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Depakote Sprinkles and tiredness/behavior change

Tue, 10/07/2014 - 10:15
My 5 year old son has been on depakote sprinkles for over a year and a half. He has been seizure free since he started on this. While this makes me so happy he has had issues with tiredness. He started kindergarten this fall and has been beyond tired. He sleeps 11-12 hours a night and is completely exhausted when he awakes and throughout the day. He has been throwing temper tantrums and crying uncontrollably at night. Last week, he ended up hurting a child at school during recess and couldnt explain why. He has never had a problem with other kids (beside his sister) . Has anyone else had experience with depakote and tiredness and/or behavior changes? Is it just the start of school and transition? Any advice would be great!! Doctor decided to decrease his medicine and we are hoping for the best.

Comments

I know that dosage changes

Submitted by just_joe on Wed, 2014-10-08 - 12:59
I know that dosage changes can make a difference. I also know that changes in the size of a child does need to be watched closely since dosages are set with the weight of the person taking it.  Watch your son close and note changes to his behavour and any seizures he has if any. As for tiredness medications do have those.  So it could be that his tiredness is one of the side effects associated with depakote.  Also I think another side effect is mood changes which would also be a part of his hurting the other kid. Just be happy he isn't taking some of the medications I was taking when I was a teen. Phenobarbitol was the go to medication along with dilantin. Both have downers. Oh and remember the sleeping pills taken back then were phenobarb.  If he doesn't have seizures again and the new dosages does the trick then he may get seizure free. I hope he stays seizure free and please come back and let us know how things go Joe

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