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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 2167 275
Bipolar disorder 1909 249
Bipolar I disorder 319 37
Bipolar II disorder 317 43
Schizoaffective disorder 278 21
Cluster headaches 134 18

Show all 119 reasons taken

  • Major
  • Moderate
  • Slight
  • None
  • Can't tell
See all 8579 patients that have taken Divalproex sodium

Side effects

Side effects as an overall problem

Side effects as an overall problem
Severity Evaluations Percentage
Severe 190
Moderate 203
Mild 190
None 201

Commonly reported side effects and conditions associated with Divalproex sodium

Side effect Patients Percentage
Weight gain 153
Hair loss 48
Fatigue 42
Drowsiness 27
Tremor in hands 24
Nausea 20

Show all 215 reported side effects

Why patients stopped taking Divalproex sodium

Multiple reasons could be selected

Reason Patients Percentage
Side effects too severe 354
Did not seem to work 267
Doctor's advice 186
Other 112
Personal research 37
Expense 32
Course of treatment ended 27
Change in health plan coverage 12
See all 679 patients who've stopped taking Divalproex sodium

Duration

Stopped taking Divalproex sodium

Duration Patients Percentage
Less than 1 month 127
1 - 6 months 143
6 months - 1 year 78
1 - 2 years 81
2 - 5 years 131
5 - 10 years 51
10 years or more 61
Adherence
Adherence Evaluations Percentage
Always 612
Usually 116
Sometimes 24
Never taken as prescribed 32
Burden
Burden Evaluations Percentage
Very hard to take 61
Somewhat hard to take 123
A little hard to take 119
Not at all hard to take 481
Cost per month
Cost per month Evaluations Percentage
$200+ 20
$100-199 19
$50-99 35
$25-49 62
< $25 300
Not specified 348

What people switch to and from

Patients started taking Divalproex sodium after stopping:

Treatment Patients Percentage
Lithium Carbonate (Lithium Carbonate ER) 44
Lamotrigine (Lamictal) 27
Topiramate (Topamax) 18
Aripiprazole (Abilify) 15
Carbamazepine (Tegretol) 7

Show all 49 treatments patients report switching from

Patients stopped taking Divalproex sodium and switched to:

Treatment Patients Percentage
Lamotrigine (Lamictal) 65
Lithium Carbonate (Lithium Carbonate ER) 26
Carbamazepine (Tegretol) 16
Levetiracetam (Keppra) 14
Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal) 14

Show all 48 treatments patients report switching to

Last updated:

64 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 64 patient evaluations for Divalproex sodium