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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by IsoM on January 19, 2002, at 20:09:19
Krazy Kat ...are you around? Don't know if you read this before but I'm reposting it for your opinion. Please don't think me pushy. I don't mean to be..................................................
I know nothing personally about Depakote, but I can look up stuff & read it. Here's something I found on another forum - one woman's experience:
"Depakote is not as dangerous as some believe. I am holding a one year old in my arms at this moment who was conceived and born while I was taking 250 mg 3 times per day.
The side effects are an opening at the spine and/or a cleft lip or pallet. The chances of these side effects are very low. Depakote decreases the amount of B-6 in your body which is a leading cause of these problems. It is IMPERATIVE that you take B-6 before getting pregnant and during pregnancy. My neur. recommend twice the normal dosage since it is a water soluable vitamin and your body will sluf off what it doesn't need. My o.b. was not concerned about the meds. at all. My neur. was a basket case - "what if he can't walk" he was a real worrier. It is important that you take good care of yourself and watch your body closely. BTW - these problems occur usually during the first 6 weeks so........if you are pregnant it is too late to switch meds.
My baby was born - fat, healthy and is developing at a very fast rate."
(my comment - low folic acid, another B vitamin, has also been implicated in spinal bifada & cleft lip/palate so it would be good to take that too, plus all B vitamin complex vitamins.)
So many doctors & gynecologists recommend women not to get pregnant while taking Depakote but while there certainly have been babies born with birth defects while the mother took the med, there are other cases of healthy babies born to other mothers who took it.
I don't want to encourage you to get pregnant just because, BUT there are ways of minimising potenetial problems. It's a decision you need to make but having information to make a properly informed decision is also important. I can't tell you what to do, but I can help direct you to info for you to read & it may help you.
This site I'm giving discusses Depakote (valproic acid) & its effect on nutrient levels. It makes some suggestions for supplemention, especially for pregnancy. At the end of all the information is a list of 55 references just to let you know this isn't some health gimmick. The site doesn't sell anything.
http://www.thedacare.org/healthinfo/Drug/Valproic_Acid.htmThe information about the above site comes with this comment about Safetychecker:
"The Safetychecker writing team is composed of experts from the fields of medicine, pharmacy, naturopathy, and public health. This team uses its expertise to write about ways in which common drugs (prescription and over-the-counter) interact with herbs, vitamins, and foods. These interactions include potential nutrient depletions, interference with drug actions, reduction of drug side effects, and interference with drug absorption (bioavailability) when taking herbs, nutritional supplements, or food with certain medications. Crucial to the integrity, currency, and balance of Healthnotes’ information is the regular review of over 500 scientific and medical journals."I hope this holds some encouragement for you, dear one. I know how much I enjoyed my sons (still do).
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> Since Sunday - off and on. Perhaps it's good to have "relapses" - it reminds me of the serious of this illness. Switching meds always makes it worse, and I had to stop Depakote to try to get pregnant. Now I have no desire to have a child, feel completely inadequate, no desire to do anything - you all know the drill. Why Depakote actually helped me with depression, I don't know...
>
> Just whinin'...
>
> - KK
Posted by Krazy Kat on January 20, 2002, at 10:21:43
In reply to for Krazy Kat about Depakote, posted by IsoM on January 19, 2002, at 20:09:19
IsoM:
Thanks so much for this post. It was really so kind of you. That does give me hope. I've also been researching Zyprexa, and it seems to be considered fairly safe. I just wonder if I'll wonder for the rest of my life if I did anything to hurt my child. OCD doesn't help. ;)
- KK
Posted by IsoM on January 20, 2002, at 13:21:20
In reply to Re: for Krazy Kat about Depakote » IsoM, posted by Krazy Kat on January 20, 2002, at 10:21:43
KK, yes, you will wonder for the rest of your life - like most of us do too. Every time your child gets sick, every time any unusual problem with them crops up, you'll think "is it because of the drugs I took?"
I never knew at the time how much of an alcoholic my husband was (he was extrememly good at hiding it & mostly just drank beer around me) when I became pregnant with my second & third children. And the father's alcoholic intake affects his sperm & future offspring very much. I had no idea I was pregnant the third time, thought my periods were very late. My two little ones caught scabies (itch mite) & then passed it to me from my contact with them. I thought it was some rash initially. Treatment consisted of covering ourselves with Lindane lotion from head to toe. Lindane is more deadly than DDT but I had no other options in the little town I lived in then. I was then about 5 weeks pregnant - a crucial time for fetal development.
I wonder how I affected my poor son. While I have an amzingly tough immune systme, he still at 19 yrs old gets every sickness that comes along. He has terrible depression & other weird little problems. BUT he also is one of the most loving, empathetic, intelligent, handsome (really!) people around. In other words, despite problems I probably passed on or caused in my preganancy, I wouldn't ever wish not to have had him. The same goes for my other two sons. I just didn't want to bore you with all those details too. All three of my "men" are amazing! And I'm so proud of them.
Did you know women around the turn of the century regularly ingested lead? Lead was once used to whiten flour. Talk about harmful effects! How about all the women taking laudanum (opium tinture), or the original coca cola with cocaine. There's lots more too. Might help explain why there's so many of us strange now.
Anyway, this overly long message is to let you know you won't be alone wondering about your child. At least, modern medicine can check the baby's progress & rectify many problems that can come up. And we understand the interworkings of drugs & vitamins during pregnancy so much better now.
Chin up, sweetie - I look forward to reading your announcement here when you become pregnant!!
>
>
> Thanks so much for this post. It was really so kind of you. That does give me hope. I've also been researching Zyprexa, and it seems to be considered fairly safe. I just wonder if I'll wonder for the rest of my life if I did anything to hurt my child. OCD doesn't help. ;)
>
> - KK
Posted by susan C on January 20, 2002, at 15:23:59
In reply to Re: for Krazy Kat about wondering » Krazy Kat, posted by IsoM on January 20, 2002, at 13:21:20
Hi girls,
Thank you IsoM for your post, I have looked long and hard for some of the information available on that site. Thank you.
And yes, you always wonder, not just about what you did or didn't take, but what was or wasn't "passed on".
My hairdresser keeps asking me where my boys got their intelligence. I say, it wasnt from me!! and she says, "it couldn't be from hubby!". I figure maybe it skips generations...
a mouse says, "squeak".
> KK, yes, you will wonder for the rest of your life - like most of us do too. Every time your child gets sick, every time any unusual problem with them crops up, you'll think "is it because of the drugs I took?"
>
> I never knew at the time how much of an alcoholic my husband was (he was extrememly good at hiding it & mostly just drank beer around me) when I became pregnant with my second & third children. And the father's alcoholic intake affects his sperm & future offspring very much. I had no idea I was pregnant the third time, thought my periods were very late. My two little ones caught scabies (itch mite) & then passed it to me from my contact with them. I thought it was some rash initially. Treatment consisted of covering ourselves with Lindane lotion from head to toe. Lindane is more deadly than DDT but I had no other options in the little town I lived in then. I was then about 5 weeks pregnant - a crucial time for fetal development.
>
> I wonder how I affected my poor son. While I have an amzingly tough immune systme, he still at 19 yrs old gets every sickness that comes along. He has terrible depression & other weird little problems. BUT he also is one of the most loving, empathetic, intelligent, handsome (really!) people around. In other words, despite problems I probably passed on or caused in my preganancy, I wouldn't ever wish not to have had him. The same goes for my other two sons. I just didn't want to bore you with all those details too. All three of my "men" are amazing! And I'm so proud of them.
>
> Did you know women around the turn of the century regularly ingested lead? Lead was once used to whiten flour. Talk about harmful effects! How about all the women taking laudanum (opium tinture), or the original coca cola with cocaine. There's lots more too. Might help explain why there's so many of us strange now.
>
> Anyway, this overly long message is to let you know you won't be alone wondering about your child. At least, modern medicine can check the baby's progress & rectify many problems that can come up. And we understand the interworkings of drugs & vitamins during pregnancy so much better now.
>
> Chin up, sweetie - I look forward to reading your announcement here when you become pregnant!!
> >
> >
> > Thanks so much for this post. It was really so kind of you. That does give me hope. I've also been researching Zyprexa, and it seems to be considered fairly safe. I just wonder if I'll wonder for the rest of my life if I did anything to hurt my child. OCD doesn't help. ;)
> >
> > - KK
Posted by IsoM on January 20, 2002, at 15:44:48
In reply to Re: for Krazy Kat about wondering » IsoM, posted by susan C on January 20, 2002, at 15:23:59
Posted by Krazy Kat on January 23, 2002, at 11:25:57
In reply to Re: for Krazy Kat about wondering » Krazy Kat, posted by IsoM on January 20, 2002, at 13:21:20
IsoM:
I hope you don't mind, but I sent a piece of your post to my hubby. You're just so very kind and your points are so good.
Right now I'm more stable on Depakote and am considering Zyprexa as an alternative (have I already stated this?). I do still have some OCD problems so maybe Zyprexa would be better anyway - I don't know. I do know I've gained 15 pounds already on Depakote and will likely gain weight on Zyprexa, so being pregnant may be a good way to hide that. ;)
Thanks again.
- KK
This is the end of the thread.
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