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What is Divalproex sodium?

Category: Prescription Drugs

Most popular types: Depakote Depakote ER Divalproex ER Show all

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Divalproex sodium is chemically compounded from sodium valproate and valproic acid in a 1:1 ratio. It is a delayed release, enteric coated tablet used for seizures, mania associated with bipolar disorder and prevention of migraines.

See patients taking Divalproex sodium

Reported purpose & perceived effectiveness
Purpose Patients Evaluations Perceived Effectiveness
Epilepsy 578 271
Bipolar disorder 386 225
Migraine headaches 111 59
Bipolar II disorder 58 37
Bipolar I disorder 49 34
Bipolar manic episodes 45 34

Show all 107 reasons taken

  • Major
  • Moderate
  • Slight
  • None
  • Can't tell
See all 1,762 patients that have taken Divalproex sodium

Side effects

Side effects as an overall problem

Side effects as an overall problem
Severity Evaluations
Severe 183
Moderate 197
Mild 188
None 178

Commonly reported side effects and conditions associated with Divalproex sodium

Side effect Patients
Weight gain 145
Hair loss 46
Fatigue 40
Drowsiness 26
Tremor in hands 21
Nausea 19

Show all 208 reported side effects

Dosages

Based on patients currently taking Divalproex sodium

Dosage Patients
500 mg daily 13
1,000 mg daily 13
500 mg twice daily 13
250 mg daily 12
750 mg daily 11
1,500 mg daily 10
250 mg twice daily 8
2,000 mg daily 6
1,250 mg daily 4
500 mg three times daily 3

See all 26 dosages

Why patients stopped taking Divalproex sodium

Multiple reasons could be selected

Reason Patients
Side effects too severe 350
Did not seem to work 251
Doctor's advice 174
Other 106
Personal research 35
Expense 32
Course of treatment ended 26
Change in health plan coverage 11
See all 646 patients who've stopped taking Divalproex sodium

Duration

Currently taking Divalproex sodium

Duration Patients
1 - 6 months 3
6 months - 1 year 8
1 - 2 years 17
2 - 5 years 27
5 - 10 years 34
10 years or more 28

Stopped taking Divalproex sodium

Duration Patients
Less than 1 month 124
1 - 6 months 144
6 months - 1 year 74
1 - 2 years 79
2 - 5 years 127
5 - 10 years 52
10 years or more 56
Adherence
Adherence Evaluations
Always 586
Usually 115
Sometimes 22
Never taken as prescribed 23
Burden
Burden Evaluations
Very hard to take 56
Somewhat hard to take 119
A little hard to take 118
Not at all hard to take 453
Cost per month
Cost per month Evaluations
$200+ 19
$100-199 19
$50-99 33
$25-49 60
< $25 292
Not specified 323

What people switch to and from

Patients started taking Divalproex sodium after stopping:

Treatment Patients
Lithium Carbonate (Lithium Carbonate ER) 41
Lamotrigine (Lamictal) 20
Topiramate (Topamax) 16
Aripiprazole (Abilify) 10
Quetiapine (Seroquel) 7

Show all 46 treatments patients report switching from

Patients stopped taking Divalproex sodium and switched to:

Treatment Patients
Lamotrigine (Lamictal) 32
Carbamazepine (Tegretol) 11
Lithium Carbonate (Lithium Carbonate ER) 11
Levetiracetam (Keppra) 10
Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal) 9

Show all 37 treatments patients report switching to

Last updated:

65 patient evaluations for Divalproex sodium

Sort by: Most recent

Sep 19, 2017 (Started Jun 30, 2012)

  • Effectiveness
    Slight (for bipolar disorder)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (head pressure)
  • Adherence
    Sometimes
  • Burden
    Somewhat hard to take
Dosage: 500 mg Daily
Cost: < $25 monthly

Apr 9, 2016 (Started Jun 30, 2012)

  • Effectiveness
    Slight (for bipolar disorder)
  • Side effects
    Mild (head pressure)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 250 mg Daily
Cost: < $25 monthly
  • 0 helpful marks

May 9, 2017 (Started Mar 01, 2010)

  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for Treat my mood condition(s))
  • Side effects
    None
  • Adherence
    Usually
  • Burden
    A little hard to take
Dosage: 250 mg Daily

Dec 4, 2010 (Started Mar 01, 2010)

  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for Treat my mood condition(s))
  • Side effects
    Severe
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Somewhat hard to take
Dosage: 250 mg All the time (24/7)
  • 0 helpful marks

Sep 23, 2016 (Started Feb 28, 2015)

  • Effectiveness
    Major (for epilepsy)
  • Side effects
    None
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Cost: < $25 monthly
  • 0 helpful marks
Last updated:
Showing 3 of 65 patient evaluations for Divalproex sodium