What are the side effects of sodium valproate?
Common side effects
- stomach pain, feeling or being sick.
- 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.
What is valproic acid toxicity?
Most cases of VPA overdose are benign, but serious toxicity, including death, may occur after acute VPA ingestion. VPA is an 8-carbon 2-chain fatty acid used mainly for the primary and adjuvant control of simple and complex partial seizures, absence seizures, generalized tonic-clonic seizures, and myoclonic epilepsy.
How does Lamictal work on the brain for bipolar?
How does lamotrigine work? While the exact mechanism of action is not entirely understood, lamotrigine delays the time between mood changes and manic or depressive states in people with bipolar disorder by decreasing the intensity of irregular electrical activity in the brain.
What is the mode of action of sodium valproate?
Sodium valproate has a broad spectrum of anticonvulsant activity, but is structurally unrelated to conventional antiepileptic drugs. Its proposed mode of action is mediated through effects on the function of brain gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA).
What is the problem with valproate?
Research has shown that sodium valproate can cause serious problems in a developing baby. Of babies whose mothers take sodium valproate during pregnancy, up to 1 in 10 (10%) are at risk of having a birth defect, and up to 4 in 10 children (up to 40%) have problems with development and learning as they grow.
How much is too much valproic acid?
Adults—At first, 250 milligrams (mg) 2 times a day. Your doctor may increase your dose as needed. However, the dose is usually not more than 1000 mg a day.
Does valproate cause liver damage?
Valproic acid may cause serious or life-threatening damage to the liver that is most likely to occur within the first 6 months of therapy.
Does Lamictal make you feel happy?
Lamotrigine is a type of medicine called a ‘mood stabiliser’ as it can reduce feelings of excitability and over-activity and reduce mood swings. It tends to work better on the low mood (depression) part of bipolar disorder.
Does lamotrigine help with anger?
These 2 studies showed that lamotrigine is tolerated relatively well and seems to be a safe and effective agent in the treatment of anger in women with borderline personality disorder even in the long-term treatment of aggression.
What is the most common side effect of the valproate family of drugs?
The most commonly reported side effects at the start of therapy include nausea, vomiting, and indigestion; these effects are usually transient. Sedative effects occur most often in patients receiving combination therapy.
How long can you take sodium valproate?
Your doctor will advise you how long you’ll need to stay on valproate, as it depends on what you are taking it for. If you are taking it to prevent the symptoms of mania from coming back, it might be about six months. If you stop taking the valproate too soon, there is more chance that your symptoms will come back.