Filter by patients with: All

What is Divalproex sodium?

Category: Prescription Drugs

Most popular types: Depakote Depakote ER Divalproex ER Show all

false

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 579 272
Bipolar disorder 395 229
Migraine headaches 110 59
Bipolar II disorder 62 37
Bipolar I disorder 51 35
Bipolar manic episodes 45 34

Show all 110 reasons taken

  • Major
  • Moderate
  • Slight
  • None
  • Can't tell
See all 1788 patients that have taken Divalproex sodium

Side effects

Side effects as an overall problem

Side effects as an overall problem
Severity Evaluations Percentage
Severe 184
Moderate 198
Mild 190
None 181

Commonly reported side effects and conditions associated with Divalproex sodium

Side effect Patients Percentage
Weight gain 146
Hair loss 47
Fatigue 40
Drowsiness 26
Tremor in hands 22
Nausea 19

Show all 212 reported side effects

Dosages

Based on patients currently taking Divalproex sodium

Dosage Patients Percentage
1000 mg daily 16
500 mg daily 14
250 mg daily 9
250 mg twice daily 9
750 mg daily 8
500 mg twice daily 8
1500 mg daily 7
1000 mg twice daily 4
2000 mg daily 4
500 mg three times daily 3

See all 30 dosages

Why patients stopped taking Divalproex sodium

Multiple reasons could be selected

Reason Patients Percentage
Side effects too severe 351
Did not seem to work 253
Doctor's advice 177
Other 109
Personal research 34
Expense 31
Course of treatment ended 26
Change in health plan coverage 12
See all 650 patients who've stopped taking Divalproex sodium

Duration

Currently taking Divalproex sodium

Duration Patients Percentage
Less than 1 month 1
1 - 6 months 9
6 months - 1 year 5
1 - 2 years 15
2 - 5 years 20
5 - 10 years 29
10 years or more 26

Stopped taking Divalproex sodium

Duration Patients Percentage
Less than 1 month 124
1 - 6 months 143
6 months - 1 year 75
1 - 2 years 80
2 - 5 years 128
5 - 10 years 51
10 years or more 58
Adherence
Adherence Evaluations Percentage
Always 592
Usually 114
Sometimes 22
Never taken as prescribed 25
Burden
Burden Evaluations Percentage
Very hard to take 56
Somewhat hard to take 120
A little hard to take 117
Not at all hard to take 460
Cost per month
Cost per month Evaluations Percentage
$200+ 19
$100-199 19
$50-99 34
$25-49 60
< $25 293
Not specified 328

What people switch to and from

Patients started taking Divalproex sodium after stopping:

Treatment Patients Percentage
Lithium Carbonate (Lithium Carbonate ER) 40
Lamotrigine (Lamictal) 22
Topiramate (Topamax) 16
Aripiprazole (Abilify) 10
Carbamazepine (Tegretol) 6

Show all 46 treatments patients report switching from

Patients stopped taking Divalproex sodium and switched to:

Treatment Patients Percentage
Lamotrigine (Lamictal) 36
Lithium Carbonate (Lithium Carbonate ER) 12
Carbamazepine (Tegretol) 11
Levetiracetam (Keppra) 11
Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal) 9

Show all 38 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 Daily
  • 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