Experiences with
Sodium valproate

About sodium valproate

Sodium valproate is used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder.

It's occasionally used to prevent migraine headaches.

This medicine is only available on prescription. It comes as capsules, tablets and a liquid that you swallow. It also comes as granules that you mix with food or drink.

Sodium valproate can also be given by injection, but this is usually only done in hospital.

It's not recommended for girls or women who may become pregnant. Your doctor will put you on Prevent, the valproate pregnancy prevention programme.

NHS coronavirus advice

While everyone is staying at home as much as possible, it can be hard to know what to do if you need medical help.

If you are taking sodium valproate, get advice now if you think you are pregnant or might become pregnant. The valproate pregnancy prevention programme is important and is still running.

Your doctor or nurse will talk to you on a video call or phone call. They can also arrange safe visits to see you, if you need them to.

If you usually have an annual review with your specialist, this can also be done as a video or phone call. Do not delay this important appointment.

Updated: 26 May 2020

Key facts

It's usual to take sodium valproate once or twice a day. You can take it with or without food.
If you're pregnant, or there's a chance you could become pregnant, your doctor will only prescribe sodium valproate if there are no other suitable treatments.
You'll usually start on a low dose. Your dose will gradually increase over a few days or weeks.
Valproic acid and semisodium valproate are similar to sodium valproate and work in the same way. However these medicines are used to treat different illnesses and doses will vary.

Who can and cannot take sodium valproate

Sodium valproate can be taken by adults and children to treat epilepsy or bipolar disorder.

It can be taken by adults (aged 18 and above) to prevent migraine.

Sodium valproate is not suitable for some people:

women who could become pregnant – unless they're on Prevent, the valproate pregnancy prevention programme
younger women or girls who are having sex (even if their periods have not started) – unless they're on Prevent, the valproate pregnancy prevention programme

If you're pregnant, do not take sodium valproate to treat bipolar disorder or to prevent migraines. This is because sodium valproate can seriously harm an unborn child.

For treating epilepsy during pregnancy, your doctor will only prescribe sodium valproate for you if no other treatments work.

To make sure sodium valproate is safe for you, tell your doctor if you:

have ever had an allergic reaction to sodium valproate or other medicines in the past
have liver problems
have a rare metabolic or genetic illness such as porphyria, urea cycle disorder or mitochondrial disorder
are pregnant or trying to get pregnant

How and when to take it

Sodium valproate is a prescription medicine. It's important to take it as advised by your doctor.

Dosage

The usual dose for treating:

epilepsy in adults and older children (aged 12 years and over): 600mg to 2,000mg a day, taken as either 1 or 2 doses. Some people may take a higher dose of 2,500mg a day.
epilepsy in younger children (aged 1 month to 11 years) – doses vary. The doctor will use your child's weight to work out the right amount of medicine to give them.
bipolar disorder in adults 750mg to 2,000mg a day, taken either as a 1 or 2 doses.
bipolar disorder in children – the doctor will work out the right dose for your child.
migraine in adults – daily doses vary from a single dose of 400mg to 1,500mg split into 2 doses.

If your doctor tells you to take sodium valproate twice a day, you'll usually take half in the morning and half in the evening (to make up your full daily dose).

If you're taking sodium valproate and also have kidney problems, your doctor may prescribe a lower dose.

How and when take it

With "prolonged release" (or "sustained release") sodium valproate, the medicine is released gradually into your body.

With "gastro resistant" tablets, the medicine is released as soon as it passes through your stomach. This means the sodium valproate gets into your body more quickly.

You can take sodium valproate with or without food, but it's best to do the same each time.

Prolonged release tablets and capsules – swallow these whole with a drink of water or juice. Do not chew them. You'll usually take these once a day – unless you're on a high dose and your doctor tells you to take your medicine twice a day.

Prolonged release granules – add the granules to a small drink, then stir and swallow. If your prefer, sprinkle the granules onto any soft food that you can swallow whole. Do not chew the granules. Your doctor will tell you to take these either once or twice a day.

Gastro resistant tablets – swallow these whole with a drink of water or juice. Do not chew them. You'll usually take these twice a day.

Crushable tablets – crush these using the back of a spoon and mix the powder with some soft food that you can swallow whole. If you prefer, add the powder to a small drink, then stir and swallow. You'll usually take this medicine twice a day.

Liquid – use the plastic syringe or spoon that comes with your medicine to measure the correct dose. If you do not have one, ask your pharmacist. Do not use a kitchen teaspoon as you will not get the right amount. You'll usually take the liquid twice a day.

If you're taking sodium valproate once a day, you can choose a time that suits you. Just try to keep to the same time every day.

If you're taking sodium valproate twice a day, try to leave a gap of 10 to 12 hours between doses. For example you could take your first dose in the morning (between 7am and 8am) and a second dose in the evening (between 7pm and 8pm).

Will my dose go up or down?

To prevent the chance of side effects, your doctor will start you off on a low dose of sodium valproate. They will increase it gradually over a few days or weeks.

Once you find a dose that suits you, it will usually stay the same – unless your condition changes, or your doctor starts you on a new medicine that may interfere with sodium valproate.

What if I forget to take it?

If you've missed a dose, what you do next depends on whether you usually take your medicine once or twice a day.

If you take sodium valproate:

once a day – take the forgotten dose as soon as you remember unless it's within a few hours of the next dose. In this case, skip the missed dose and take your next dose as normal.
twice a day – take the forgotten dose as soon as you remember unless it's within 2 hours of the next dose,. In this case, skip the missed dose and take your next dose as normal.

Never take 2 doses at the same time. Never take an extra dose to make up for a forgotten one.

If you have epilepsy, it's important to take this medicine regularly. Missing doses can trigger a seizure.

If you forget doses often, it may help to set an alarm to remind you. You could also ask your pharmacist for advice on other ways to help you remember to take your medicine.

What if I take too much?

Taking too much sodium valproate can lead to symptoms such as:

feeling or being sick (nausea or vomiting)
headaches, or feeling dizzy
muscle weakness
breathing problems
feeling confused, or changes to your normal behaviour
passing out

Side effects

Like all medicines, sodium valproate can cause side effects, although not everyone gets them.

Common side effects

These common side effects may happen in more than 1 in 100 people. They're usually mild and go away by themselves.

Keep taking the medicine but talk to your doctor if these side effects bother you or do not go away:

stomach pain, feeling or being sick (nausea or vomiting)
diarrhoea
dry or sore mouth, or swollen gums
shakes (tremors) in a part of your body, or unusual eye movements
feeling tired or sleepy
headache
weight gain
thinning hair, or changes to the colour or texture of your hair
irregular or delayed periods

Serious side effects

It's unusual to have serious side effects after taking sodium valproate. Tell a doctor straight away if you have:

thoughts of harming or killing yourself – a small number of people taking sodium valproate have had suicidal thoughts
yellowing of your skin or whites of your eyes – these may be warning signs of liver problems
long-lasting and severe nausea, vomiting or stomach pain – these may be warning signs of an inflamed pancreas
unusual bruises or bleeding – these may be warning signs of a blood disorder

Serious allergic reaction

In rare cases, sodium valproate may cause a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis).

These are not all the side effects of sodium valproate. For a full list, see the leaflet inside your medicine packet.

How to cope with side effects

What to do about:

stomach pain, feeling or being sick (nausea or vomiting) – take sodium valproate with or after a meal or snack. It may also help if you do not eat rich or spicy food.
diarrhoea – have small but frequent sips of water. Speak to a pharmacist if you have signs of dehydration, such as peeing less than usual or having dark, strong-smelling pee. Do not take any other medicines to treat diarrhoea without speaking to a pharmacist or doctor.
dry or sore mouth, or swollen gums – for a dry mouth try sugar-free gum or sweets, or sipping cold drinks. If this does not help, or you have mouth ulcers, talk to your pharmacist or doctor. If you're bothered by swollen gums or this symptom does not go away, talk to your doctor or dentist.
shakes (tremors) in a part of your body, or unusual eye movements – talk to your doctor if this is bothering you. These symptoms can be a sign that the dose is too high for you. It may help to change your dose or take your medicine at a different time of day.
feeling tired or sleepy – as your body gets used to sodium valproate, these side effects should wear off. If these symptoms do not get better within a week or two, your doctor may either reduce your dose or increase it more slowly. If that does not work you may need to switch to a different medicine.
headaches – make sure you rest and drink plenty of fluids. Do not drink too much alcohol. Ask your pharmacist to recommend a painkiller. Talk to your doctor if your headaches last longer than a week or are severe.
weight gain – if you find you're putting on weight after taking sodium valproate, try to have a healthy balanced diet. Regular exercise will also help you keep your weight stable. Your doctor will usually monitor your weight while you're taking this medicine. Speak to them if you have any concerns.
thinning hair, or changes to the colour or texture of your hair – if these symptoms bother you, ask your doctor whether it's possible to lower your dose. Your hair may regrow after either reducing your dose or switching to a different medicine.
irregular or delayed periods – if you usually have regular periods, tell your doctor straight away if your period is late. As well as being a side effect of sodium valproate, it's a sign that you could be pregnant – and valproic acid can be harmful for an unborn baby. Changes to your periods can also be a symptom of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a rare side effect of valproic acid. Your doctor will be able to do some tests to check whether you have PCOS.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Sodium valproate is generally not recommended in pregnancy, as it can harm your unborn baby.

If there's a chance you could become pregnant while taking this medicine, your doctor will put you on Prevent, the valproate pregnancy prevention programme.

If you think you might already be pregnant, contact your doctor or nurse as soon as possible.

If you're taking sodium valproate for epilepsy and you become pregnant, do not stop taking your medicine without talking to your doctor first. This is because your symptoms or seizures may get worse.

Your doctor may continue to prescribe sodium valproate, but only if there's no other suitable treatment for your epilepsy.

For more information about how sodium valproate can affect you and your baby during pregnancy, read this leaflet on the Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy (BUMPS) website.

Sodium valproate and breastfeeding

Small amounts of sodium valproate pass into your breast milk. As the amount is so small it's unlikely to harm your baby, unless your baby was born premature or has kidney problems.

Talk to your doctor about the benefits and risks of taking sodium valproate while breastfeeding. They may still recommend sodium valproate if it's the only medicine that works for you.

Cautions with other medicines

There are some medicines that may interfere with how sodium valproate works. Sodium valproate can also affect the way other medicines work.

Tell your doctor if you're taking (or before you start taking):

any other medicines for epilepsy such as carbamazepine
medicines for thinning the blood such as warfarin
aspirin for pain relief or low-dose aspirin
cimetidine, a medicine for stomach ulcers
medicines to treat HIV and AIDS such as ritonavir
antibiotics such as erythromycin
medicines for depression or other mental health problems such as venlafaxine, quetiapine or diazepam
cholesterol-lowering medicines such as cholestyramine
medicines to prevent malaria such as mefloquine or chloroquine