Uses of Depakine chrono 500 mg

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1. What is Depakine chrono 500 mg?

What is Depakine chrono 500 mg? Depakine chrono 500mg contains the active ingredient sodium valproate and is available as an extended release film coated tablet. Valproate has anticonvulsant activity and is used to treat epilepsy in humans. Drugs that increase the delivery of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an inhibitory neurotransmitter, to brain neurons can either enhance GABA activity or mimic GABA action at sites postsynaptic receptors. In addition, Valproat reduces the duration of the intermediate phases of sleep, increasing delayed sleep.

2. Uses of the drug Depakine chrono 500 mg

Depakine chrono drug is indicated in the following cases:
Epilepsy: Treatment of different types of epilepsy in adults, children over 6 years old and weighing over 20kg. This dosage form is not suitable for children under 6 years of age or weighing less than 20 kg, because of the risk of choking and difficulty in dose adjustment. Currently, there are more suitable drugs for children on the market. Mania: Treatment and prevention of mania in bipolar affective disorder.

3. Dosage of the drug Depakine chrono 500 mg

3.1. Dosage for Epilepsy The daily dose will depend on the severity of the disease and individual characteristics. Dosage is divided into 1-2 times/day, preferably taken with meals. If the disease is well controlled, your doctor may prescribe it once a day. Accordingly, the patient must take the medicine regularly every day, and must not change or stop the medicine suddenly without informing the doctor in advance. It should be noted that the Depakine chrono tablet has a mark in the middle, so the patient can break the tablet in half if needed. Dosage for epilepsy treatment is as follows:
Adults: The recommended starting dose is 600 mg/day and gradually increased by 200 mg every 3 days until the disease is controlled. The usual dose ranges from 1000mg to 2000mg, that is from 20 to 30mg/kg/day. In cases where symptoms are not controlled with the above dose range, the dose may be increased up to 2500 mg/day. Children weighing more than 20 kg: The recommended starting dose is 400 mg/day and gradually increased until symptoms control, the usual dose is in the range of 20 - 30 mg/kg/day. In uncontrolled cases, the dose can be increased to 35 mg/kg/day. 3.2. Mania The initial dose is usually 20 mg/kg/day, then increased to achieve the desired clinical effect. The recommended maintenance dose in the treatment of bipolar affective disorder is between 1000 mg and 2000 mg/day. In some cases, the dose can be increased but not exceeding 3000mg/day. Dosage should be adjusted according to individual patient response.

4. Contraindications Depakine chrono

Depakine chrono drug should not be used in the following cases:
Allergy to the main active ingredient or one of the ingredients of the drug. Allergy to active ingredients in the same class as Valproate (Divalproate, Valpromide). Acute or chronic hepatitis A personal or family history of severe liver disease. Disorders of hepatic porphyrin metabolism Disorders of the urea cycle. Patients with known or suspected mitochondrial disease.

5. What are the side effects of Depakine chrono?

When using Depakine chrono, patients may experience the following undesirable effects:
Blood and lymphatic system disorders: anemia, thrombocytopenia, pancytopenia, bone marrow failure, megaloblastic anemia. Nervous system disorders: tremors, extrapyramidal disorders, somnolence, memory impairment, headache, nystagmus, dizziness, ataxia, paresthesia. Disorders of the ear and cochlea: deafness. Respiratory system disorders: pleural effusion. Gastrointestinal disorders: nausea, vomiting, gum disorders, stomatitis, epigastric pain, diarrhea, these signs usually resolve within a few days even if the drug is not stopped. Renal and urinary tract disorders: renal failure, enuresis, interstitial nephritis. Nutritional and metabolic disorders: hyponatremia, weight gain, hyperammonemia.

6. Be careful when using Depakine chrono

Depakine chrono should be used with caution in the following cases:
Liver function tests must be performed before starting the drug and periodically during the first 6 months in high-risk patients. Patients may experience mild elevations in liver enzymes, particularly at the start of drug therapy, but these signs are usually transient. Blood tests should be performed prior to initiation of treatment or prior to surgery, or in cases of spontaneous bruising or bleeding When a patient has suspected urea-cycle enzyme deficiency, exploratory tests prior to treatment with Valproat, as there may be a risk of hyperammonemia. Patients must be warned about the risk of weight gain in the early stages of treatment and appropriate strategies should be put in place to minimize this risk Patients with type II carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT) deficiency are at risk for myolysis higher than when taking drugs containing valproate. Do not consume alcoholic beverages during treatment with Depakine Chrono. Children: Patients should use Valproat monotherapy for children under 3 years of age, but the benefit must outweigh the risk of severe liver and pancreatic damage during the initiation of treatment. Depakine chrono with salicylate should not be used concurrently in children under 3 years of age due to the risk of hepatotoxicity. Female adolescents, women of reproductive age: Depakine chrono should only be used when other treatments are ineffective or the patient cannot tolerate it. Accordingly, the benefit-risk balance of the drug must be balanced and carefully evaluated during each routine visit. It is best to prescribe Depakine chrono as monotherapy and at the lowest effective dose. Driving: Depakine Chrono may cause drowsiness, so patients should be careful when driving or operating machinery. Pregnancy: The drug may cause harm to the unborn baby, including an increased risk of spina bifida, craniofacial defects, cardiovascular defects, or blood clotting abnormalities. There have been reports of fatal liver failure in infants and young children when mothers took Valproat during pregnancy. Therefore, Depakine Chrono should not be used during pregnancy. Lactation: Valproate is excreted in breast milk sparingly. The decision to discontinue breast-feeding or to discontinue treatment should be weighed against the benefits and risks of the drug. Under no circumstances should a patient ever discontinue epilepsy treatment without the consent of a physician.

7. Depakine Chrono drug interactions

Some notable drug interactions when using Depakine Chrono, include:
Sedatives, MAO inhibitors, antidepressants and benzodiazepines: Depakine Chrono may increase the effects of these drugs. , so clinical monitoring and dose adjustment is recommended. Phenobarbital: Depakine Chrono increases serum phenobarbital concentrations and sedation occurs, especially in children. Therefore, monitoring is required during the first 15 days of combination therapy and the dose of phenobarbital should be reduced immediately if sedation occurs. Primidon: Depakine Chrono increases the serum concentration of primidone and increases the side effects associated with this drug. Carbapenems: There have been reports of decreased blood levels of valproate when used concomitantly with carbapenems. Because of its rapid onset and greatly reduced plasma concentrations, concomitant use of carbapenems should be avoided in patients already on stable therapy with Valproate. If the use of carbapenems is mandatory, blood levels of valproate should be closely monitored. In summary, Depakine chrono is a medication for epilepsy and mania. The drug needs to be prescribed and adjusted by a specialist doctor. Therefore, patients are absolutely not allowed to self-medicate, but need to visit the hospital to be prescribed the appropriate drug use.
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