Side Effects Of Sodium Valproate

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

Common side effects of sodium valproate

These common side effects of sodium valproate may happen in more than 1 in 100 people. They're usually mild and go away by themselves. There are things you can do to help cope with them:

Keep taking the medicine but talk to your doctor or a pharmacist if the advice on how to cope does not help and a side effect is still bothering you or does not go away.

Serious side effects

It's unusual to have serious side effects when taking sodium valproate.

Call a doctor or call 111 straight away if you have:

• yellowing of the whites of your eyes, or your skin, although this may be less obvious on brown or black skin, and dark pee - these may be signs of liver problems
• severe nausea, vomiting or stomach pain - these may be signs of acute pancreatitis (an inflamed pancreas)
• unusual bruises or bleeding - these may be signs of a blood disorder
• shakes (tremors) in a part of your body, or unusual eye movements

Call 999 or go to A&E if:

Serious allergic reaction

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

Call 999 now if:

• your lips, mouth, throat or tongue suddenly become swollen
• you're breathing very fast or struggling to breathe (you may become very wheezy or feel like you're choking or gasping for air)
• your throat feels tight or you're struggling to swallow
• your skin, tongue or lips turn blue, grey or pale (if you have black or brown skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet)
• you suddenly become very confused, drowsy or dizzy
• someone faints and cannot be woken up
• a child is limp, floppy or not responding like they normally do (their head may fall to the side, backwards or forwards, or they may find it difficult to lift their head or focus on your face)

You or the person who's unwell may also have a rash that's swollen, raised, itchy, blistered or peeling.

These can be signs of a serious allergic reaction and may need immediate treatment in hospital.

Long-term side effects

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 healthy diet can also help to keep your bones strong.

Other side effects

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

Reporting side effects

You can report any suspected side effect using the Yellow Card safety scheme.

Visit the Yellow Card website for more information about reporting side effects.

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