Depakote and Tardive Dyskinesia, Anyone?

[Inanlae]

Have you had/seen this side effect?  About a half hour or so ago I could only speak one syllable at a time, with syllables spaced out, labored.  Unfortunately, I left my message on the Absence Line at work during the string-of-syllables phase.  It sounds like I've experienced a traumatic injury to my Broca's area.  It was a pathetic message.  But at the time I was thinking that I would remain in that state and be unable to work.  My employer and co-workers have been wonderful throughout this.  I haven't told them much, but they've still been supportive.  Not so much my classmates, who look at me more as though I withdrew from class because of an HIV or Ebola infection.  That is not an attitude I would want in a patient care environment, had I the power to hire people.  Coffee (caffeine) seems to be helping somewhat. The language has recovered, still some hand tremors, and I'm still having trouble walking.  I often take a lot of Benedryl to sleep, and am sometimes pretty wobbly when walking, which may be why it took me so long to realize that wasn't quite the normal wobbliness.

[crtclms]

What part precisely is it that you think might be TD? I know that TD is listed among side-effect use, but I can't think of a single example of someone on CBS developing it from Depakote. Someone will chime in to correct me if they know differently.

 

Are you taking it for seizures? Is that what you were referring to when you say "Absence Generally, seizures are caused by pre-existing injuries, and do not cause new one (e.g., broca's area).

 

Or since you posted this to bipolar, maybe I just am misunderstanding entirely.

 

I am moving it to ACs and Mood-stabilizers, since that is what you are asking about.

[dianthus]

What dosage are you on, and how long have you been on it?

 

If you're having severe neurological symptoms, you need to call your doctor.  It may not be med-related at all.  It probably is, but not necessarily.  Have you contacted your doctor?  If I couldn't speak or walk properly, I'd be going to the ER myself.

 

I've never seen TD from Depakote and it's a movement disorder, not what you're describing with your speech.

[Inanlae]

I talked to a nurse at my pdoc's yesterday.  They DO NOT think my self-diagnosis of TD was correct.  They thought it was more likely the conjunction of Dep 1000 and lorazepam 2mg.  (I've also had difficulty walking with just lorazepam and Benedryl.)

"I am moving it to ACs and Mood-stabilizers, since that is what you are asking about." - crtcrlms

Thank you.  That sounds like a group for my frantic, yet befuddled mood stabilizer shopping.

"I've never seen TD from Depakote and it's a movement disorder, not what you're describing with your speech." - dianthus

@Dianthus.  I've only been on Depakote for a few week.  I recently discontinued Lithium.  Earlier that day, my Depakote dose had been inceased to1000mg from 750mg.  My blood previous blood draw, after 10 days @ 750mg, had been 0.448.  (This was a 5.5-fhour draw, not a 24-hour draw, which I imagine could have falsely elevated the value)  My pdoc's goal is for a serum Depakote level at around 0.500,  to avoid getting up to a dose which is sedating.  As the serum value was relatively close to 0.500 already, it seems a smaller increase would have been more appropriate. 
 

It looks like I did miss-self-diagnose TD in associating it with my temporary loss of mucular control in my mouth. Mea culpa.  I found the assiciation thorugh some website like http://www.rxlist.com/depakote-side-effects-drug-center.htm:   The following additional adverse reactions were reported by greater than 1% but not more than 5% of the 89 Depakote-treated patients in controlled clinical trials:...  Nervous System: Abnormal dreams, abnormal gait, agitation, ataxia,catatonic reaction, confusion, depression, diplopia, dysarthria, hallucinations, hypertonia, hypokinesia, insomnia, paresthesia, reflexes increased, tardive dyskinesia, thinking abnormalities, vertigo." (RX List, "Depakote Side Effects)  After clicking on the TD link, my speech symptoms were not consonat with TD.  I had an inability to control the speech muscles in my mouth, but there was no uncontrolled movement in my mouth.  (My mother noticed that my speech was still slurred several hours later.)  In my legs and hands, there was some uncontrolled movement.

I think I'm going to stick it out at 1000mg for now.  The side effects should decrease.  I'm getting tested next week.  The fact that I was drawn near the time I was tested may have artificially increased my serum level.

Edited August 30, 2014 by Inanlae