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Depakote, Behaviors, and personality

Mon, 02/11/2008 - 19:22
My 7 year old daughter was diagnosed with Epilepsy a year ago this coming April.  She has been on Depakote since the beginning.  It seems to be doing very well at controlling the seizures, but she has become a whole different child.  It breaks my heart, and every day seems to get a little bit worse.  She is regressing academicaly, socially, and emotionally.  Her neuro seems to think it is all "behavior issues".  He doesn't want to change the meds but has mentioned it a couple of times.  He seems to think she will be like this no matter what we put her on.  I want my little girl back.  Anybody else struggling with this?

Comments

Re: Depakote, Behaviors, and personality

Submitted by ValNewLife on Tue, 2008-03-11 - 08:47
Absolutely!  When we first started down this road, we didn't question our Neurologist, because quite frankly, we had no idea what questions to ask!  We knew nothing about this new world we had just entered!  In the last two years we have learned (the hard way!) to trust our instincts.  We refused to believe that it was our son and not the medicine!  Everything pointed to the medicine, but it wasn't "typical", so the Neurologists (yes, more then one) said it was our son and he would mostl likely be this way forever! We kept pushing, kept changing Neurologists... We felt so alone, and even questioned ourselves at times, but we finally found a Neurologist (A young one, relatively) who listened to us, and believed us!  We got our son back!  Don't give up!  Trust your instincts!  You know your child!  God Bless!  Val

Re: Depakote, Behaviors, and personality

Submitted by Bshop710 on Fri, 2008-09-12 - 21:22

My son was diagnosed with epilepsy at around 3 years of age.  We went through a few meds and "med hell." I finally got a new med, at that time, Zonegran with Depakote and that got my son fairly seizure free for a few years, with one or two break through seizures.  Since he has Aspergers' also, his behaviors were never typical and I learned to accept my son for who he is and what his take is on the world.  Believe me, this has been a challenging road but it has taught me so much.  Now that he is 14, his seizures have kicked in again.  He had been on Depakote and we slowly increased the amount with each seizure. He has Grand-mal.  This last year I saw my son become a hostile, depressed, angry at me for everything  kid.  He doesn't care  about school, learning and his life in general..I got a new neurologist and have started slowly going on Lamictal and have seen some good and bad changes...We are still going up on the Lamictal...You have to watch for the rash.. But my son FINALLY realizes his triggers, not enough sleep and irregular sleep patterns have caused his seizures...And I am determined to get my son seizure free....Good luck !!!

 

My son was diagnosed with epilepsy at around 3 years of age.  We went through a few meds and "med hell." I finally got a new med, at that time, Zonegran with Depakote and that got my son fairly seizure free for a few years, with one or two break through seizures.  Since he has Aspergers' also, his behaviors were never typical and I learned to accept my son for who he is and what his take is on the world.  Believe me, this has been a challenging road but it has taught me so much.  Now that he is 14, his seizures have kicked in again.  He had been on Depakote and we slowly increased the amount with each seizure. He has Grand-mal.  This last year I saw my son become a hostile, depressed, angry at me for everything  kid.  He doesn't care  about school, learning and his life in general..I got a new neurologist and have started slowly going on Lamictal and have seen some good and bad changes...We are still going up on the Lamictal...You have to watch for the rash.. But my son FINALLY realizes his triggers, not enough sleep and irregular sleep patterns have caused his seizures...And I am determined to get my son seizure free....Good luck !!!

 

Re: Depakote, Behaviors, and personality

Submitted by lworoniecki on Tue, 2008-04-08 - 15:07
I too came to this website in the search for some answers.    My son is 8 years old and began having seizures in April 2007.  They did an MRI of the brain and an EEG and everything came back normal.  They have had him on Depakote since then and he still has had some sporadic seizures.  He too has become a little boy that I don't know.  Very short tempered, very angry and defiant.  From the time that he has been on this medication he has had a lack of concentration with his school work and his grades have gone downhill to the point that his teacher wants to hold him back in 3rd grade.  I can honestly say I am not thrilled with our neurologist who is part of a Neurology Department at our local hospital.   I have expressed my concern that his seizures may be due to an allergy, believe it or not spaghetti/pizza sauce.  He has had sauce on every day that he has had a seizure.  She basically shrugs me off and tells me that food allergies cannot cause seizures and basically increases his Depakote and sends us away.  She has no bedside manner and my husband and I leave there with no answers and with no hope.  We also have 3 year old twins and at first thought my son's behavior was out of jealousy for them.  Now from what I am reading here I see that his behavior may actually be due to this crazy medication.   I will be contacting my pediatrician to get a referral to a neurologist who will consult with an allergist and then possibly get him off this medication.  Any further information and support you may have would be appreciated.

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