About to start meds. Prescribed Depakote. Any other suggestions?

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My son had his first seizure at 15 in 2010, then 3 years later at 18 in 2013. All tests (EEG, contrasting MRI, etc.) were negative. We chose not to medicate and our doctor concurred. Our son now 20, had one this year in June of 2014, which was 14 months after the last one. The EEG showed some abnormality.

After June's seizure, the doctor prescribed Depakote. We have not started him on it, awaiting answers from the doctor on (1) why Depakote? (2) why 500mg (3) is the generic Divalproex okay. Our next appt is in August where we were planning on getting answers, but our son’s 4th seizure was yesterday, which is accelerating our plans.

Does anyone have opinions on Depakote vs any other medication for adolescent onset epilepsy before we start? All seizures were grand mal.

Thanks,
Bob

Comments

Hi,I just started depakote

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 2014-07-22 - 17:45

Hi,I just started depakote 500 mg twice a day for myoclonic seizures. Maybe JME, I like it so far. I tried Lamtical, Keppra, Zonisamide, and Primidone. I feel Depakote controls my seizures the best. Hope this helps. Jess

So your son was prescribed

Submitted by just_joe on Tue, 2014-07-22 - 18:53

So your son was prescribed depakote yo ualso posted it's generic. That was done back in june.Your questions is WHY this medication? Why this dosage? All of my doctors and I have had many prescribe meidcations they know work. They generally have someone on them and are familiar with the medication and it's dosages. Yo wanted to wait to ask these questions. Generally a neurologist prescribes medica and a dosage to strt with. At time they want to see the patient the next mnth or within 2 months to see how the medications is working. In your case it would have been 2 months. Basically they need at least 2-3 weeks for the medication to get working and the body to get used to them. Now becasue you dealyed he had another seizure. YES depakote works and I took at for a few years. Does the gebneric work? YES to that too. Generics have to have the exact things that make the medication work the main difference is the filler used. I have taken generica of almost every medication I have used in the 50+ years I have been living and dealing with epilepsy. I know yo uare concerned for your son but wanting to have answers to these questions prior to your giving it to him could have been done in JUNE. You found this forum since your sone had another seizure. I have been in drug studies and know some people who are nurses in those studies. I myself have been in them. A drug designed to work on certain seizure is tested. Once approved and on the market for those seizures the testing does not stop. The drug is then tested for all other kinds of seizures. It is then tested to see which medications it can be coupled with. And the testing does not stop there... Iwas in a drug study back in 2005 which were for partial seizures. Well I checked and they have another study for the same medication but for another kind of epilepsy and coupled with a crertain medication. Which means that 1 drug has been tested for 15 years that I know of. I would suggest yo uget the My Epilepsy Diray which can be found in the get help section/ Just set your mouse on that part looking down and to the right it should be the 2nd thing down. watch the video which tells yo uhow to use it and what it can do I do hope this helps and your son gets teh assistance he needs

So your son was prescribed depakote yo ualso posted it's generic. That was done back in june.Your questions is WHY this medication? Why this dosage?  All of my doctors and I have had many prescribe meidcations they know work. They generally have someone on them and are familiar with the medication and it's dosages. Yo wanted to wait to ask these questions. Generally a neurologist prescribes medica and a dosage to strt with. At time they want to see the patient the next mnth or within 2 months to see how the medications is working. In your case it would have been 2 months. Basically they need at least 2-3 weeks for the medication to get working and the body to get used to them. Now becasue you dealyed he had another seizure. YES depakote works and I took at for a few years. Does the gebneric work? YES to that too. Generics have to have the exact things that make the medication work the main difference is the filler used. I have taken generica of almost every medication I have used in the 50+ years I have been living and dealing with epilepsy. I know yo uare concerned for your son but wanting to have answers to these questions prior to your giving it to him could have been done in JUNE. You found this forum since your sone had another seizure. I have been in drug studies and know some people who are nurses in those studies. I myself have been in them. A drug designed to work on certain seizure  is tested. Once approved and on the market for those seizures the testing does not stop. The drug is then tested for all other kinds of seizures. It is then tested to see which medications it can be coupled with. And the testing does not stop there... Iwas in a drug study back in 2005 which were for partial seizures. Well I checked and they have another study for the same medication but for another kind of epilepsy and coupled with a crertain medication. Which means that 1 drug has been tested for 15 years that I know of. I would suggest yo uget the My Epilepsy Diray which can be found in the get help section/ Just set your mouse on that part looking down and to the right it should be the 2nd thing down. watch the video which tells yo uhow to use it and what it can do I do hope this helps and your son gets teh assistance he needs

So your son was prescribed depakote yo ualso posted it's generic. That was done back in june.Your questions is WHY this medication? Why this dosage? All of my doctors and I have had many prescribe meidcations they know work. They generally have someone on them and are familiar with the medication and it's dosages. Yo wanted to wait to ask these questions. Generally a neurologist prescribes medica and a dosage to strt with. At time they want to see the patient the next mnth or within 2 months to see how the medications is working. In your case it would have been 2 months. Basically they need at least 2-3 weeks for the medication to get working and the body to get used to them. Now becasue you dealyed he had another seizure. YES depakote works and I took at for a few years. Does the gebneric work? YES to that too. Generics have to have the exact things that make the medication work the main difference is the filler used. I have taken generica of almost every medication I have used in the 50+ years I have been living and dealing with epilepsy. I know yo uare concerned for your son but wanting to have answers to these questions prior to your giving it to him could have been done in JUNE. You found this forum since your sone had another seizure. I have been in drug studies and know some people who are nurses in those studies. I myself have been in them. A drug designed to work on certain seizure is tested. Once approved and on the market for those seizures the testing does not stop. The drug is then tested for all other kinds of seizures. It is then tested to see which medications it can be coupled with. And the testing does not stop there... Iwas in a drug study back in 2005 which were for partial seizures. Well I checked and they have another study for the same medication but for another kind of epilepsy and coupled with a crertain medication. Which means that 1 drug has been tested for 15 years that I know of. I would suggest yo uget the My Epilepsy Diray which can be found in the get help section/ Just set your mouse on that part looking down and to the right it should be the 2nd thing down. watch the video which tells yo uhow to use it and what it can do I do hope this helps and your son gets teh assistance he needs

The EEG showed some

Submitted by just_joe on Tue, 2014-07-22 - 18:56

The EEG showed some abnormality <<<< abnormalities on a EEG show seizure activity. Which is why meds were prescribed