Depakote and bipolar

I had been treated with Depakote, Lamictal, Lithium, Fluoxetine and more (I do not even remember all of them...).
I have been depressed most of my adult life I guess.
My depression caused me to destroy many relationships, loose friends, making me unable to build a carrier and ruining my marriage too. Wasting years of my life feeling always an unworthy mistake. I have had many suicidal thoughts too.
Then this past August I started to loose A LOT of weight, suddenly and for no apparent reason... I would also be so terribly tired and unreasonably nervous (but you know...being a dark depressed looser... that was usual and "normal"), feeling week and exhausted. Being summer and having always had low blood pressure I did not pay too much attention to all that until I did by chance some blood tests...
I AM HAVING BIG TIME THYROID PROBLEMS!
...I am not crazy! My depression had an actual physiological problem and I have been always treated with medicines that would actually make the thyroid gland worse!
I hated Depakote, it made me sick even while I was sleeping, waking up dizzy and nauseous! And I hated all the rest!! These medicines poisoned my liver, my memory and intelligence!
Check this out... to any of you that my have a thyroid problem instead:
*******
That's my experience and I hope it might help you. If it doesn't... good luck. I do understand the pain of being ALWAYS "under the weather"....
(PS. You'd might like to look at this too if you do not already know M. T.... IT DOES HELP! ****** )

I have been on Depakote 1000mg x2 daily for 2 months now. I am experiencing really itchy skin so bad i can break the skin.Also my appetite has increases loads and i'm tired a lot of the time.
I take it for personality disorder and i think i have noticed a slight change in my moods, i'm more stable and not so impulsive and don't feel the need to self harm so much.

Didn't have bad side effect but kept a constant look out for what they listed on the paperwork. But I was in so much shoulder pain that I needed this too bad. (I've used it before (5 yrs) so I knew people had bad experiences).

Hunger pains were the worse but I kept food in the house and with me so that I could eat (protein) when the SHARP hunger pains happened.

MY GOD PEOPLE WAKE UP ! HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT LOOKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX AND SEEING WHAT THE REST OF THE WORLD IS DOING ! THEY ARE GETTING RID OF THERE MERCURY FILLINGS AND CURING THEMSELVES ! 50% OF SILVER FILLINGS ARE MERCURY> HENCE THE SAYING MAD AS A HATTER ! FLUSH YOUR BODY WITH A GLASS OF GREEN JUICE EVERY DAY. YOU CAN BE LAZY AND TAKE A PILL AND AND JUMP OFF A CLIFF WITH EVERYONE ELSE OR YOU CAN LOOK AROUND AND SEE PEOPLE ARE WAKING UP AND CURING THEMSELVES ! IF YOUR CHILD IS YOUNG AND SPASTIC MAYBE IT WAS THE MERCURY SHOTS THEY GAVE THEM OR YOU CHILD JUST CANT HANDLE THE FLUORIDE ! LOOK OPEN SEE THE TRUTH OF ALL THE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE SAVED FROM THESE DRUGS THAT KILL YOU !

I am a 38 male and have been on 1000 mg of Depakote daily for about 4-5 months to treat bipolar disordor. I can honsetly say that this drug saved my marriage, my job and perhaps my life.

I am sorry to read that so many fine people are experiencing such terrible side affects. I seem to only experience a very slight lack of concentration, increased sleepiness but no more than 8-10 hours tops and a touch of weight gain. Hair loss?? Not sure as I have losing some for a good while :)

As far as the weight gain goes; strongly suggest that people try and eat smaller meals broken out throughout the day and keep sugar-free popsicles in the fridge :-) And of course working out. This seems to have kept my weight within normal range.

Good luck all and don't be so quick to dismiss Depakote, it cant be all things to all people but may help the rest of us.

I am 64 years old and I have been taking Depakote for app-
roximately 10 years. For many years I was diagonosed with
Bipolar. Through the years I have been on many anti-depress
ants. Some would work and some wouldn't. I got so sick and
tired of all the medications, I just wanted to throw them out
in the yard. However... for the past three to four years, I
have just been totally depressed. Going to different Dr.'s
trying this and that. Still depressed. So, this past week I
went to a new Dr. and guess what... he took me completely
off of Depakote. I was only taking 1,000 mgs. a day. In the
past I have taken as much as 2,100 mgs a day. Once I got
toxic, didn't even know my own name. Couldn't even call
anyone for help because my memory was in such bad shape.
Weight gain, memory loss, leg aches, swollen feet and legs,
and it messed up my thyroid. Felt drugged every morning,
tired all the time, didn't want to go anywhere, just wanted to
sleep all the time and let everything go. It's a horrible feeling
to have. You don't have a life. There has been many times
in my past, that I had just soon been dead. But.......I would
be a fool to do something so stupid! I have two wonderful
sons and four lovely grandchildren. Those of you that are on
Depakote, I wish you the best of luck. And remember...
you are suppose to have blood work done every three months
so that the Dr. can know your Depakote level.

My son is 15 and has been taking Depakote for 6 years. He stopped taking it about 3 weeks ago. He says he feels fine. Is it okay to stop taking it cold turkey. He has a doctor appt next month and I would prefer him to be off of it. He was diagnosed with mild bipolar for his mood swings. I just want to make sure there are no real concerns with him stopping the medication so abruptly. (The only side effect he had during his taking the medication was that his legs hurt him)

Thank you.

So very tired. Confusion.Iam bipolar and my moodswings are
much worse. Crying alot. irritable, weak all over and sometimes just in my legs. This is a bad drug for me.
Having a very hard time concentrating.