A patient taking Depakote (valproic acid, Abbott) can be switched to an equivalent oral dose of Depakote ER (extended release), which allows once a day dosing. This makes taking the drug more convenient and may increase compliance.
Information required:
(1) daily oral dose of Depakote
(2) available formulations of Depakote (125, 250 and 500 mg)
(3) available formulations of Depakote ER (250 and 500 mg)
Guidance for determining the equivalent dose of Depakote ER:
(1) Select a dose 8-20% higher than current Depakote daily dose (1.08 to 1.20 times).
(2) Select a dose from the following table.
Current Total Daily Dose Depakote in mg |
Dose of Depakote ER in mg |
500, 625 |
750 |
750, 875 |
1000 |
1000, 1125 |
1250 |
1250, 1375 |
1500 |
1500, 1625 |
1750 |
1750 |
2000 |
1875, 2000 |
2250 |
2125, 2250 |
2500 |
2375 |
2750 |
2500, 2625, 2750 |
3000 |
2875 |
3250 |
3000, 3125 |
3500 |
Specialty: Pharmacology, clinical
ICD-10: ,