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Valproat seminatrium för bipolär sjukdom

Belvo, Depakote, Syonell

Granskad av Sid DajaniSenast uppdaterad av Michael Stewart, MRPharmSSenast uppdaterad 10 Jan 2024

Uppfyller patientens redaktionella riktlinjer

Clinical Author's Note MichaelStewart 24/01/2024: Further to the safety precautions in place for women of child-bearing age taking valproate medicines, the MHRA has issued new guidance for men wishing to father children. A new study has identified a possible risk to babies born to men who had taken valproate medicines in the three months before conception. As a precaution, male patients who are planning a family within the next year should discuss treatment options with their doctor.

Clinical Author's Note Michael Stewart 03/04/2018: valproate medicines must not be taken during pregnancy unless there is no suitable alternative. The MHRA and the European Medicines Agency have announced strengthened measures to further reduce the risk of exposure to valproate drugs during pregnancy. Any woman or girl of child-bearing potential who needs a valproate medicine must be enrolled on a pregnancy prevention programme. This will involve counselling on potential risks as well as ongoing pregnancy testing during treatment. Click on the link above for more information and speak with your doctor if you have any concerns.

Swallow the tablets with a drink of water. Do not chew or crush the tablets.

Take the tablets after a meal or a snack.

Each time you collect a new supply of tablets, make sure that they look the same as you have had before.

Överblick

  • Valproate semisodium is a medicine used to treat mania in adults with bipolar disorder.

  • It is a mood stabiliser that helps control episodes of mania.

  • Take tablets whole with food, usually two or three times a day.

  • Drick inte alkohol medan du tar denna medicin.

  • Valproate semisodium is not usually prescribed to women who can get pregnant due to risks to an unborn child.

  • Tell your doctor straightaway if you have mood changes or thoughts about suicide.

  • Seek urgent medical help if you experience signs of liver problems or unusual bleeding.

Denna sammanfattning har automatiskt genererats från artikelns innehåll för att hjälpa läsarna att snabbt förstå huvudpunkterna.

About valproate semisodium

Typ av medicin

An antiepileptic medicine

Används för

Treatment of mania associated with bipolar disorder (in adults)

Även kallad

Divalproex sodium (in US); Belvo®; Depakote®; Syonell®

Tillgänglig som

Tabletter

Bipolar disorder is a long-term condition where you have lows (periods of depression) and highs (periods of mania or hypomania).

Valproate semisodium is prescribed as a mood stabiliser in bipolar disorder. It is a mixture of two similar ingredients - valproic acid and sodium valproate. It will have been given to you to help keep your mood within normal limits by helping to control the episodes of mania.

Valproate semisodium can also be prescribed to help prevent migraines. If you have been given it for this reason, speak with your doctor if you have any questions about your treatment, as there is no information in the leaflet about this.

There is also a medicine with a similar name but which is used to treat a different condition. See the separate medicine leaflet called Sodium valproate for epilepsy for more information about this.

Before taking valproate semisodium

Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine may only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you start taking valproate semisodium it is important that your doctor knows:

  • Om du är gravid, försöker bli gravid eller ammar.

  • If you or a close member of your family have liver problems.

  • Om du har några problem med hur dina njurar fungerar.

  • If you have an inflammatory condition called systemic lupus erythematosus (also called lupus, or SLE).

  • Om du har en sällsynt ärftlig blodsjukdom som kallas porfyri.

  • Om du tar några andra läkemedel. Detta inkluderar alla läkemedel du tar som finns att köpa utan recept, samt växtbaserade och komplementära läkemedel.

  • Om du någonsin har haft en allergisk reaktion mot en medicin.

How to take valproate semisodium

  • Before you start the treatment, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside the pack. It will give you more information about the tablets and it will provide you with a full list of the side-effects which you may experience from taking them.

  • Take valproate semisodium exactly as your doctor tells you to. Your dose will be printed on the label of the pack to remind you about what the doctor said. It is usual to be prescribed two or three doses to take each day.

  • Valproate semisodium should be taken with food, so take your doses with a snack or just after you have had a meal. Swallow the tablets whole with a drink of water. Do not chew or crush the tablets because they have a special protective coating.

  • Try to get into a habit of taking the tablets at the same times each day. This will help you avoid missing any doses.

  • If you forget to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember unless it is nearly time for your next dose, in which case leave out the missed dose. Do not take two doses together to make up for a forgotten dose.

Få ut det mesta av din behandling

  • Try to keep your regular appointments with your doctor. This is so your doctor can check on your progress. You will need to have some blood tests from time to time, particularly during the first few months of treatment.

  • Each time you collect a new supply of medicine from your pharmacy, make sure that the tablets look to be the same as you have had before. If they are different, please discuss this with your pharmacist who will advise you.

  • While you are taking valproate semisodium, there is a small risk that you may develop mood changes, distressing thoughts and feelings about suicide. If this happens, you must tell your doctor about it straightaway.

  • Your doctor is likely to recommend that you do not drink alcohol while you are on valproate semisodium.

  • This medicine will not normally be prescribed for you if you are a woman who could become pregnant. This is because valproate semisodium can cause harm to an unborn child.

  • If you buy any medicines, always check with a pharmacist that they are suitable to take with your other medicines. Medicines which contain aspirin (such as some cold or flu remedies and painkillers) can interfere with valproate semisodium and may be best avoided.

  • Continue to take the tablets until your doctor tells you otherwise. Stopping treatment suddenly can cause problems, so if it becomes necessary for your treatment to stop, your doctor may want you to reduce your dose over a few days.

Can valproate semisodium cause problems?

Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains some of the most common ones associated with valproate semisodium. You will find a full list in the manufacturer's information leaflet supplied with your medicine. The unwanted effects often improve as your body adjusts to the new medicine, but speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following continue or become troublesome.

Very common valproate semisodium side-effects (these affect more than 1 in 10 people)


Vad kan jag göra om jag upplever detta?

Känner dig illamående (nausea)

This usually passes after the first few days. Remember to take the tablets after meals

Feeling shaky

Om det är besvärligt, prata med din läkare

Common valproate semisodium side-effects

(these affect fewer than 1 in 10 people)

Vad kan jag göra om jag upplever detta?

Stomach ache, diarrhoea

These usually pass after the first few days. Remember to take the tablets after meals

Huvudvärk

Drink plenty of water and ask a pharmacist to recommend a suitable painkiller. If the headaches continue, let your doctor know

Increased appetite and weight gain

Try to eat a well-balanced diet and take regular exercise

Feeling sleepy or tired

Kör inte och använd inte verktyg eller maskiner när du är påverkad

Thinning of your hair

This is usually temporary and the hair regrows (although it may be curlier than before)

Uncontrolled muscle movements, lack of concentration, allergic reactions, problems with hearing, mood changes, painful periods

Let your doctor know about any of these

Problems with your liver, changes to some blood test results

Your doctor will routinely check for these

Viktigt: valproate semisodium has been associated with a number of serious unwanted effects affecting the blood, pancreas and liver. Although these occur less commonly than some of the side-effects listed above, you must let your doctor know omedelbart if you notice any of the following:

  • An unexplained cough or sore throat, or any unusual bleeding or bruising.

  • Extreme tiredness, tummy (abdominal) pain, sickness (nausea and/or vomiting), dark urine or yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes (jaundice).

How to store valproate semisodium

  • Förvara alla läkemedel utom räckhåll och synhåll för barn.

  • Förvara på en sval, torr plats, borta från direkt värme och ljus.

Viktig information om alla läkemedel

Viktig information om alla läkemedel

Ta aldrig mer än den föreskrivna dosen. Om du misstänker att du eller någon annan kan ha tagit en överdos av denna medicin, gå till akutmottagningen på ditt lokala sjukhus. Ta med behållaren, även om den är tom.

Denna medicin är för dig. Ge den aldrig till andra människor även om deras tillstånd verkar vara detsamma som ditt.

Om du ska genomgå en operation eller tandbehandling, informera den som utför behandlingen om vilka mediciner du tar.

Behåll inte föråldrade eller oönskade mediciner. Ta dem till ditt lokala apotek som kommer att ta hand om dem åt dig.

Om du har några frågor om denna medicin, fråga din apotekare.

MHRA - Rapportera biverkningar

Rapportera misstänkta biverkningar av läkemedel, vacciner, e-cigaretter, medicintekniska händelser, defekta eller förfalskade (falska) produkter till Läkemedelsverket för att säkerställa säker och effektiv användning.

symptomkontroll

Osäker på att blanda mediciner?

Kontrollera möjliga interaktioner mellan läkemedel, kosttillskott och livsmedel innan du tar dem tillsammans.

Vanliga frågor

What is the difference between valproate semisodium and sodium valproate?

Valproate semisodium is used to treat mania in bipolar disorder and sometimes to prevent migraines. Sodium valproate, though similarly named, is a different medicine primarily used to treat epilepsy. They are for different conditions, and you can find more information about sodium valproate in a separate leaflet.

Can I take over-the-counter medicines while on valproate semisodium?

You should always check with a pharmacist before taking any over-the-counter medicines, including herbal or complementary medicines, to ensure they are suitable to take with valproate semisodium. Specifically, medicines containing aspirin, such as some cold or flu remedies and painkillers, can interfere with valproate semisodium and should generally be avoided.

I'm a woman of childbearing age – why can't I take valproate semisodium?

If you are a woman who could become pregnant, this medicine will not normally be prescribed for you. This is because valproate semisodium can cause harm to an unborn child.

What should I do if I notice any other serious side effects not listed in the common ones?

Valproate semisodium has been linked to a number of serious, though less common, side effects affecting the blood, pancreas, and liver. You must tell your doctor straightaway if you experience an unexplained cough or sore throat, unusual bleeding or bruising, extreme tiredness, tummy pain, sickness, dark urine, or yellowing of your skin or eyes (jaundice).

What if I need surgery or dental work?

If you are having an operation or any dental treatment, it is important to tell the person carrying out the treatment which medicines you are taking, including valproate semisodium.

Dessa frågor och svar har genererats från informationen i denna artikel.

Vidare läsning och referenser

Om författarenVisa fullständig biografi

Författarbild

Michael Stewart, MRPharmS

Ansvarig för granskning av medicinbroschyrer – Konsult, Apotekare

BPharm (Hons), MRPharmS

Michael är en apotekare som arbetar i Midlands och South Yorkshire med mer än 20 års erfarenhet av att ge råd om läkemedel och medicinska tillstånd. Han har en stark bakgrund inom vårdutbildning och har producerat och levererat utbildningskurser för apoteksteam och personal inom vårdboenden, inklusive sjuksköterskor. Han har också bidragit till apoteksrådgivande styrelser för hantering av mindre allvarliga tillstånd i samhället.

Om recensenten

Författarbild

Sid Dajani

Sultan Dajani tog examen vid London School of Pharmacy 1994 och blev den yngsta valda medlemmen i Royal Pharmaceutical Society-rådet sedan dess grundande 1842.

Artikelhistorik

Informationen på denna sida är skriven och granskad av kvalificerade kliniker.

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