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What Is Depakote® Used For?

Depakote® (valproic acid) is a medication used by itself or in combination with other drugs to treat epilepsy and certain types of seizures. It also is used to treat mania (overexcited, frenzied activity) in bipolar or manic-depressive disorder. Depakote® also may be prescribed to prevent migraine headaches, although it cannot stop them once they have started.

Sometimes valproic acid is used to treat aggression in children with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), who have outbursts, cannot sit still when other children their age can, chorea (a group of movements a person cannot control), and some conditions that affect the child's ability to learn, think, and understand.

Depakote® Side Effects

Depakote® can cause serious, at times life-threatening damage to the pancreas. Other side effects of Depakote® can be serious. If they occur, you need to call your doctor immediately. These include:

• Suicidal thoughts
• Depression
• Fever
• Blisters or rash
• Itching and hives
• Confusion
• Swollen glands
• Weakness in the joints
• Difficulty breathing or swallowing
• Unusual bruising or bleeding
• Tiny purple spots on the skin

Other, milder side effects can occur and if they persist you should call your doctor. They include:

• Sleepiness
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Hair loss
• Heartburn
• Appetite changes
• Weight changes
• ack pain
• Agitation
• Mood swings
• Abnormal thoughts
• Memory loss
• Uncontrollable tremors of part of the body
• Loss of coordination
• Back pain
• Uncontrollable eye movements
• Blurred or double vision
• Ringing in the ears
• Stuffy or runny nose
• Sore throat

Can Depakote® Cause Birth Defects?

Women with epilepsy that have taken Depakote® were more likely than women who have epilepsy and took other epilepsy drugs or no drugs to have children with birth defects, according to reports.

Potential Depakote® birth defects include:

• Spina bifida (the backbone and spinal cord fail to close before birth)
• Atrial septal defect (a hole between chambers of the heart)
• Cleft palate
• Hypospadias (an abnormality in the opening in the urethra in boys)
• Polydactyly (extra fingers or toes)
• Craniosynostosis (a condition in which the bones of the skull close prematurely

Other names for Depakote® are Depakene®, Depakote® ER, Depakote ® Sprinkle, divalproex sodium and valproate sodium.

For more information or to speak with a Depakote® lawyer, contact us today.

"Depakote Risks Must Be Adequately Assessed"

Depakote is currently the mot prescribed branded treatment for patients with mania associated with bipolar disorder and the most prescribed branded treatment for epilepsy. Made by Abbott Laboratories, the company just had a victory after proving a gene...

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