Does anyone have any experience of withdrawing from Depakote?

[LifeisGood342]

Hi

I am new to this forum, so hello to everyone.

I have been on Depakote for 2 years, and I am in the process of switching to Lithium.

My Depakote dose was 750mg per day, and my doc advised me to start Lithium (400mg) whilst coming off the Depakote within a week.  This suprised me, because I thought I neeeded to tape the dose more slowly, but the doc reassured me that most people don't experience any withdrawal effects.

I was fine until about a week after I stopped.

I then started to get constant palpitations and vertigo, and then 11 days after I stopped I went manic.  Not happy manic, just completely deranged.  I also wasn't sleeping because of the palpitations, which couldn't have been doing my mental state any favours.
  
After another week of this, I went to my family doctor, who put me back on to 500mg Depakote.  He and said to take them until I stabilised, and then taper off more slowly.  

I was only on a starter dose of Lithium, which was nowhere near theraputic, so the doctor explained that I'd as good as been without any meds once the Depakote had left my system.  

I am still on 500mg Depakote, because I've not had the courage to attempt to come off it again.  I've since been increased to 600mg Lithium, but I am awaiting blood test results to see whether my dose will be increased.

Currently, I feel level, but I am still getting palpitations at night.  This could be psychosomatic, in that I might be expecting them from when I tried to come off Depakote before.

Has anyone else had a similar experience to me when trying to come off Depakote?  I'm just a bit puzzled because the doc said about most people don't experiencing any problems.

Thanks x

[LifeisGood342]

Thank you for your replies.  I too was very surprised that my psychiatrist advised me to come off Depakote so quickly.  He said to come down to 500mg for 3 days, then 250mg for 4 days, then stop.

I don't think I'll try coming off it again until I have reached my proper dose of lithium, then I will minimise the risk of going manic again.  I will take it very slow next time!

I have an appointment with my psychiatrist tomorrow, to discuss my lithium levels, so I will know then whether to start my second attempt at coming off depakote!  I'm so nervous after last time though!

Thank you again x

[bernie40]

The Dr should not have advised you to come off the depakote so quickly.  I was on depakote for over a year and when I started lithium I was still on 500mg depakote, I then decreased to 250mg very slowly (over a period of about 3 weeks if my memory serves me correctly).  It is never good to just suddenly stop any med and I'm not surprised you felt as ill as you did.  I did find a recommended "withdrawal" chart but unfortunately I no longer have it bookmarked.  I also remember, even with the slower withdrawal that I felt light-headed and had palpitations, I also experienced a return of my migraines.

[ILADVOCATE]

I do remember being transferred from Depakoate to lithium but it wasn't quite that problematical but then again because I could not tolerate the side effects I had lowered the Depakoate to a subtherapeutic dose on my own (something I would not do now). I do remember having difficulties with medication adjustments in general in the past because of having to gradually transfer from one to the other the problem being that at some point that they were both at subtherapeutic doses until one of them reached the proper level. As per withdrawal symptoms I would not know whether vertigo and palpatations would be standard withdrawal symptoms or of concern but its best to keep in touch with your psychiatrist about this. In transfering you will have some return of symptoms that the medications were treating and because one medication is being withdrawn they will be worse than before but after they are adjusted then things will stabilize but lithium takes a while to build up to a proper blood level so that can be of concern and that is why some people change medications while in the hospital (which I did not do except for Clozaril where day hospital was required for safety concerns) but one reason I at those times saw my psychiatrist more often and kept in touch more often as well in knowing this was a very real concern.