thank you started Depakote when he was 6, and it's been the one constant medication for the last 11 years. No side effects, aside from perhaps a smidge of weight gain initially but he stared out rail-thin and it wasn't an issue. Definitely an effective medication in terms of evening out his moods a bit. It wasn't a cure-all but we saw a noticeable difference within 6 weeks of trying it. Less frequent and less severe raging.
I agree with SRL that you can probably always find someone whose had a rare but serious side effect to virtually any medication. I also agree with smallworld that Depakote is one of the few medications that actually has a good database in terms of use in children and that's why I didn't freak out *as* badly
when thank you's psychiatrist wanted to try it.
I understand husband's concerns but the reality is, with the number of seizures Sammy is having daily, *something* has to be done and that something is going to be medication. My oldest has grand mal seizures and it took 3 medications to get him stabilized. Each medication of course has the potential for some nasty side effects. But to me (and I'm a real wimp when it comes to medications, would prefer *not* to medicate my kids), the guaranteed negative effects of the seizures far outweighed the relatively rare possible side effects of the medications.
I don't think it's ever easy to make the choice to start a new medication. It's smart to be informed of potential problems but you have to balance the fears of the possible with what is going on now. Again, I think the wide use of Depakote both for seizures and mood stablization in children, and the relatively rare rate of problems with it, makes it an ideal place to start.