The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first versions of Depakote delayed-release tablets, including divalproex sodium, to treat seizures, bipolar disorder and migraine headaches.
The approval came after a rigorous review to ensure that the drugs will provide the patient with the same amount of high quality, safety and effectiveness as the name brand product. Safety warnings include a risk of liver damage and pancreatitis, as well as of birth defects. Information on specific drug products can be found on the Web site http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/drugsatfda/.
Migraines can be difficult to diagnose because they often appear as tension headaches, and indeed, sufferers can encounter both. And some migraines appear as pain elsewhere in the body but not in the head. These are often called silent migraines and patients may experience dizziness or vertigo, as well as ringing in the ears and slurred speech.
In the past, anti-depressants or pain-killers were the favoured medications that were given. These were known as abortive prescriptions as they attempted to get rid of the headache after it had appeared. Treatment varied from taking a pill, to taking medication under your tongue, or even getting an injection. In the emergency ward, oxygen was frequently supplied through a mask, increasing the effectiveness of the medication. Another method was preventive, and it provided pills to be taken once or twice a day, whether you had a headache or not. After about three months, sufferers would notice a lessened incidence of the problem.
Epilepsy has responded well to medications, but there were many different types of prescriptions available and different ones work better for one kind of seizure or another. Patients had to go through an extensive trial-and-error period to find the best treatment for them and some were covered by insurance and others were not, which compounded the problem. There is no cure for epilepsy, so the medications are meant to prevent and control the seizures. A list of medications currently in use for treating epilepsy is available at http://www.epilepsy.com/EPILEPSY/seizure_medicines
Bipolar disorder, with its mood swings and alternating between extreme depression and extreme energy, has long been treated by learned self-care, therapy and drugs which included mood stabilizers and anti-depressants. Getting the right medication and the right dosages has been difficult.
Although the newly-approved drug is promising, side effects may constitute a cause for concern. They include pancreatitis, a life-threatening problem which indicates that the pancreas has become inflamed. Symptoms include loss of appetite, nausea and stomach pain. Some people experience liver problems and your health professional will be checking you closely while you are on the medication. If you develop weakness, loss of appetite or facial swelling, see your doctor right away. If you plan on becoming pregnant, talk to your doctor before going on the medication.
It is encouraging to see advances through research and development in laboratories that produce medications and sometimes cures for some of the world’s greatest illnesses, and we should all be thankful for the dedicated scientists who labour away day after day to create a safer and happier life for us all.
