Depakote Tales from the Kitchen Table

Gilbert, AZLiving with bipolar disorder or chronic migraine headaches is a challenge—and many doctors put their patients on Depakote to relieve their symptoms and to give them a chance to function. However, various Depakote side effects, including liver problems, temper that advantage. And warnings from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with regard to the potential for Depakote birth defects reveal an even greater impact, given the chance that a child may be left with a life-altering physical anomaly from a medication taken by their mother.

The heartbreak in the words of those who have been down that road, posting comments on resource4thepeople.com, is compelling.

Gina writes that her daughter, who suffers from a seizure disorder, continued to take Depakote during her pregnancy. When Gina's grandson arrived, he was born with undescended testes—one of the identified Depakote birth defects. The baby also suffers from croup and Gina is worried for them both. Her daughter has no health insurance.

Danielle writes that she was on Depakote for a time while also taking a cocktail of three other drugs, two of which she was taking from the seventh grade until she turned 18. Ten years later she has a three-year-old daughter who is healthy in every respect but one: delayed speech. Danielle wonders how long it takes for drugs, including Depakote, to effectively be eradicated from your system.

Brandy wonders if Depakote side effects can occur if the father is taking the drug. Can it be passed to the mother and then to the child at conception?

And then there is Brittany, whose son was born with hypospadia and hemangioma, she says. Brittany writes that she began taking Depakote at the age of 16 and became pregnant at 17. The new mother continued to take Depakote for the first 11 weeks of her pregnancy until she managed to get off the drug. When she approached her doctor with her concern, she was told not to worry and that "it wasn't a 'biggy.'"

Are doctors being up front with their patients about the risks and dangers of Depakote?