Q I was being treated for anxiety with deepakote 500, palaris and buspin for over a year which i am still taking...now i get it less often plus i am into fitness these days...take a brisk walk of 45 mntes everyday.I have got married recenlt 6 months back and want to get pregnant in a couple of months...i hope this wont effect me and cause any trouble during pregnancy.I am 38 years,55 and 85 kgs.Also with every year my weight is increasing...i am worried...please advise!!
As far as pregnancy is concerned, Depakote is a medication which you have to be very careful about continuing, especially during the first 3 months of pregnancy. In fact, many times, it is stopped / changed to some other medication because Depakote is known to increase the risk of certain birth defects in the baby. So, if you are planning to get pregnant, I would strongly advice you to discuss this with your Psychiatrist. The second issue about your weight... I feel that 85kgs for a height of 55 is excessive - your BMI works out to about 31, which is indicative of obesity. Now, I am happy that you are engaging in physical exercise and I would advise you to continue the same, along with dietary modifications as well. Also, one another side effect of Depakote as well as Paliperidone is weight gain. So, discuss this issue also with your doctor. In addition, I would also advise you to keep a check on your metabolic parameters such as blood glucose and lipid profile.