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
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