation instead of Depakote withdrawal symptoms.
Mitch
poster:Mitch
thread:76493
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20011007/msgs/81072.html