Depakote is available as 250mg or 500mg Tablets. This drug contain contains an active constituents called valproate semisodium. This belongs to a group of medicines called mood stabilisers. It works by stabilising the levels of chemicals in your brain that affect your mood.

It can be used to deal with or control mania (feeling highly excited, enthusiastic, being over-active and easily irritated or distracted) caused by bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is where the mood changes between feeling very high (mania) and very low (depression).

This drug can be used when lithium cannot be used.Precautions:

• You are sensitive to (hypersensitive) to valproate semisodium or any of the other ingredients.


• Signs of an allergic reaction include: a rash, swallowing or breathing problems, swelling of your lips, face, throat or tongue


• You have liver disorder


• You or a family member has ever had liver problems caused by taking a medicine


• You have a rare illness called porphyria which affects your metabolism

Do not take this medicine if any of the above applies to you. If you are not sure, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Depakote.

The following medicines can affect the way Depakote works or Depakote can affect the way some of these medicines work:

• Some medicines used to take care of fits (epilepsy) such as phenobarbital, primidone, phenytoin, carbamazepine, topiramate, lamotrigine and felbamate. Your doctor may change the dose of one of your medicines and monitor your treatment closely


• Medicines for sadness


• Medicines used to calm emotional and mental conditions such as diazepam and olanzapine


• Zidovudine -used for HIV infection


• Carbapenem agents (antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections) such as panipenem, imipenem, meropenem, rifampicin and erythromycin. The combination of Depakote and carbapenems should be avoided because it may decrease the effect of your medicine


• Some medicines used for malaria such as mefloquine or chloroquine


• Medicines used for thinning the blood such as warfarin. Your doctor may change your dose of the blood thinning medicine and monitor your treatment closely.


• Temozolomide - used for cancer


• Cimetidine - used for stomach ulcers


• Colestyramine - used for lowering blood cholesterol levels

Side effects:

The following side effects may be signs of problems with your liver or pancreas and may show as a sudden illness:

• Feeling weak, general feeling of being unwell


• Loss of or decreased appetite (anorexia)


• Feeling drowsy, confused or tired


• Swelling of the feet and legs (oedema)


• Nausea (feeling sick)


• Vomiting (being sick)


• Stomach pain. Sometimes may be severe and reach through to your back


• reappearance of fits (seizures) for patients with epilepsy


• Yellowing of the eyes or skin