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You need to see your doctor 6 to 12 months before you would like to become pregnant so that you can reduce any risks to your baby. Read more about medicines for epilepsy, mental health and pain can harm your unborn baby.

Like all medicines, Epilim can cause side effects; often side effects improve with time as your body gets used to the new medicine. Epilim interacts with some other medications and herbal supplements, so check with your doctor or pharmacist before starting Epilim or before starting any new medicines.

Do not take indigestion medication antacids within 2 hours of taking Epilim. The content on this page will be of most use to clinicians, such as nurses, doctors, pharmacists, specialists and other healthcare providers. Looking for Where to get medical help A health professional or service Patient portals Newsletters View all. Information for healthcare providers on sodium valproate The content on this page will be of most use to clinicians, such as nurses, doctors, pharmacists, specialists and other healthcare providers.

Belongs to a group of medicines known as a nti-epileptic medicines to prevent seizures. Measure the right amount using an oral syringe or medicine spoon.

You can get these from your pharmacy. Valproic acid is in a class of medications called anticonvulsants. It works by increasing the amount of a certain natural substance in the brain. Valproic acid comes as a capsule, an extended-release long-acting tablet, a delayed-release releases the medication in the intestine to prevent damage to the stomach tablet, a sprinkle capsule capsule that contains small beads of medication that can be sprinkled on food , and a syrup liquid to take by mouth.

The syrup, capsules, delayed-release tablets, and sprinkle capsules are usually taken two or more times daily. The extended-release tablets are usually taken once a day. Take valproic acid at around the same time s every day. Take valproic acid with food to help prevent the medication from upsetting your stomach. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand.

Take valproic acid exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor. Swallow the regular capsules, delayed-release capsule, and extended-release tablets whole; do not split, chew, or crush them. You can swallow the sprinkle capsules whole, or you can open the capsules and sprinkle the beads they contain on a teaspoonful of soft food, such as applesauce or pudding.

Swallow the mixture of food and medication beads right after you prepare it. Be careful not to chew the beads. Do not store unused mixtures of food and medication. Divalproex sodium, valproate sodium, and valproic acid products are absorbed by the body in different ways and cannot be substituted for one another. If you need to switch from one product to another, your doctor may need to adjust your dose.

Each time you receive your medication, check to be sure that you have received the product that was prescribed for you. Ask your pharmacist if you are not sure that you received the right medication. Valproic acid may help to control your condition but will not cure it. Continue to take valproic acid even if you feel well. Do not stop taking valproic acid without talking to your doctor, even if you experience side effects such as unusual changes in behavior or mood or if you find out that you are pregnant.

If you suddenly stop taking valproic acid, you may experience a severe, long-lasting and possibly life-threatening seizure. Your doctor will probably decrease your dose gradually. Valproic acid is also sometimes used to treat outbursts of aggression in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD; more difficulty focusing or remaining still or quiet than other people who are the same age.

Talk to your doctor about the possible risks of using this medication for your condition. This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. Take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one. Valproic acid may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.

Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it at room temperature, away from excess heat and moisture not in the bathroom. Unneeded medications should be disposed of in special ways to ensure that pets, children, and other people cannot consume them.

However, you should not flush this medication down the toilet. Instead, the best way to dispose of your medication is through a medicine take-back program. Long-term treatment with sodium valproate can cause osteoporosis and osteopenia increasing your risk of breaking a bone. Your doctor can arrange for tests to check the strength of your bones. Regular exercise and a good diet can also help to keep your bones strong.

If you have epilepsy, you're entitled to free prescriptions for all of your medicines not just your epilepsy ones. To claim your free prescriptions you'll need a medical exemption certificate.

The application form for the medical exemption certificate is called FP92A. You can get this from your doctor's surgery. You will need to fill in the form, then your doctor will sign it and send it off.

Valproic acid and semisodium valproate are very similar to sodium valproate. They work in the same way but these medicines are sometimes given at different doses for different conditions. If you decide to try valproic acid or semisodium valproate instead, your doctor will explain how to come off sodium valproate safely.

There are many different medicines for treating epilepsy. It's not possible to say that one works better than the others. It varies from person to person and depends on the type of seizures and how often you have them. Before prescribing a medicine, your doctor will also take into account your age and sex, the medicines you're already taking and any other health problems you have. It's usual to try to treat epilepsy using a single medicine.

If this medicine is not working well, or you're getting side effects, your doctor will try you on a different one. If a single medicine is not preventing your seizures, then your doctor may recommend taking 2 or more anti-epileptic medicines at the same time.

Sodium valproate works for several different types of epilepsy. If it's giving you side effects, or you're worried it is not suitable for you, ask your doctor or specialist to recommend a different medicine. For many people topiramate , propranolol and amitriptyline work better than sodium valproate at preventing migraines.

These medicines are likely to cause fewer side effects, so your doctor or specialist will usually prescribe one of these first. Sodium valproate is not used as often for preventing migraine. However, your doctor may recommend it if these other medicines are causing side effects or are not working for you.

Your doctor may also prescribe sodium valproate if you have a health problem that means you cannot take other migraine medicines. If you have bipolar disorder, there are several types of medicine to prevent mood swings and treat mania. It's not possible to say that one works better than another and it varies from person to person. Lithium is commonly used for bipolar disorder, as well as anti-epileptic medicines like sodium valproate and antipsychotic medicines like olanzapine.

You can take sodium valproate instead of lithium, or together with lithium, depending on what your doctor recommends. Your doctor or specialist will find the medicines that work best for you. It depends on your mood swings, how often they happen, how severe they are and how well you cope with a medicine. Once you're on a dose of sodium valproate that suits you, you're likely to keep taking the same type or brand.

This is because it can be a problem to swap from modified release to gastro-resistant tablets. Some people may change brands to try a different type of sodium valproate. For example they may want to try the granules instead of the tablets. If you need to change brand your doctor or pharmacist will explain how to do so safely.

However, if your epilepsy has been difficult to control in the past and the brand you're taking is working well for you, your doctor may recommend staying on the same one. Do not stop taking sodium valproate suddenly, unless your doctor tells you to.

You're unlikely to get any extra symptoms when you stop taking this medicine. However, if you're taking sodium valproate for epilepsy, it's possible that you'll get seizures again once you stop taking it. You can prevent these withdrawal seizures by reducing your dose of sodium valproate gradually.

If you're taking it for bipolar disorder or to prevent migraine, your condition could get worse for a short time after you stop taking the medicine. If you use recreational drugs alongside sodium valproate, you may be more likely to have side effects like panic attacks, anxiety and memory loss.

Drinking alcohol while taking sodium valproate may make you feel sleepy or tired. It's best to stop drinking alcohol during the first few days, until you see how the medicine affects you. Sodium valproate can reduce fertility in both men and women. Once you stop taking this medicine, your fertility will return.

In men sodium valproate has been reported to cause infertility. However, this is rare. In women it can change your menstrual cycle, causing delayed or missed periods.

Sodium valproate has also been reported to cause polycystic ovary syndrome PCOS , though this happens rarely. Talk to your doctor if you're concerned about how sodium valproate may affect your fertility.

Sodium valproate is not recommended if there's a chance you could become pregnant. If you're taking sodium valproate and want to start a family, it's important to talk your doctor as soon as possible. This is because taking sodium valproate while pregnant can harm your baby.

Sodium valproate does not affect any type of contraception, including the combined pill and emergency contraception. If there's a chance you could become pregnant while taking sodium valproate you must use contraception. Your doctor will put you on Prevent, the valproate pregnancy prevention programme. Speak to a pharmacist or your doctor if you have any questions about this programme.

You may feel sleepy, tired or dizzy when you first start taking sodium valproate. This may also happen if your dose has increased. If you're affected, do not drive or ride a bike until you feel more alert. If you have epilepsy, you're not allowed to drive until you've had no seizures for 1 year or only have seizures while you're asleep. If you change your epilepsy medicine, your doctor will tell you whether you need to stop driving and for how long.

Driving rules if you change or withdraw your medicine, Epilepsy Action. Epilepsy and driving information, GOV. Page last reviewed: 24 August Next review due: 24 August Sodium valproate - Brand names: Dyzantil, Epilim, Episenta, Epival On this page About sodium valproate Key facts Who can and cannot take sodium valproate How and when to take sodium valproate Side effects How to cope with side effects of sodium valproate Pregnancy and breastfeeding Cautions with other medicines Common questions about sodium valproate.

About sodium valproate Sodium valproate is used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder. Important: Valproate pregnancy prevention programme The valproate pregnancy prevention programme is very important and is still running during the coronavirus COVID pandemic.

Updated: 24 August Help us improve our website Can you answer a quick question about your visit today? You'll usually take sodium valproate once or twice a day. You can take it with or without food. 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 conditions and doses will vary. There are also brands such as Epilim Chrono, Epilim Chronosphere and Dyzantil which contain mostly sodium valproate, with some valproic acid. If you're pregnant, or there's a chance you could become pregnant, sodium valproate is not recommended for treating migraine.

For epilepsy and bipolar disorder, your doctor will only prescribe sodium valproate for you if there are no other suitable treatments. To make sure sodium valproate is safe for you, tell your doctor if you: have ever had an allergic reaction to sodium valproate or any other medicine have liver problems have a rare metabolic or genetic illness such as porphyria, urea cycle disorder or mitochondrial disorder.

Dosage The usual dose for treating epilepsy in: adults and older children aged 12 years and over — mg to 2,mg a day, as 1 dose or split into 2 doses. Some people take a higher dose of 2,mg a day younger children aged 1 month to 11 years — the doctor will use your child's weight to work out the right dose for them The usual dose for treating bipolar disorder in: adults — mg to 2,mg a day, as 1 dose or split into 2 doses children — the doctor will work out the right dose for your child The usual dose for preventing migraine in: adults — daily doses vary from a single dose of mg to 1,mg split into 2 doses If your doctor tells you to take sodium valproate twice a day, you'll usually take half the dose in the morning and half in the evening to make up your full daily dose.

How to take it Sodium valproate comes as slow release prolonged or sustained release tablets, capsules and granules, gastro-resistant tablets, crushable tablets, and as a liquid. Slow release medicine passes into your body gradually.