Depakote 300 mg

Generic Name: valproic acid, divalproex

Depakote is used to heal seizure disorders, convulsions, to prevent migraine and treat acute manic episodes associated with bipolar disorder.
Depakote contains Divalproex sodium, the substance which interacts with certain substances in the brain and increases the concentration of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is a neurtransmitter. The drug is used to treat seizure disorders, the manic phase of bipolar disorders, to prevent migraine headaches.

Precautions
Life-threating hepatic failure may develop, this is most likely to occur in children under two years of age especially if they if they have a metabolic disorder or a brain disease causing mental impairment (multiple sclerosis, Huntington disease, Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease, a brain injury or infection). Liver failure symptoms include malaise, lethargy, weakness, facial edema, vomiting, anorexia. Depakote also may cause rare cases of pancreatitis resulting in fatalities, which may suddenly appear even after several years of treatment with Depakote. Dose adjustment is needed in the patients with a bleeding or blood clotting disorder, a history of brain disorder, head injury, or coma, a family history of a urea cycle disorder, a family history of infant deaths with unknown cause, HIV or CMV (cytomegalovirus) infection. Suicide thoughts are also possible during treatment with the drug.

Contraindications
Generic Depakote cannot be administered to the patients with hepatic diseases, significant hepatic dysfunction known urea cycle disorders.

Possible side effect
The most common reported side effects are: nausea, somnolence, dizziness, vomiting, asthenia, abdominal pain, dyspepsia, rash, diarrhea, weight loss, tremors, low fever, dark urine, clay-colored stools. In some cases alopecia (loss of hair), itching and sensitivity to sunlight occur. More rare but serious adverse reactions include pancreatitis, liver injury, and abnormal bleeding. Liver is more likely to occur in children. The risk increases when a patient is taking two more more anti-seizure drugs. Symptoms of damaged liver are malaise, weakness, jaundice, swelling in the face, vomiting, loss of appetite.