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pharmacistdan2005
Starting Member
31 Posts
Gratitude: 4
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 Posted - 05/23/2005 : 15:04:56
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[Please note: This member's posts fail to mention that all the serious toxic effects due to valproic acid are rare. For example, in my 34 years of practicing psychiatry, I have yet to see one patient on valproic acid have a serious toxicity requiring the termination of its therapy. Administrator  ]
Depakene
Pronounced: DEP-uh-keen
Generic name: Valproic acid
Most important fact about this drug:
Depakene causes serious, even fatal, liver damage, especially during the first 6 months of treatment. Children under 2 years of age are the most vulnerable, especially if they are also taking other anticonvulsant medicines and have certain other disorders such as mental retardation. The risk of liver damage decreases with age; but you should always be alert for the following symptoms: loss of seizure control, weakness, dizziness, drowsiness, a general feeling of ill health, facial swelling, loss of appetite, vomiting, and yellowing of the skin and eyes. If you suspect a liver problem, call your doctor immediately.
Note too that Depakene causes life-threatening damage to the pancreas. This problem can develop at any time, even after years of treatment. Call your doctor immediately if any of the following warning signs appear: abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting.
Side effects include:
Abdominal cramps, amnesia, breathing difficulty, depression, diarrhea, dimmed or blurred vision, drowsiness, hair loss, indigestion, infection, involuntary eye movements, loss or increase in appetite, nausea, nervousness, ringing in the ears, sleeplessness, swelling of the arms and legs due to fluid retention, throat inflammation, tremors, vomiting
Less common or rare side effects include:
Abnormal dreams, abnormal gait, abnormal taste, aggression, anemia, anxiety, back pain, belching, bleeding, blood disorders, bone pain, breast enlargement, breast milk not associated with pregnancy or nursing, bruising, changes in behavior, chest pain, coma, confusion, constipation, cough, deafness, difficulty in speaking, dizziness, double vision, dry skin, dulled senses, ear pain and inflammation, emotional upset, excessive urination (mainly children), feeling of unwellness, fever, gas, growth failure in children, hallucinations, headache, high blood pressure, involuntary jerking, irregular heartbeat, irregular menstrual periods, itching, joint pain, lack of coordination, leg cramps, liver disease, loss of bladder control, loss of coordination, menstrual abnormalities, muscle pain, muscle weakness, nosebleed, overactivity, personality disorder, pneumonia, prickling or tingling sensation, rash, rickets (mainly children), sedation, sensitivity to light, sinus inflammation, skin eruptions or peeling, spots before the eyes, swollen glands, twitching, urinary tract infection, vaginal infection, vertigo, vomiting blood, weakness.  |
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Most important fact about this drug
