looks like this is about PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). I have done some reading on this in the past... precisely because of taking Depakote. I had not found anything conclusive yet and am within a lot of the safety areas... low-end normal blood sugar always, weight/BMI within norm, no weight gain induced by drug (i can gain or lose depends on how much i eat and whether i take other drugs like... Zyprexa), normal menstrual cycles - except when ill, but that was always the case, since puberty: any illness or heavy stressor could throw off a single cycle... and i was not on divalproex sodium for a very large most of that time............
.......................... i still haven't "finished" reading, which for me includes drilling down into the abstracts that are referenced....

i really appreciate all this info... it may still be a "controversy" but at least someone is following up on it. and some interesting data that does indict Depakote as a possible pathogen, irrespective of the illnesses it is used to treat. you have no idea how much stuff i ran into linking epilepsy and PCOS, but all correlations and very little that isolated Depakote v.s. no Depakote... and even less on bipolar.

even tho i don't have any real symptoms so am most likely safe, i might consider some hormone level checks at this point when i do my labs.

anyway, i *really* appreciate these links, Mrs D.



~ waves ~ relieved to be on post 667