Package | Price | price p. pack | Qty | Order |
---|---|---|---|---|
100 tabs / pack 500 mg x 1 pack | $132.96 | $132.96 | Add to Cart | |
100 tabs / pack 500 mg x 2 packs | $251.11 | $125.56 | Add to Cart | |
100 tabs / pack 500 mg x 3 packs | $369.26 | $123.09 | Add to Cart |
Why is this medication prescribed?
Valproic acid is used alone or with other medications to treat certain types of seizures. Valproic acid is also used to treat mania (episodes of frenzied, abnormally excited mood) in people with bipolar disorder (manic-depressive disorder; a disease that causes episodes of depression, episodes of mania, and other abnormal moods). It is also used to prevent migraine headaches but not to relieve headaches that have already begun. Valproic acid is in a class of medications called anticonvulsants. It works by increasing the amount of a certain natural substance in the brain.
How should this medicine be used?
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.
Do not mix the syrup into any carbonated drink.
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.
Your doctor may start you on a low dose of valproic acid and gradually increase your dose.
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.