Posted by Mitch on December 13, 2001, at 0:07:41
In reply to How harmful are the effects of Depakote?, posted by ivoovi on December 11, 2001, at 21:16:28
> Hi, I've read as many posts as my mind can absorb...and I've read on and on......Depakote sounds pretty harmful to the body. How harmful is it ACTUALLY? I mean, all the posts describe possible side-effects, but how harmful is it, overall? Immune, Blood, Liver, Kidney, Pancries.....
> I'm only 18...I don't want to be dead by the time I'm 20!!!Ivoovi,
FWIW, Depakote was a welcome medication (in the '70's) when it was introduced as an alternative for people with epilepsy who were stuck on lifetime high-doses of *much* older meds (phenytoin, primidone, phenobarbitol, etc.) that *did* commonly cause a lot of nastier longer term side-effects including liver/blood disorders. The real risk with Depakote seems to be with use in pediatrics. The real trouble with Dep. in adults is usually annoying weight gain/possible hair loss, not catastrophic stuff.
Mitch
poster:Mitch
thread:86621
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20011202/msgs/86767.html