My 5 year old nephew takes depakote sprinkles twice a day for his epilepsy (monotherapy). He's been seizure free since late July after complex partial seizures at least once a week on trileptal (first seizure last November). He seems to tolerate the side effects Ok (he has mixed tone cerebral palsy with spastic quadrants, so it's hard to distinguish his CP from the depakote side effects).

Lately he's been gagging when he takes his medicine. He used to take it with dessert - in pudding, apple sauce or yogort. But he's refusing dessert these days, so my sister has to mix it in with other breakfast and dinner foods. Dipping pasta in tomato sauce into the sprinkles as he eats (he needs help with feeding) works Ok, and he was eating scrambled eggs for breakfast for awhile, but now he's refusing that too. Bottom line: the food isn't hiding the drug well enough, he can taste it and its become very hard to get him to take his medicine. He's generally a well behaved kid, so he's not just being bratty or defiant.

What are the alternatives to depakote sprinkles for kids? Is there a suspension, like with trileptal? Any other tips for helping the sprinkles go down?

I really didn't want to put him on depakote because of the horrible side effects, but it's working now and the side effects seem minimal, so of course we don't want to switch him again.

Thanks for the help.

Depakene is the liquid form, no idea on what it tastes like, I have heard it can be tough on the stomach. Might be worth asking about though.

Sorry the food is not hiding it enough! Any chance your sister can teach him to swallow the pills? Start with teeny things like mini M & Ms and work up to the sprinkle caps?

Sorry the food is not hiding it enough! Any chance your sister can teach him to swallow the pills? Start with teeny things like mini M & Ms and work up to the sprinkle caps?

My sister is going to ask their neuro about the liquid. I'd love to hear from folks who use it themselves or with their kids.

I was thinking about that too - teaching Nick to swallow the pills. Thanks for the suggestion about working up to the pills. We'll see....