Treatment of Mania with Depakote

Introduction to Depakote Dosage

• The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends a starting dose of Depakote (divalproex sodium) for treating mania of 125 mg twice daily, which should be titrated to achieve therapeutic blood levels of 40-90 mcg/mL 1
• The approach to dosing Depakote depends on the urgency of achieving therapeutic levels, with a target therapeutic blood level of 40-90 mcg/mL 1

Monitoring Requirements

• When initiating Depakote, monitoring is essential, including baseline liver function tests, complete blood count with platelets, prothrombin time and partial thromboplastin time, pregnancy test in women of childbearing potential, and serum valproate levels (target: 40-90 mcg/mL) 1

Important Considerations

• Regular monitoring of serum levels is essential to ensure therapeutic levels are achieved, as part of the treatment protocol for mania with Depakote 1