Do not use divalproex sodium to prevent migraine headaches if you are pregnant or you could become pregnant. If you are not pregnant, use effective birth control to prevent pregnancy while using divalproex sodium.
Tell your doctor if you start or stop using hormonal contraception that contains estrogen birth control pills, injections, implants, skin patches, and vaginal rings. Estrogen can interact with divalproex sodium and make it less effective in preventing seizures.
It may not be safe to breastfeed while using this medicine. Ask your doctor about any risk. Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction hives, difficult breathing, swelling in your face or throat or a severe skin reaction fever, sore throat, burning eyes, skin pain, red or purple skin rash with blistering and peeling.
Seek medical treatment if you have a serious drug reaction that can affect many parts of your body. Symptoms may include: skin rash, fever, swollen glands, muscle aches, severe weakness, unusual bruising, or yellowing of your skin or eyes.
Call your doctor at once if the person taking this medicine has signs of liver or pancreas problems, such as: loss of appetite, upper stomach pain that may spread to your back , ongoing nausea or vomiting, dark urine, swelling in the face, or jaundice yellowing of the skin or eyes. Report any new or worsening symptoms to your doctor , such as: mood or behavior changes, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, or if you feel impulsive, irritable, agitated, hostile, aggressive, restless, hyperactive mentally or physically , or have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. Avoid driving or hazardous activity until you know how this medicine will affect you. Your reactions could be impaired.
Use Depakote Divalproex Sodium exactly as directed on the label, or as prescribed by your doctor. Do not use in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. Liver function tests should take place before starting treatment with divalproex. Your doctor may also perform liver function tests regularly to monitor the function of your liver. Serious liver problems may happen after symptoms such as loss of seizure control, malaise, weakness, lethargy, loss of appetite, and vomiting.
People who take valproic acid should tell their doctor at once if they experience these symptoms. Increases in the levels of ammonia in the blood, with or without lethargy or coma, have been reported and may be present despite normal liver function tests.
Pancreatitis: People taking divalproex have experienced life-threatening pancreatitis inflammation of the pancreas. These cases have occurred shortly after starting the medication and after several years of taking the medication. If you experience signs of pancreatitis such as abdominal pain on the upper left side, back pain, loss of appetite, nausea, fever, chills, rapid heartbeat, or swollen abdomen, contact your doctor immediately.
Suicidal thoughts: There is a small risk that this medication may result in thoughts of suicide. If you experience these symptoms or any other behaviour change while taking this medication, contact your doctor immediately. Family members or caregivers of people who are taking this medication should contact the person's doctor immediately if they notice unusual behaviour changes. Stopping this medication: People who need this medication to prevent major seizures should not stop taking it suddenly as this can increase the risk of getting seizures.
Do not stop taking this medication without consulting with your doctor first. Pregnancy: There is an increased risk of serious birth defects for a child whose mother takes divalproex during pregnancy.
Divalproex may cause a number of defects including a defect of the spine called spina bifida, cleft palate, heart defects, autism, or slowed or reduced mental development. This medication should not be used during pregnancy for treatment of epilepsy unless there is no other suitable alternative treatment. This medication should not be used during pregnancy for treatment of bipolar disorder. Women of child-bearing age must use effective contraception while taking this medication.
Before becoming pregnant, women who are taking divalproex should speak to their doctor. If possible, a switch to another medication to treat epilepsy should be considered. If you become pregnant while taking this medication, contact your doctor immediately. Breast-feeding: This medication passes into breast milk. If you are a breast-feeding mother and are taking divalproex, it may affect your baby.
Talk to your doctor about whether you should continue breast-feeding. As a general rule, women who are taking divalproex should not breast-feed. Children: If divalproex is taken by children 2 years old or younger, it should not be used in combination with other antiseizure medications and the doctor should monitor the child regularly. Divalproex Sodium may be found in some form under the following brand names: Depakene Depakote.
Divalproex Sodium is part of the drug class: Fatty acid derivatives. Serious side effects have been reported with divalproex. Common side effects of divalproex include: upset stomach and nausea blurred vision constipation depression diarrhea dizziness drowsiness headache, increased appetite insomnia nervousness rash tremor vomiting weight gain or weight loss changes in appetite back pain changes in mood or mood swings abnormal thinking ringing in the ears hair loss This is not a complete list of divalproex side effects.
Divalproex Sodium Interactions Back to Top. Especially tell your doctor if you take: acyclovir Zovirax aspirin antibiotics such as meropenem Merrem , imipenem Primaxin , doripenem Doribax , and ertapenem Invanz anticoagulants such as warfarin Coumadin, Jantoven clonazepam Klonopin medications for anxiety or mental illness other medications for seizures such as carbamazepine Tegretol , ethosuximide Zarontin , felbamate Felbatol , lamotrigine Lamictal , mephobarbital Mebaral , phenobarbital, phenytoin Dilantin , primidone Mysoline , and topiramate Topamax rifampin Rifadin sedatives, tranquilizers, or sleeping pills such as diazepam Valium tricyclic antidepressants such as amitryptyline Elavil and nortryptyline Pamelor, Aventyl tolbutamide zidovudine Retovir, Trizivir This is not a complete list of divalproex drug interactions.
Divalproex Sodium Precautions Back to Top. Serious side effects have been reported with divalproex including: Liver toxicity: Your doctor will want to monitor your liver function tests.
If you take divalproex during pregnancy for any medical condition, your baby is at risk for serious birth defects. The most common birth defects with divalproex affect the brain and spinal cord and are called spina bifida or neural tube defects. These defects occur in 1 to 2 out of every babies born to mothers who use this medicine during pregnancy.
These defects can begin in the first month, even before you know you are pregnant. Other birth defects can happen. Birth defects may occur even in children born to women who are not taking any medicines and do not have other risk factors. Taking folic acid supplements before getting pregnant and during early pregnancy can lower the chance of having a baby with a neural tube defect.
If you take divalproex during pregnancy for any medical condition, your child is at risk for having a lower IQ. There may be other medicines to treat your condition that have a lower chance of causing birth defects and decreased IQ in your child.
Women who are pregnant must not take divalproex to prevent migraine headaches. All women of childbearing age should talk to their healthcare provider about using other possible treatments instead of divalproex. If the decision is made to use divalproex, you should use effective birth control contraception. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant while taking divalproex. You and your healthcare provider should decide if you will continue to take divalproex while you are pregnant.
Pregnancy Registry: If you become pregnant while taking divalproex, talk to your healthcare provider about registering with the North American Antiepileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry. The purpose of this registry is to collect information about the safety of antiepileptic drugs during pregnancy. Pancreatitis: Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have some or all of the following symptoms of pancreatitis: a swollen and tender abdomen nausea vomiting fever a fast pulse Suicidal behavior or ideation: Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have some or all of the following symptoms of suicidal thoughts or actions: new or worsening feelings of depression suicidal thoughts or behavior any unusual changes in mood or behavior Thrombocytopenia low platelet counts : Your doctor may want monitor platelet counts and bleeding tests.
Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have some or all of the following symptoms thrombocytopenia: bleeding that does not stop bruising Hyperammonemia and hyperammonemic encephalopathy a condition of brain dysfunction : Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have some or all of the following symptoms of encephalopathy: inexplicable tiredness and fatigue vomiting changes in mental status Hypothermia: A drop in body temperature to 95 degrees Fahrenheit or less hypothermia has been reported with Depakote therapy.
Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have some or all of the following symptoms of hypothermia: fatigue confusion coma changes heart rate, blood pressure, or breathing Multi-organ hypersensitivity allergic reaction: Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have some or all of the following symptoms of an allergic reaction: fever rash decreased urination joint pain weakness or loss of energy Because this reaction may have effects on many organs of the body, not all symptoms are included.
Somnolence drowsiness : This effect is seen especially in the elderly population. The dosage of divalproex should be increased slowly and with regular monitoring for fluid and nutritional intake.
Do not take divalproex if you: are allergic to divalproex or to any of its ingredients have liver disease or significant liver dysfunction have a known mitochondrial disorder or suspect a mitochondrial disorder in children younger than 2 years old have urea cycle disorders.
Inform MD Back to Top. Especially tell your doctor if you: drink alcohol have or have had depression, mood problems, or suicidal thoughts or behavior have episodes of confusion, especially during pregnancy or childbirth have difficulty coordinating movements have human immunodeficiency virus HIV or cytomegalovirus CMV have urea cycle disorders have liver or kidney problems are pregnant or breastfeeding Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
Divalproex Sodium and Pregnancy Back to Top. Divalproex Sodium and Lactation Back to Top. Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Taking it again could be fatal cause death.
Divalproex sodium can cause drowsiness and dizziness. For people with liver disease: If you have a history of liver disease, you may have a higher risk of liver failure within the first six months of treatment with this drug. Your doctor will monitor you for signs of liver damage.
For people with mitochondrial disease: If you have Alpers-Huttenlocher syndrome or have a family history of this metabolic disorder, you may have a higher risk of liver failure when taking divalproex sodium. It may raise your risk of hyperammonemia high ammonia levels in your blood. This condition can be fatal. For pregnant women: This drug may cause serious harm to your pregnancy. If you take this drug during pregnancy, your baby is at risk for serious birth defects.
These include birth defects that affect the brain, spinal cord, heart, head, arms, legs, and the opening where urine comes out. This drug may also cause decreased IQ and thinking, learning, and emotional disorders in your baby. According to published case reports, fatal liver failure has also been observed in the children of women who used this drug while pregnant. If you become pregnant while taking this drug, talk to your doctor about registering with the North American Antiepileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry.
The purpose of this registry is to collect information about the safety of drugs used to treat seizures during pregnancy.
If you become pregnant while taking this drug, call your doctor right away. Do not stop taking the medication unless directed to by your doctor. Divalproex sodium should only be used during pregnancy by women with seizures or manic episodes whose symptoms cannot be controlled by other medications.
For women who are breastfeeding: This drug passes through breast milk and may cause side effects in a breastfeeding child. Talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits of breastfeeding while taking divalproex. For seniors: Your body processes divalproex sodium more slowly. You may also experience more of a sedative effect from this medication. Extreme drowsiness may cause you to eat or drink less than you normally would. Tell your doctor if this happens. Your doctor will monitor how much you eat and drink and check you for signs of dehydration, drowsiness, dizziness, and other side effects.
For children: Children younger than 2 years old have an increased risk of liver damage while taking this drug, especially if they also take other drugs to treat seizures. All possible dosages and forms may not be included here. Your dose, form, and how often you take it will depend on:. Your body may process this drug more slowly and you may have more of a sedative effect.
Too much of the drug in your body can cause dangerous effects. This medication did not show effectiveness in children for mania. There is no evidence that divalproex is effective for long-term use in mania longer than three weeks. If your doctor would like you to take this drug for a longer period of time, they will check if you still need the drug regularly.
This medication did not show effectiveness in children for migraine prevention. For people with liver disease: If you have liver disease, you may not be able to process this drug as well as you should. You should avoid taking divalproex sodium if you have severe liver problems. However, because drugs affect each person differently, we cannot guarantee that this list includes all possible dosages.
Always speak with your doctor or pharmacist about dosages that are right for you. Divalproex sodium oral tablet is used for long-term drug treatment.
0コメント