Check with your doctor right away if this happens. The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so. The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine.
Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine. If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses. Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light.
Keep from freezing. There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Sign up for free, and stay up-to-date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID, plus expert advice on managing your health. Error Email field is required. Having an even level of medicine in the blood may reduce side effects from very high levels and seizures from very low levels.
This is the name of the medicine in Depakote ER after it has changed into the form that actually works in the body. A few other seizure medicines also are changed into valproate, so they work in the same way as Depakote and Depakote ER.
The other valproate medicines in the United States are Depakene, Depacon given by injection , and valproic acid. Depakote ER became available in the United States in It is not available in Canada, the UK, or Australia. There is no generic non—brand name form of Depakote ER.
The name or appearance may be different in various countries but usually the dose measured in milligrams, abbreviated "mg" will be the same. These descriptions apply to the U. Depakote ER tablets should be swallowed whole, not chewed or crushed. Most doctors recommend taking them with food to avoid an upset stomach, but they also can be taken without food. Because food affects the way medicine is used by the body, try to be consistent day in and day out.
A person who usually takes Depakote with meals should do that all the time. As the doctor increases the amount of Depakote ER, you may be given a different kind of pills than the ones you've been using. You may start out using mg tablets and then switch to mg tablets.
If this happens, be careful to use the correct number. Don't automatically continue to use the same number of pills as before. Store Depakote ER at room temperature and keep the pills away from light and dampness. Don't keep them in the bathroom if it's damp there. And of course keep them where children can't get at them. In general, tell patients that if they forget a dose, they should take it as soon as they remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, they should delay that dose instead of taking two doses close together.
Since Depakote ER is generally taken once every 24 hours, they should allow an interval of about 12 hours before taking the second dose, and then resume a hour schedule the next day. Brain cells need to work fire at a certain rate to function normally. During a seizure, brain cells are forced to work much more rapidly than normal. Depakote ER helps prevent brain cells from working as fast as a seizure requires them to. In this way, seizures can be stopped when they are just beginning.
We don't completely understand how Depakote ER works. Doctors think that it may work in several ways at once. That could be why it works for so many different kinds of seizures. After medicine is swallowed, it must be absorbed into the blood so it can move throughout the body.
The process of absorbing, digesting, and excreting a medicine or food is called metabolism. The way the body metabolizes a particular medicine affects how often it must be taken. It also determines whether it will interact with other medicines or be affected by conditions such as liver disease. Depakote ER tablets use special coatings to release the medicine over a longer time than regular Depakote. After the outside film coating dissolves in the stomach, the outer layer of the tablet's contents begins to absorb fluid.
It forms a layer of gel that releases the medicine slowly. The highest level of medicine in the blood is reached in 7 to 14 hours after Depakote ER is taken. The highest levels are not as high as with regular Depakote, and the lowest levels are not as low.
This difference may reduce side effects at the highest levels and improve seizure control when the levels are lowest. This means that most people who change from regular Depakote to Depakote ER need to take a slightly higher amount each day to have the same effect.
Like many other medicines, Depakote ER is broken down digested in the liver. People with liver disease should not take it. Anyone who also takes other medicines that are digested in the liver need to be careful. How well each medicine works and how quickly it leaves the body may be changed. This is why the doctor needs to know about everything that a person takes—not just prescription medicines but even things like vitamins, herbs, and aspirin!
These things can affect how much Depakote ER the doctor prescribes. Doctors have studied large numbers of people to find out how well Depakote ER and the other medicines that contain valproate control seizures. There is hardly any difference in the way the different valproate medicines work. They have reported that these medicines are very good at completely controlling absence seizures in many people who take them. These promising results are not always matched in everyday life.
Sometimes people don't take all their medicine on time. Not everyone's seizures can be controlled at a dose that can be taken without side effects. Because of individual differences, there is no "best" amount for everyone. Adjustments are often needed to reduce seizures or side effects. In studies of seizure medicines, some people do better with medicines like Depakote ER and others do better with something else. It's difficult to forecast the results for any given person.
Differences in side effects may be important in deciding which medicine is best for each person. If seizures continue, the doctor probably will change the amount of Depakote ER prescribed. If that doesn't work, the next step may be either to prescribe a different seizure medicine by itself or to prescribe a combination of Depakote ER and another seizure medicine.
Many are available. No single combination is best for everyone. Depakote ER is often used as an "add-on" medicine for people who continue to have certain kinds of seizures while taking other seizure medicines. Most people who take Depakote ER don't have too much trouble with side effects. That's one of the reasons it's used so much.
The most common complaints usually not too severe are:. If you notice any of these problems, call the doctor. Sometimes the doctor can help by changing the amount of Depakote ER prescribed.
No one should stop taking Depakote ER or change the amount they take without their doctor's guidance. Stomach upset from Depakote ER may be less of a problem if the pills are taken on a full stomach. Stomach upset is more likely when another seizure medicine with similar side effects for example, Tegretol is also being used.
Tremor shaking of the hands or other body parts tends to be worse when the level of Depakote ER in the blood is highest, 7 to 14 hours after the pills are taken. Anxiety or caffeine also may make it worse. Tremor may be less of a problem with Depakote ER than with regular Depakote, since the highest level of medicine in the blood usually is not quite as high.
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Health insurance that you or a family member obtained through an employer or purchased privately. The DEPAKOTE Savings Card is not available to individuals who are paying cash for their prescription or who are receiving prescription reimbursement under a state or federally funded insurance program.
This rebate form is not available to individuals who are paying cash for their prescription or who are receiving prescription reimbursement under a state or federally funded insurance program. Important Safety Information Prescribing Information. Home Depakote Formulations. Depakote formulations. Tablets and capsule shown are not actual size. 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.
The risk of getting this serious liver damage is more likely to happen within the first 6 months of treatment. 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.
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