FDA Issues Major Birth Defects Warning For Depakote, valproate

From Furious Seasons mental health news site:


"The FDA notified health care professionals and patients about the increased risk of neural tube defects and other major birth defects, such as craniofacial defects and cardiovascular malformations, in babies exposed to valproate sodium and related products (valproic acid and divalproex sodium) during pregnancy. Healthcare practitioners should inform women of childbearing potential about these risks, and consider alternative therapies, especially if using valproate to treat migraines or other conditions not usually considered life-threatening.

"Women of childbearing potential should only use valproate if it is essential to manage their medical condition. Those who are not actively planning a pregnancy should use effective contraception, as birth defect risks are particularly high during the first trimester, before many women know they are pregnant."

"Abbott is under investigation by the feds for its marketing of Depakote. The FDA earlier this year urged a review of the drug's possible connection to developmental delay and autism. It has an FDA mandated warning for suicidality. A New England Journal of Medicine study linked the drug to lower IQs in the offspring of women taking the drug. And the drug is linked to an increased risk of ovarian cysts." --link to the article atFurious Seasons, Philip Dawdy

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My daughter took Depakote for 6 years starting at age 11 in 1999, until 2005. In 2006 a psychiatrist at a prestigious hospital diagnosed her with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, as a direct result of using Depakote.

Depakote is an anti convulsant drug often prescribed for use in Bipolar Disorder treatment and carries a black box warning for use in women under age 20 for the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

This is a permanent body damage my daughter suffered as a result of using this drug, with a now increased chance of cervical cancer as a result of never menstruating due to POS.
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Today's warning by the FDA is extremely important to note.