What is depakote er

The risk of getting this serious liver damage is more likely to happen within the first 6 months of treatment. Taking Depakote during pregnancy for any medical condition puts your baby at risk for serious birth defects that affect the brain and spinal cord and are called spina bifida or neural tube defects. Other birth defects can affect the structures of the heart, head, arms, legs, and penis and can lower IQ.

All women of child-bearing age should talk to their healthcare provider about using other possible treatments instead of Depakote. If the decision is made to use Depakote, you should use effective birth control. Inflammation of your pancreas that can cause death. Increased risk of suicidal thoughts and actions. Pay attention to any changes, especially sudden changes in mood, behaviors, thoughts, or feelings.

Call your doctor right away with any changes in your condition. Do not take Depakote: If you have liver problems, including genetic liver problems e. Alpers-Huttenlocher syndrome ; are allergic to the ingredients or have a genetic disorder called Urea Cycle Disorder UCD For the prevention of migraine headaches if you are pregnant Common side effects include: nausea vomiting dizziness double vision weight gain problems with walking or coordination headache weakness.

When you use this card, you are confirming that you have not submitted and will not submit a claim for this prescription for reimbursement under any federal, state, or government-funded healthcare program, such as Medicare including Part D , Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, Medigap, Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, or TRICARE.

In some cases, liver damage may continue despite stopping the drug. Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms: nausea or vomiting that does not go away, loss of appetite, pain on the right side of your stomach abdomen , dark urine, swelling of your face, or yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes.

If you take DEPAKOTE during pregnancy for any medical condition, your baby is at risk for serious birth defects that affect the brain and spinal cord and are called spina bifida or neural tube defects.

These defects occur in 1 to 2 out of every babies born to mothers who use this medicine during pregnancy. These defects can begin in the first month, even before you know you are pregnant. Other birth defects that affect the structures of the heart, head, arms, legs, and the opening where the urine comes out urethra on the bottom of the penis can also happen.

Birth defects may occur even in children born to women who are not taking any medicines and do not have other risk factors. Taking folic acid supplements before getting pregnant and during early pregnancy can lower the chance of having a baby with a neural tube defect. There may be other medicines to treat your condition that have a lower chance of causing birth defects, decreased IQ, or other disorders in your child.

All women of childbearing age including girls from the start of puberty should talk to their healthcare provider about using other possible treatments instead of DEPAKOTE. You can enroll in this registry by calling toll-free or by visiting the website, www. The purpose of this registry is to collect information about the safety of antiepileptic drugs during pregnancy. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms: severe stomach pain that you may also feel in your back, nausea or vomiting that does not go away.

Call a healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms, especially if they are new, worse, or worry you: thoughts about suicide or dying; attempts to commit suicide; new or worse depression; new or worse anxiety; feeling agitated or restless; panic attacks; trouble sleeping insomnia ; new or worse irritability; acting aggressive, being angry, or violent; acting on dangerous impulses; an extreme increase in activity and talking mania ; other unusual changes in behavior or mood.

How can I watch for early symptoms of suicidal thoughts and actions? Keep all follow-up visits with your healthcare provider as scheduled. Call your healthcare provider between visits as needed, especially if you are worried about symptoms. Ask your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby. Taking propofol with divalproex sodium can increase the levels of propofol in your body. If you need to take these drugs together, your doctor will likely decrease your dosage of propofol.

Taking felbamate with divalproex sodium may increase the level of divalproex sodium in your body and increase your risk of side effects. If you take felbamate with divalproex sodium, your doctor may adjust your dosage of divalproex sodium. Taking topiramate with divalproex sodium may increase your risk of high ammonia levels in your blood, or low body temperature hypothermia. Taking aspirin with divalproex sodium may increase the level of divalproex sodium in your body and increase your risk of side effects.

If you take aspirin with divalproex sodium, your doctor may adjust your dosage of divalproex sodium. Taking warfarin with divalproex sodium may increase the levels of warfarin in your body.

Your doctor may monitor your INR more often if you need to take divalproex sodium together with warfarin. Taking these drugs with divalproex sodium may decrease the level of divalproex sodium in your body. This means that it may not work as well to treat your condition. If you have to take a carbapenem antibiotic while taking divalproex sodium, your doctor will monitor your blood levels closely. Examples of these antibiotics include:. Taking zidovudine with divalproex sodium may increase the levels of zidovudine in your body.

Your doctor may monitor you more closely for side effects. Taking some birth control medications with divalproex sodium can lower the amount of divalproex sodium in your body, making it less effective.

If you need to use hormonal contraception, such as the pill, your doctor will likely monitor the amount of divalproex sodium in your body. Taking certain mood disorder and seizure drugs with divalproex sodium may increase the levels of these drugs in your body. Your doctor may adjust your dosage of these medications or monitor you more closely for side effects.

Examples of these drugs include:. Taking other mood disorder and seizure drugs with divalproex sodium may decrease the level of divalproex sodium in your body. Your doctor may adjust your dosage of divalproex sodium. Taking rifampin with divalproex sodium may decrease the level of divalproex sodium in your body.

If you take these drugs together, your doctor may adjust your dosage of divalproex sodium. However, because drugs interact differently in each person, we cannot guarantee that this information includes all possible interactions. Always speak with your healthcare provider about possible interactions with all prescription drugs, vitamins, herbs and supplements, and over-the-counter drugs that you are taking. If you develop these symptoms, call or your local emergency services or go to the nearest emergency room.

Taking it again could be fatal cause death. Divalproex sodium can cause drowsiness and dizziness. For people with liver disease: If you have a history of liver disease, you may have a higher risk of liver failure within the first six months of treatment with this drug.

Your doctor will monitor you for signs of liver damage. For people with mitochondrial disease: If you have Alpers-Huttenlocher syndrome or have a family history of this metabolic disorder, you may have a higher risk of liver failure when taking divalproex sodium. It may raise your risk of hyperammonemia high ammonia levels in your blood. This condition can be fatal. For pregnant women: This drug may cause serious harm to your pregnancy. If you take this drug during pregnancy, your baby is at risk for serious birth defects.

These include birth defects that affect the brain, spinal cord, heart, head, arms, legs, and the opening where urine comes out. This drug may also cause decreased IQ and thinking, learning, and emotional disorders in your baby. According to published case reports, fatal liver failure has also been observed in the children of women who used this drug while pregnant.

If you become pregnant while taking this drug, talk to your doctor about registering with the North American Antiepileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry. The purpose of this registry is to collect information about the safety of drugs used to treat seizures during pregnancy. If you become pregnant while taking this drug, call your doctor right away. Do not stop taking the medication unless directed to by your doctor.

Divalproex sodium should only be used during pregnancy by women with seizures or manic episodes whose symptoms cannot be controlled by other medications. For women who are breastfeeding: This drug passes through breast milk and may cause side effects in a breastfeeding child. Talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits of breastfeeding while taking divalproex.

For seniors: Your body processes divalproex sodium more slowly. You may also experience more of a sedative effect from this medication. Extreme drowsiness may cause you to eat or drink less than you normally would. Tell your doctor if this happens. Your doctor will monitor how much you eat and drink and check you for signs of dehydration, drowsiness, dizziness, and other side effects.

Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms: nausea or vomiting that does not go away, loss of appetite, pain on the right side of your stomach abdomen , dark urine, swelling of your face, or yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes. If you take DEPAKOTE during pregnancy for any medical condition, your baby is at risk for serious birth defects that affect the brain and spinal cord and are called spina bifida or neural tube defects.

These defects occur in 1 to 2 out of every babies born to mothers who use this medicine during pregnancy. These defects can begin in the first month, even before you know you are pregnant. Other birth defects that affect the structures of the heart, head, arms, legs, and the opening where the urine comes out urethra on the bottom of the penis can also happen.

Birth defects may occur even in children born to women who are not taking any medicines and do not have other risk factors. Taking folic acid supplements before getting pregnant and during early pregnancy can lower the chance of having a baby with a neural tube defect.

There may be other medicines to treat your condition that have a lower chance of causing birth defects, decreased IQ, or other disorders in your child. All women of childbearing age including girls from the start of puberty should talk to their healthcare provider about using other possible treatments instead of DEPAKOTE. You can enroll in this registry by calling toll-free or by visiting the website, www. The purpose of this registry is to collect information about the safety of antiepileptic drugs during pregnancy.

Inflammation of your pancreas that can cause death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms: severe stomach pain that you may also feel in your back, nausea or vomiting that does not go away. Call a healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms, especially if they are new, worse, or worry you: thoughts about suicide or dying; attempts to commit suicide; new or worse depression; new or worse anxiety; feeling agitated or restless; panic attacks; trouble sleeping insomnia ; new or worse irritability; acting aggressive, being angry, or violent; acting on dangerous impulses; an extreme increase in activity and talking mania ; other unusual changes in behavior or mood.

How can I watch for early symptoms of suicidal thoughts and actions? Pay attention to any changes, especially sudden changes in mood, behaviors, thoughts, or feelings. Keep all follow-up visits with your healthcare provider as scheduled. Call your healthcare provider between visits as needed, especially if you are worried about symptoms. Ask your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby.

DEPAKOTE can cause other serious side effects, including: Bleeding problems: red or purple spots on your skin, bruising, pain and swelling into your joints due to bleeding or bleeding from your mouth or nose.

High ammonia levels in your blood: feeling tired, vomiting, changes in mental status. Allergic hypersensitivity reactions: fever, skin rash, hives, sores in your mouth, blistering and peeling of your skin, swelling of your lymph nodes, swelling of your face, eyes, lips, tongue, or throat, trouble swallowing or breathing. Drowsiness or sleepiness in the elderly. This extreme drowsiness may cause you to eat or drink less than you normally would.

Tell your doctor if you are not able to eat or drink as you normally do. Common side effects of DEPAKOTE include: nausea vomiting dizziness double vision weight gain problems with walking or coordination headache weakness stomach pain diarrhea hair loss sleepiness tremor blurry vision increased appetite loss of appetite.

Depakote ER [package insert]. Depakote Sprinkle Capsules [package insert].