Valproic acid
Valproic acid is used in the management of:
Mechanism of action
Adverse effects
- epilepsy: particularly absence and tonic-clonic seizures
- bipolar disorder
Mechanism of action
- not fully understood but thought to enhance neurotransmission of GABA (by inhibiting GABA transaminase)
Adverse effects
- gastrointestinal: nausea
- increased appetite and weight gain
- alopecia: regrowth may be curly
- ataxia
- tremor
- hepatitis
- pancreatitis
- thromobcytopaenia
- teratogenic
