Depakote Fails as Pediatric Bipolar Treatment:
This from the mental health news site, Furious Seasons--authored by an investigative journalist:
".. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, researchers report that Depakote ER (technically, divalproex ER in the study) had no treatment effect in a four-week, placebo-controlled clinical trial of the drug in treating pediatric bipolar disorder in kids and teens aged 10 to 17. In other words, Depakote did not beat placebo."
~
My daughter was given this drug as her "mood stabilizer" from age 11 through age 17 based on a 5 minute diagnosis of O.C.D. in 1999, and within 2 months that diagnosis changed to "early onset childhood bipolar disorder". She gained weight on Depakote and Zyprexa (100lbs) and this dx was based on a reaction to an antidepressant given for bed wetting prevention, Imipramine. She charted her moods and noticed agitation on Depakote, she charted (wrote in detailed notes) by age 17 that she could feel the agitation soon after taking the drug dose.
She was on 1500mg. of Depakote at age 11-17 yrs old.
As a result of the use of Depakote in a young woman under age 20 (there was not a black box warning for this back then) she now has verified Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. That means she never had periods. That means she has increased chance of cervical cancer. Low fertility. (this is permanent body damage)
She endured blood work to monitor the "therapeutic levels" in the blood stream for 6 years for a drug she did not need.
There is no chance to recover a lost teenage life, is there?
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2 comments:
Damn.
My daughter, now 16 has been on 1000mg depakote for close to a year and a half. She stopped having periods 6 months ago. When she had her break, she lost about 40lb's due to paranoia about food. After being on such drugs as Geodon and Zyprexa, she gained weight, probably over 100lbs. We still haven't gotten the official diagnosis of polycystic ovary disease, she's had the blood work done, but because of her instability I have not been able to schedule a doctor appointment to get the results.
It's hard to say what works or doesn't anymore since we are into this typical moody teenage years. I hear a lot from her doctor now about how her current symptoms could be just typical teenage angst, but to me this isn't typical, I've lived with her throughout her illness and I don't agree. Nor do I agree with his bipolar diagnosis, but he seems like someone who dumps everyone in that category. As long as she gets meds that help stabilize her, I don't care if he calls it ASDF!@#$%^.
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