Safety of taking Depakote with St.Johns wort

[lashellie1975]

I have just started taking Depakote 250 mg.day.I have bipolar disorder and wondered if taking st.johns wort with it would be safe.I havent done well in past just taking depakote alone.I have always been on another med to help control my moodswings&depression.I have been off all meds for close2 a yr.I took topomax alone last&had2stop b/c everything tasted bad&lost appetite.That was in Fall2007.I was doing fine without any meds for bipolar til recently.I just got a divorce had been waiting for several yrs.Then I just started depakote last night but i wondered if I could take st.Johns wort with it,do u know how beneficial it might be for my problems?I have lost interest in everything.I cant even eat b/c I cant taste my food.All my hobbies&everything bore me.I need meds that may restore my taste too&will not dull them.Like I know I cant take valerian or topomax.I dont see my new doc til july28 so if you can get me any tips that will help me until then I would be greatful.I just mainly need2know if I would have any bad reactions taking st.johns wort with depakoate if u cant answer anything else.Thanks.

[sarahps33]

I am taking st. johns wort 300mg at night and am considering taking depakote125mg. I was recently prescribed it for bipolar disorder, but im hesitant to take it, especially combining the two. My psychiatrist says that I probably wont have any problems, but shes also not a pharmacists or herbal health "master"; so i have been looking into it myself. Like Jikan mentioned in his answer it seems they both work in different ways, depakote is an anti seizure med while SJW acts as a ssri, so its unlikely that they will interact, but yeah its scary to just try it. Did you ever decide to try them both at the same time?

[Jikan]

Namaste,

Taking St. Johns' Wort with Depakote would not, in all probability, cause you any significant problems, but remember that St. Johns' Wort is used to treat depression, whereas Depakote is a mood stabilizer.

There is a very minor possibility that St. John's Wort would place in you in a manic state and that's not where you want to be.

You should not take any supplements or combine medications without your doctors' approval. If you have an appointment with him/her on the 28th, I think you can wait until then before making any decisions.

"Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a night without moon and star." Confucuis

Michael(Jikan)