How long does it take for Depakote to reach steady state?

In children, steady state is reached after about 2 days of taking Depakote ER. It takes about 5 days for the same thing to happen in seniors. After steady state is achieved, the levels of medication in the blood can be expected to be fairly constant.

How long does it take for valproic acid to reach steady state?

Steady state is reached after about 2 days of taking a stable dose of valproic acid. The half-life is shorter for children than for adults, so children may require higher doses than adults, commonly 15-60 mg/kg per day. The higher doses are usually needed by children taking combination therapy.

How long does it take for valproic acid to work?

When will valproic acid start working? When used as a mood stabilizer to control a manic episode, valproic acid needs to be taken for 1 to 2 weeks before you notice an improvement in your symptoms. You may notice an improvement earlier if valproic acid is combined with other medications.

How quickly will Depakote work?

Tablets take 4 hours to reach a peak, Depakote sprinkles take just over three. Food can delay the absorption of Depakote (food has a more significant effect on the tablets compared with the sprinkles). It may take several weeks of regular dosing before an effect on mood or seizure frequency is reported.

What happens if you stop taking valproic acid?

If you suddenly stop taking valproic acid, you may experience a severe, long-lasting and possibly life-threatening seizure. Your doctor will probably decrease your dose gradually.

Can valproic acid damage brain?

Valproic acid can cause serious birth defects (physical problems that are present at birth), especially affecting the brain and spinal cord and can also cause lower intelligence and problems with movement and coordination, learning, communication, emotions, and behavior in babies exposed to valproic acid before birth.

What does valproic acid make you feel like?

Valproic acid may cause some people to be agitated, irritable, or display other abnormal behaviors. It may also cause some people to have suicidal thoughts and tendencies or to become more depressed. If you notice any of these side effects, tell your doctor right away.

When does valproic acid reach a steady state?

Steady state is reached after about 2 days of taking a stable dose of valproic acid. The half-life is shorter for children than for adults, so children may require higher doses than adults, commonly 15-60 mg/kg per day.

What is the safe level of valproic acid?

The generally accepted therapeutic range for total valproic acid steady-state concentrations is 50–100 μg/mL, although some clinicians suggest drug concentrations as high as 175 μg/mL with appropriate monitoring of serum concentrations and possible adverse effects.

How often should you take valproic acid for seizures?

Most doctors start patients on 5 to 12.5 mg/kg (250-750 mg) of valproic acid per day. The dosage is then usually increased each week by 5 to 10 mg/kg until seizures stop or the patient experiences too many side effects. Most patients take a total of 750 to 3,000 mg each day, divided into two or three doses.

What is the half life of divalproex ER?

Divalproex-ER, a once-daily extended- release divalproex sodium formulation, is designed to release valproic acid over >18 hours. Hence the steady-state divalproex-ER concentration-time profiles have small peak-trough fluctuations that are not optimally characterised by valproic acid elimination half-life.