# Depakote: someone break it down for me



## Guest (Dec 30, 2004)

I just got prescribed depakote and i'm a bit freaked out about trying it tommorrow. I haven't taken a benzo in weeks and in my semi-sober state of mind, i know things are still very very off and i needed another med. My doc suggested Depakote (anti-convulsant) which sounded like a great idea at the time. I'm hoping it will kill my mania which really makes my visuals terribly worse. I'm also hoping the anti-seizure properties will curb my low-grade seizures I sometimes have. Those seizures are my evil chronic acid flashbacks which have been plaguing me for over a year now.

I need some positive support. It'd be great if someone could respond who has intense visuals like me, but anyone will do.

If this doesn't work but is still promising, i'll move down the anti-convulsant chain, then if that doesn't work i'll shimmy to the antipsychotics which i would like to avoid at all costs.


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## bat (Aug 18, 2004)

hi zig

depakote seems to be the drug for manic episodes and seizures. side effects don't sound too bad; the normal dizziness and nausea you get at the start of most meds. i think you're meant to get blood tests to check liver function as you're not meant to take it if you have liver problems. hope it works well


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## Guest (Dec 30, 2004)

Ziggos depakote saga

Day One

ETI (Estimated Time of Ingestion) - 2 hours ago. No Change


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## Guest (Jan 2, 2005)

This is still an early analysis on my part...but...i think i've got some promising results so far.

I've been on a very low dose of this stuff for three days now and i have significant results in a few areas. My visual "flashbacks" which occured almost hourly have not appeared since I started. This is quite a bonus because it has dramatically reduced the fear inside of me. The all to painful "voice" (which has almost a physical permanant fixture inside of my mind, is slowly shutting the fuck up.

Not sure how I feel about this one: I will not sip a single ounce of alcohol while on this med ever again because i had a psychotic episode with the best date I have ever gotten in my life on new years. My liver may start to heal due to this, but a major side effect of depakote is liver failure, so....i'm hoping they cancel each other out. Social anxiety has not quite been put to the test today as I was fairly drowsy and only left the house to get cigarettes (i live the fun life).

At this point, this is the most promising thing to happen to me in a very long time, yet 'fog' and habitual self-doubt still linger and its hard for someone with my my bad luck to be positive. I am still a big pessimist about my whole situation and still about 95% nihilist, but the aforementioned is quite true and i can feel myself getting through again.

I know some of you seem to exhibit very similar symptoms (e.g. falling_free; not quite the dick I am though) as I, and might take consideration to this drug which is very promising.

:mrgreen:


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## Guest (Jan 6, 2005)

I just bumped myself up to 500 mgs a few hours ago and have noticed another boost in my overall satisfaction. I feel as if I am waking up from a long horrible ass nightmare and i'm on the lowest prescribed dose possible...and its also supposed to be taken with an ssri. hooray. I was on 250 every 12 hours to kill the onset of significant side effects.

Hooray for me. Each day has been better than the last...still shitty as all hell, but its an improvement.

This has convinced me that many of you might be overlooking possible bipolar. Sure I have dpdr, but that was due to my bipolar freaking me out into psychic hibernation.


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## gimpy34 (Aug 10, 2004)

I have never taken Depakote, but have taken other anticonvulsants and they are used a lot for bipolar disorder. I have taken Trileptal and Neurontin and they are both excellent at stopping intrusive and racing thoughts, and when I thought I was on the verge of a psychotic break, they have helped me. They both worked well for my panic attacks as well. The problem was Neurontin depressed the hell out of me (gave me suicidal thoughts)- there is actually a class-action lawsuit out because of this. Trileptal was alright but it didn't really help my DP/DR. As long as I wasn't going on coke benders and needed something to call me down the next day, I was fine.

As far as the liver failure thing, you are smart to quit drinking, for physical and mental reasons. But, I was on Serzone for six months (which was recently taken off the market for causing liver failure) and drank like hell on it. But then again, you never know if you are one of those people, just like I never knew i would end up with DP/DR, so it's better not to take the risk.

Ziggo, I too, am an idiot and I know it. It's hard being in your early 20s and quitting drinking when everybody else around you is doing it. At my small liberal arts college, 95% of the student body drank at least 5 drinks a week and it was in a small town with nothing to do. 75% of the school was Greek so fraternity parties were the social scene. I had a blast, but it took a toll. Now that I am approaching 25 here in May, I'm finding it a lot easier to avoid these things. Though, I still go on the occasional bender, especially over holidays when I get together with old friends, it's getting better.

I REALLY need a girlfriend. That alone would help my habits immensely.


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## Guest (Jan 10, 2005)

I've had a shit time with Tegretol stupid anticonvulsant but depakote is meant to be a good drug. I suggested depakote to my psych as she knew i am pretty manic and have seizures..hallucinations the whack....but thing is she said she would not prescribe me it cos it makes women produce more breast milk and it would be nasty for me....boy do i hate my psych...anywayz depakote is meant to be a very good drug and just make sure u get ya liver checked every now n again.....


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## Guest (Jan 11, 2005)

I should have listened to all the warning about Wellbutrin i've been getting from you guys because i took it today and it sucked. It just but me on edge and my dp came back, so i'm going to have to settle for Zoloft or something. Wellbutrin did give me the energy to start working out again, which i neglected almost all of last semester, and its supposed to help people quit smoking, but screw it...anxiety can never be good.


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## Guest (Jan 11, 2005)

Mere minutes after Hellbutrin was erased from my body, ZiggomatiX goes scrounging around the house and finds Buspar HCL and pops 10 mgs. Its 3 years expired but this crap will work. If it doesn't i'm going to bomb Finland.


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## gimpy34 (Aug 10, 2004)

I've been on Wellbutrin for a long time. I can't take it without Klonopin. It works best for my depression but it definitely has its ups and downs. I would just stick with the Depakote if I were you and maybe add omega 3s or something else OTC. Is the Depakote working out well for you still? I'm thinking about asking my doctor about going on that. Those anticonvulsants are great at stopping racing and obtrusive thoughts. I've been on some benders wear klonopin won't work the next day for panic attacks and I would take an old Trileptal or Neurontin and gain control again. Neurontin made me depressed as hell, though. Trileptal was alright but it didn't help my DP/DR.

The reason I want to try Depakote is because it prevents the breakdown of GABA rather than what Klonopin does which is increasing the activity of GABA. I wonder if long-term Klonopin use drains GABA levels. From what I have read, Neurontin is structurally related to GABA but for some reason it depresses the hell out of a lot of people. Trileptal inhibits some enzyme which helps decrease electrical activity in the brain. It seems like Depakote just prevents GABA from breaking down, increasing its levels and letting the brain do its own work with GABA.

I'm interested with the Depakote updates and after being on so many meds, my advice would be stay off ADs if you're surviving without them. Most of them just make my DP worse.


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## Chris (Jan 5, 2005)

How do you people afford all your meds?

I take a measly 50mg of luvox and when I run out, if im broke, I can't get anymore.


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## Guest (Jan 19, 2005)

Health care from being a college student...copay is about 150 bucks a month for meds.

Currently on my depakote 50 mg and 25 zoloft and things are steadily improving (i think). I take klonnies occasionally, but I feel those things are killing me slowly.


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## Guest (Jan 27, 2005)

hey guys,OK...with depakote...I just wondered how it works cos if it prevents the breakdown of GABA, then how does it control the GABA overexcitement???


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## gimpy34 (Aug 10, 2004)

How are things coming with the depakote, Ziggs?


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## Fant?me (Feb 2, 2007)

Sorry to leave you hanging. I don't remember, it was like 2 years ago.

LOLOLOLOL

Don't ban me again. I'll behave and didn't you chase out the person who hated me most?

edit: I'll bet only three people here remember me.


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## [rula] (Jan 16, 2005)

Fant?me said:


> Sorry to leave you hanging. I don't remember, it was like 2 years ago.
> 
> LOLOLOLOL
> 
> ...


ziggo!! banned again?? LOL LOL!! 
how long will you last this time? 

I'm on Dopamax now, it's doing nothing, not even making me skinny 'n stupid...what a scam!


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## Fant?me (Feb 2, 2007)

ruulaaa holla

I'm on the classic fightin klono, zoloft and booze. I don't really do anything but i'm more or less sane. I feel good, but I'd rather not be bothered with anything besides the drink and laying about.

brrup brrup


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## comfortably numb (Mar 6, 2006)

I find depakote to be a great mood stabilizer. It's been a godsend for my bipolar disorder and im one of the lucky few that doesent get any side effect's from it at all.

Ive never taken topamax (or dumbomax as it's sometimes called along with the dozen other nicknames) as it is rather expensive but i hear that it work's good for rapid cycling bipolar like depakote does.



> I'm on the classic fightin klono, zoloft and booze. I don't really do anything but i'm more or less sane. I feel good, but I'd rather not be bothered with anything besides the drink and laying about.


 That's a pretty messed up mix sounds like a recipe for disaster if there ever was one. Where you on the depakote for bipolar or just dp/dr?

Zoloft is the worst ssri to mix with booze and a booze and benzo mix almost always turn's out bad. You just end up in a drunken haze and you have no clue at what your doing.

The fun part is when the cop's show up and taser you.


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## Fant?me (Feb 2, 2007)

I made this thread in 2004


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## Guest (Feb 13, 2007)

Fant?me said:


> I made this thread in 2004


Here's a merit "Well done" :lol:


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## Fant?me (Feb 2, 2007)

the urge to do things that'll get me banned again rising...


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## Guest (Feb 13, 2007)

Hummm... which bait to use?... hummm =P


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## Fant?me (Feb 2, 2007)

edit

that'd just be too ironic

and re edit:

do i remember you? are you just another one of those "well-intentioned" Grey's Anatomy watching group of elders?

FFFFFFFFF unnghh

FFFUUUUUU

....


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## Guest (Feb 13, 2007)

*Gives you the editor?s award" =P










Nah, I?m new? never had the pleasure of knowing the ?you? which got banned.


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## Fant?me (Feb 2, 2007)

That blue font just lifts you so far above these plebs. I mean, I deserve this and leave it to the obviously most enlightened person here to set me straight. What rank do I have to be before I can start being passive aggressive and handing out medals? I mean, I'd give you the purple cross of bravery in a thread above and beyond all these other normal font retards.


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## Guest (Feb 13, 2007)

Fant?me said:


> That blue font just lifts you so far above these plebs. I mean, I deserve this and leave it to the obviously most enlightened person here to set me straight. What rank do I have to be before I can start being passive aggressive and handing out medals? I mean, I'd give you the purple cross of bravery in a thread above and beyond all these other normal font retards.


These plebs? ?middle or lower class?? so judgemental? =P. what is it your deserve beau monde? *bows to you* ohhh ?how I do try?. Oooh come now, Rank? If we?re classing people?s rank it?s obviously the ?mature? members are higher in rank, and not by the members whom have made many replies? such as myself =)? even thought you were dishonourable discharged from our ?base of operations? you?re still a ?mature? member, and so?. my ?so called?? ?rank? is but a far cry from yours sir.


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## Fant?me (Feb 2, 2007)

That was completely unintelligible. Did you just call me beautiful world? What say you hyperactive ambassador of dpselfhelp.com?


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## Guest (Feb 14, 2007)

Do.tha.math.chief: 



> the beau monde:
> noun  OLD-FASHIONED
> *the people in a particular society who are rich and fashionable*




Any other questions? "sir" :lol:


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