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Why would I need a Depakote lawyer?
Why would you need a Depakote lawyer? Hopefully, you wouldn't need one. The best case scenario for a Depakote user would be to avoid all the side effects, including the milder ones such as nausea and weight gain. But for some people who were prescribed Depakote, a lawyer is necessary to seek compensation for losses such as liver damage, worsened seizures, suicide, birth defects, and more.
Weitz & Luxenberg has been helping people harmed by defective drugs and medical devices, environmentally toxic workplaces, and other injustices for over twenty years. We have seen what can happen when drugs' side effects create health problems worse than the ailments the drugs were supposed to alleviate.
Why would you need a Depakote lawyer? If any of the situations described below sound like what happened to you, contact Weitz & Luxenberg for more information on your legal options.
Drug interactions: when two rights make a wrong
Often, people do not have one ailment at a time. The interaction of these ailments with one another is described as comorbidity. Managing more than one physical problem can be tricky, especially when it comes to drug interactions.
Not only can medication interact with a disease other than the one it is designed to treat—one example of this is how Depakote hurts patients who suffer from liver diseases and low blood platelets—but medications interact with one another. It is very important that your prescribing doctor know every medication you are taking, to prevent potentially fatal drug interactions.
If you were on any of these drugs and Depakote (or divalproex sodium, Depakote's generic name, or any valproic acid), your health was at risk, and you may have had mild to severe reactions (1):
- acyclovir (Zovirax)
- antidepressants like amitriptyline (Elavil) and nortriptyline (Pamelor)
- anticoagulants like warfarin (Coumadin)
- aspirin
- clonazepam (Klonopin)
- diazepam (Valium)
- medications for anxiety or mental illness
- other medications for seizures such as carbamazepine (Tegretol), ethosuximide (Zarontin), felbamate (Felbatol), lamotrigine (Lamictal), mephobarbital (Mebaral), phenobarbital, phenytoin (Dilantin), primidone (Mysoline), and topiramate (Topamax)
- meropenem (Merrem IV)
- rifampin (Rifadin)
- sedatives
- sleeping pills
- tolbutamide
- tranquilizers
- zidovudine (Retrovir)
Birth defects: when the side effects affect mother and child
Women who take Depakote are warned against becoming pregnant suddenly, because a person taking Depakote should not abruptly stop treatment, but taking Depakote during the first trimester of pregnancy is warned against by the FDA, and has been shown to increase the risk for spina bifida to 12 times the normal rate. (2)
An unplanned pregnancy can be very difficult for the mother and child, if the mother is on Depakote or another valproic acid during the first trimester. Depakote was approved by the EPA in 1983. If your mother took Depakote in the early stages of pregnancy and you developed a congenital disease such as spina bifida as a result, or if your child suffered birth defects due to the Depakote in your system, you may want to consider talking to a Depakote lawyer.
The list of side effects goes on and on. Do any sound familiar?
Liver damage. Memory loss. Suicidal thoughts. Mood swings. Dizziness. Insomnia. Damaged vision and hearing. Whatever side effects you suffered from your usage of Depakote, it was not your fault, and you do not have to pay for the medical treatment of the ailments you developed as a result of your Depakote usage.
If you would like to learn more about the benefits of working with a Depakote lawyer, contact Weitz & Luxenberg at 1-800-476-6070 or by filling out a form for a free legal consultation. Weitz & Luxenberg lawyers work on a contingency basis, which means that you do not pay if we do not secure a favorable verdict or settlement for you.
Acknowledgments:
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000677/
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20558369
- http://www.drugs.com/depakote.html
see also:
Depakote and Pregnancy
If you take Depakote, pregnancy can be perilousWhen taken during pregnancy, Depakote can cause birth defects including spina bifida. Visit Weitz & Luxenberg for more information.
Was Depakote Recalled?
Learn about the Depakote recall in 2006 and 2009, and other Depakote FDA newsthe FDA did not recall Depakote, but it did issue a warning to avoid taking it during pregnancy due to the risk of birth defects such as spina bifida.
Depakote
Have you or your child experienced Depakote side effects?Depakote is associated with several side effects. However, if you took Depakote while pregnant, you child could be at risk for birth defects.
