Valproate
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Search complete. 57 mentions across 23 episodes found for "Valproate".
Sep 10, 2026
Concerned CitizenHOST
But one of the most infamous examples of Abbott's malfeasance, however, came in 2012.
Concerned CitizenHOST
In a case one federal prosecutor described as elder abuse, the company organized kickbacks to doctors in the form of rebates to prescribe a seizure medication called Depakote as an off-label treatment to control agitation and aggression in patients with elderly dementia and schizophrenia, treatments for which Abbott's own studies had deemed ineffective.
Concerned CitizenHOST
A whistleblower ultimately exposed the scheme.
speaker_34SOUNDBITE_SPEAKER
We found that Abbott illegally marketed Depakote for non-approved uses, including as an alternative to anti-psycho- psychotics to treat dementia patients in nursing homes, as you heard, uh, Tim mention and describe to you, uh, and for schizophrenia.
speaker_34SOUNDBITE_SPEAKER
We also found evidence that Abbott paid rebates to healthcare professionals and long-term care pharmacies for increasing the off-label use of Depakote.
Concerned CitizenHOST
Abbott's penalty for its unlawful promotion of Depakote, $1.6 billion, one of the largest pharmaceutical fraud settlements in American history, the headlines proclaimed, which certainly sounds momentous until you discover Abbott earned more than 13 billion in sales during the period covered by the illegal conduct.
Concerned CitizenHOST
It's just good business, honestly, admired by those among us with the most sociopathic tendencies.
Concerned CitizenHOST
There's a reason Abbott routinely finds itself in hot water as it relates to deceptive marketing, even if it seems low stakes, such as advertising nutritional shakes as doctor-recommended meal replacements for healthy adults when they're not.
FuHOST
somatoform postpartum psychosis now.
FuHOST
Everyone's going to get lithium again and Depakote.
FuHOST
We're going to go back to the 90s.
FuHOST
But that's just how it works in society.
NicoleGUEST
And she's like on the phone with the advice nurse and she was asking, what should I do? This is what she took.
NicoleGUEST
I took Depakote.
NicoleGUEST
That's what they had me on for like a mood stabilizer.
NicoleGUEST
The nurse said, you need to get her to the hospital now.
Syed Mustafa AlaviHOST
I remember one specific thing from our organization's psychiatrist.
Syed Mustafa AlaviHOST
We have a high amount of patients who have chart diagnoses of bipolar disorder and have maybe prior old prescriptions of Depakote, actually.
Syed Mustafa AlaviHOST
And I have it ingrained in my head, Depakote, Depa-don't.
Syed Mustafa AlaviHOST
So that is a medication that does need to be adjusted if someone is pregnant.
Kristina DakisGUEST
Thank you.
Peter HotezSOUNDBITE_SPEAKER
I'd say, Bobby, there are actually environmental exposures that interact with autism genes that we know about.
Peter HotezSOUNDBITE_SPEAKER
An example is Depakote or valproic acid.
Peter HotezSOUNDBITE_SPEAKER
So if you're pregnant and not aware of it on Depakote, that interacts with autism genes and increases the likelihood of your child to be born with an autism phenotype.
Peter HotezSOUNDBITE_SPEAKER
And I named four or five other ones just like that, and he had no interest.
Peter HotezSOUNDBITE_SPEAKER
Zero interest.
HalfbreedHOST
Using that as a way to get out of something is, um... is mind boggling to me because people have mental health issues and that's part of my problem is, um, like with the, that the, see, that's part of my problem with it is that, um, like with the medication and the mental health and shit, like, uh, Like, you know, it's like a, it's like a, it's, it's, okay, you know, we gotta be on these medications for minimum three months, right? So, you know, what we do as Americans, and this is part of why I don't believe they should show medication commercials for any medication drugs on TV, because we see it and it'll be like, oh, Abilify.
HalfbreedHOST
Depakote, Concerta, whatever the fucking pill is, and we see that, then what we do as Americans, oh, I have depression, and we self-diagnose ourselves, and then we go to a doctor and say, hey, I need this.
HalfbreedHOST
The doctor doesn't fucking do no health and tests and none of that shit because medication, in my opinion, should be the last resort.
HalfbreedHOST
You tried exercise.
Bhuren PatelGUEST
They might not have agreed with you or your community-based doctor might have not agreed with that specific medication.
Bhuren PatelGUEST
So when you come out of the hospital, this actually happened, where a doctor asked the patient what strength of Depakote they were on, and the person said 1,500, not even verifying that.
Bhuren PatelGUEST
So when the person came out with the prescription for 1,500 milligrams, the person had never been on that.
Bhuren PatelGUEST
When we call the doc at the hospital, they're like, oh, well, this is what the patient said.
Peter AttiaHOST
Is that GABA related? What do we think is the pathway there?
Brian GrosbergGUEST
I think it depends on the anti-seizure medications, too, that are FDA approved or topiramate, which is known as Topamax, and valproic acid, known as Depakote.
Brian GrosbergGUEST
These medications have Different mechanisms of action.
Brian GrosbergGUEST
So for topiramate or Topamax, that can work on particular channels, which is what you spoke about early on, but also has effects on glutamate and GABA.
Brian GrosbergGUEST
Yeah.
Brian GrosbergGUEST
That can be very effective for people, but it does have, like every other medication, potential side effects.
Brian GrosbergGUEST
And then valproic acid or Depakote once again can have effects on GABA as well.
Brian GrosbergGUEST
That medication also may be helpful but also has potential side effects.
Natalie BoehmGUEST
And I find because of the complexity of our healthcare system, a lot of people, both people with epilepsy and caregivers, Really don't know where to start.
Natalie BoehmGUEST
I had a woman call me from Buffalo, New York, where I grew up, and her daughter was having difficulty with seizures and was on Depakote, which is...
Natalie BoehmGUEST
I was on it, and it was a horrible experience.
Natalie BoehmGUEST
It causes a lot of weight gain.
speaker_6SOUNDBITE_SPEAKER
Okay.
speaker_6SOUNDBITE_SPEAKER
Valproic acid, V-A-L-P-R-O-I-C.
speaker_6SOUNDBITE_SPEAKER
Acid, also known as valproate, V-A-L-P-R-O-A-T-E.
speaker_6SOUNDBITE_SPEAKER
And did I mention lithium? That's not a hard one.
speaker_6SOUNDBITE_SPEAKER
We know how to spell lithium.
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