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Problems with Depakote ER

Mon, 11/28/2005 - 18:33
My neurologist is taking me off Topamax after a year and has put me on Depakote ER. I'm now at 1000mg at night and down to 50mg of Topamax at night as well. I told my neurologist last week that after having my blood level tested and it coming back o.k, that I felt a little under par. Like I could feel one trying to happen, but hadn't had one. The neurologist wanted me to up my Depakote ER to 500mg in the morning and 1000mg at night.(I was taking 100mg of Topamax last week). So, I did that for 2 days and I had this swelling, almost numbing sensation around my eye on the left side. I looked up serious side effects, and swelling of the face is one of them. I stopped taking the extra 500mg in the morning, and of course we we out of town for Thanksgiving and when I called and explained the situation about the numbness and the swelling, and that I was by now having seizures(staring-petit mal) because Depakote isn't helping and Topamax is now down to 50mg, the doctor told me to take all the pills at night and see if that made a difference! It's a horrible feeling. It feels like my face if partially parialized or something. Has anyone else experienced any problems with this medicine? The 2 days that I took it, it just felt like the medicine was hitting the "needed" as well as the "unneeded" parts of my brain. Almost like it was making my brain hurt. I'm going to call again tomorrow and I have an appointment on Friday anyway. I feel like the doctor is sort of blowing this off. THanks for the advice..

Comments

Re: Problems with Depakote ER

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 2005-11-29 - 19:35
I put a link here to content about Depakote ER. http://www.epilepsy.com/medications/b_depakoteer_intro.html When side effects persist and it's hard to tell the cause, often people just need to see the doctor - it may be the only way to tell if the problems are due to medicine side effects, how much you are taking or if the medicine is just not right for you. Hope it works out! Epilepsy.com Resource Specialist

Re: Re: Problems with Depakote ER

Submitted by bil on Wed, 2005-12-21 - 13:15
topamax can effect bicarbonate levels...the labeling suggests periodally monitoring for this. parathesia (tinglings) is one of the most common topamax side effects.

Re: Re: Problems with Depakote ER

Submitted by Brooke on Tue, 2006-01-03 - 02:48
hi my name is brooke and i am 16... i been placed back on depakote after trying to be winged off topamax last year. I gained a perfusive ammount of weight (50lb) and i am wondering if dieting and exorsising is going to help this? please get back to me, do you think depakote is the write drug for me? i already tried topamax and lost to much weight and it effected the way i think and acted. a girl in need brooke ps please email me your feed back at [email protected]

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