May 19, 2009

Study: Depakote Fails As Pediatric Bipolar Disorder Treatment

Well, here's a stunner: in a study just out in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, researchers report that Depakote ER (technically, divalproex ER in the study) had no treatment effect in a four-week, placebo-controlled clinical trial of the drug in treating pediatric bipolar disorder in kids and teens aged 10 to 17. In other words, Depakote did not beat placebo.

"The results of the study do not provide support for the use of divalproex ER in the treatment of youths with bipolar I disorder, mixed or manic state. Further controlled trials are required to confirm or refute the findings from this study."

Researchers included Karen Wagner of the University of Texas and Timothy Wilens of Harvard University. Both have been subjects of investigations by Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) over underreported monies they've received from pharma companies and possible violations of federal research rules.

Posted by Philip Dawdy at May 19, 2009 12:03 AM
StumbleUpon Toolbar del.icio.us Digg it reddit
Comments

i saw that study noted in one of the clinician alert/update newsletters i get. my reaction is: they do these studies to discredit other treatments so they can turn around and promote their patented drugs fow whatever disorder. this is why biederman bothered to publish a study saying st. john's wort does not work for adhd (JAMA 2008 PMID: 18544723).

Posted by: MedsVsTherapy at May 19, 2009 10:18 AM

Unbelievable! after 6 years on Depakote for a misdiagnosis of childhood bipolar and resulting in permanent body damage of Polycystic Ovary syndrome (that only now is black box warned)this makes me livid. How would one tell my daughter about this? she took that drug 3xs a day for 6 years and would tell the psych that she felt agitated on it and the psych wouldn't listen.

Wilens is co-author to many studies with Joseph Biederman the head KOL theory-creator of the pediatric bipolar debacle.

This is a complete smack in the face to children like my daughter who suffered at the hands of this joke!

Posted by: Stephany at May 19, 2009 10:32 AM

What does this mean for Depakote as treatment for adult bipolar disorder?

Posted by: Francesca Allan at May 19, 2009 11:49 AM

stephany: in my opinion, this evidence means nothing for adult bipolar. the evidence is pretty solid that lithium and or depakote are the leaders for efficacy for bipolar, if someone truly has bipolar. nothing has changed there. in my opinion, most of these cases of "bipolar disorder" in childhood or adolescence are not actually cases of bipolar disorder, but are symptoms or problems due to something else. I have a long answer about what the typical "something else" can be, but for this brief response, I will just say that a scientific study follows the old adage, the same as verything else: garbage in, garbage out. If you get a whole bunch of kids thrown into a study because their parents have been conned that the kids have bipolar when they don't it is not very difficult to discover that depakote, or any other med, does not "cure" the problem. Note, however, that this is just my opinion, and you and everyone else are free to believe that there is an epidemic of childhood bipolar if you want.

Posted by: MedsVsTherapy at May 20, 2009 06:01 AM

There's no such thing as pediatric bipolar disorder in my view.

Posted by: kimbriel at May 23, 2009 04:41 PM

Meds vs therapy, you must be addressing Francesca's question.

I did not ask about adult bipolar.

BUT> you said, " Note, however, that this is just my opinion, and you and everyone else are free to believe that there is an epidemic of childhood bipolar if you want."

Thanks, but I don't need your or anyone else's permission or validation to believe anything; and my personal view on this is based on a MIS diagnosis of my daughter at age 11 in 1999 of pediatric bipolar, she was drugged for no reason, gained 100lbs on Depakote and Zyprexa and has permanent disablement as a result.

An increase of 4000% of pediatric bipolar IS an epidemic, it's an outrage, and these drugs have no long term studies for safety being used in growing child's bodies and brains.

IF you were to see my daughter in person, you, most likely as other people have---would cry.

The loss is too enormous on a scale to even begin to describe.

My comment is not open for debate, or rather, I am not.

Posted by: Stephany at May 24, 2009 09:21 AM
Post a comment









Remember personal info?






pic1.jpg

Patient Blogs. Sites.
Doctor Blogs. Sites.
Activists. News.
Social Networking. Forums.
Science. Big Pharma. Ethics.
Current Affairs
Seattle Stuff
Smoking. Stuff.

Info
About Furious Seasons
Email
Other Articles
ZYPREXA Documents
Alt ZYPREXA Documents Source
Blakemore-Brown Transcript

 Subscribe in a reader

Search


Recent Entries
$99 Left
$114 To Go
Winter Fundraiser, $134 To Go, Final Day
Ruth Lilly, Eli Lilly Heiress, Prozac Beneficiary Dies At 94
Winter Fundraiser, Final Day, Less Than $200 To Go
UCLA Psychiatrist Criticizes DSM-5
Winter Fundraiser, Barely $200 To Go
Most Popular Posts Of 2009
Winter Fundraiser, Less Than $300 Left, Let's Wrap It Up
Senate Health Care Bill Contains $1.25 Billion Gift To Sen. Stabenow
Travel Day, Comment Approval May Be Intermittent
Winter Fundraiser, Close But Stalled
Senate Health Care Reform Bill Contains Controversial MOTHERS Act, Abortion Study
Adult ADHD And Sleep Problems
Vic Chesnutt Dead At 45, Possible Suicide
Recent Comments

Stephany on Study: Depakote Fails As Pediatric Bipolar Disorder Treatment

kimbriel on Study: Depakote Fails As Pediatric Bipolar Disorder Treatment

MedsVsTherapy on Study: Depakote Fails As Pediatric Bipolar Disorder Treatment

Francesca Allan on Study: Depakote Fails As Pediatric Bipolar Disorder Treatment

Stephany on Study: Depakote Fails As Pediatric Bipolar Disorder Treatment

MedsVsTherapy on Study: Depakote Fails As Pediatric Bipolar Disorder Treatment

Archives
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
Resources
Mental Health America
National Alliance on Mental Illness
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
National Institute of Mental Health
McMan Web
Powered by
Movable Type 3.2