Divalproex
About Divalproex
Divalproex is used to treat epilepsy/seizures/fits. Additionally, Divalproex is also used to treat manic episodes associated with bipolar disorder and prevent migraines. Epilepsy is a sudden rush of electricity in the brain.
Divalproex contains 'Divalproex', which reduces excessive, abnormal nerve activity in the brain. Thereby helping in controlling seizures.
Divalproex increases the levels of the chemical substance GABA; this helps block nerve transmission in the brain and produces a calming effect. Thereby helping treat bipolar disorder.
In some cases, you may experience side effects, such as abdominal pain, back pain, constipation, diarrhoea, dizziness, nausea, increased appetite, and vomiting. Talk to your doctor if you experience these side effects persistently.
Do not take Divalproex if you are pregnant, as it could cause serious birth defects. If you are of childbearing age, use effective contraception while taking Divalproex. Consult your doctor if you are breastfeeding. Keep your doctor informed about your health condition and medicines to rule out any side effects.
Uses of Divalproex
• Seizure Management: Divalproex is primarily used to manage various types of seizures in individuals with epilepsy, helping to stabilise electrical activity in the brain.
• Bipolar Disorder Treatment: Divalproex can be utilized in the treatment of bipolar disorder, aiding in mood stabilization and reducing the frequency of mood swings.
• Migraine Prevention: Divalproex may also be prescribed to prevent migraines, providing relief from recurrent headaches.
• Insomnia Treatment: Divalproex can improve sleep quality by inducing sedation, offering relief for those suffering from insomnia or other sleep disturbances.
Medicinal Benefits
- Divalproex is used to treat and prevent epilepsy, seizures, or fits by controlling abnormal electrical activity in the brain.
- It helps manage various types of seizures, including simple partial, complex partial, and absence seizures.
- Divalproex may be used alone or in combination with other anti-epileptic medicines for better seizure control.
- It is also prescribed to treat mood disorders, such as bipolar disorder, by enhancing GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) activity in the brain, which produces a calming and stabilising effect.
- Divalproex helps prevent migraine headaches by reducing abnormal nerve transmission and limiting the spread of pain signals.
- By decreasing excessive nerve activity, Divalproex restores normal brain function and helps maintain emotional balance.
- Divalproex provides broad neurological benefits by controlling seizures, stabilising mood, and reducing migraine frequency.
Directions for Use
- Divalproex can be taken with or without food.
- Follow your doctor's instructions on the dosage and timing of this medication.
- Swallow Divalproex as a whole with a glass of water.
- Do not crush, break, or chew it.
Storage
Side Effects of Divalproex
- Abdominal pain
- Back pain
- Constipation
- Diarrhoea
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Increased appetite
- Vomiting
- Vision problems
- Weight changes
- Problems with walking or coordination
Drug Warnings
- Do not take Divalproex if you are allergic to any of its contents, have/ had liver problems or urea cycle disorders.
- Inform your doctor before taking Divalproex if you have pancreatitis, blood problems or multi-organ hypersensitivity.
- Consult your doctor immediately if you experience suicidal tendencies while taking Divalproex.
- Divalproex may cause thrombocytopenia (low blood platelets), hyperammonemia (high levels of ammonia in the blood), hypothermia (low body temperature) and liver problems.
- Please do not stop taking Divalproex without consulting your doctor to avoid worsening of seizures.
- Do not take Divalproex if you are pregnant, as it could cause serious birth defects.
- If you are of childbearing age, use effective contraception while taking Divalproex.
- Consult your doctor before taking Divalproex if you are breastfeeding.
- Avoid driving or operating machinery as Divalproex causes dizziness and may affect thinking and motor skills.
- Avoid consuming alcohol along with Divalproex as it could lead to increased dizziness.
- Care should be taken while giving Divalproex to children below 2 years, as there is a higher risk of liver intoxication during the first six months of treatment.
- Let your doctor know if you are taking any other medicines, including supplements and herbal products.
Drug Interactions
Drug-Drug Interactions: Inform your doctor if you are taking pain killers (aspirin), anti-epileptics (pregabalin, topiramate, phenobarbital, primidone, phenytoin, carbamazepine, lamotrigine, felbamate, ethosuximide), anti-HIV (zidovudine), anti-depressant (duloxetine, escitalopram, amitriptyline, nortriptyline), anti-psychotic (aripiprazole, lurasidone, quetiapine), anti-anxiety (alprazolam), anti-TB (rifampicin), anti-coagulant (warfarin), antibiotics (imipenem, meropenem), and benzodiazepine (diazepam).
Drug-Food Interactions: Avoid alcohol consumption while taking Divalproex, as it might cause increased dizziness and sleepiness. Alcohol intake might also provoke seizures.
Drug-Disease Interactions: Inform your doctor if you have disease conditions such as depression, liver disease, urea cycle disorders, suicidal tendency, HIV disease, and thrombocytopenia (low levels of platelets).
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
unsafeAvoid consumption of alcohol while taking Divalproex as it may cause increased dizziness.
Pregnancy
unsafeDivalproex belongs to pregnancy category D. Avoid taking Divalproex if you are pregnant, as it could lead to serious birth defects. Consult your doctor for further advice.
Breast Feeding
cautionDivalproex may pass into breastmilk. Consult your doctor before taking Divalproex if you are breastfeeding.
Driving
unsafeDivalproex causes dizziness and may affect thinking and motor skills. Do not drive or operate machinery.
Liver
cautionDivalproex should not be used if you have liver problems or your family has a history of liver problems. Please consult your doctor if you have liver problems or any concerns regarding this.
Kidney
cautionDose adjustment may be needed in patients with kidney impairment. Please consult your doctor if you have kidney impairment or any concerns regarding this.
Children
cautionDivalproex can be given to children if prescribed by the doctor. The doctor will adjust the dose depending on the child's body weight. Care should be taken in children below two years, as they are at a higher risk of liver toxicity.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- A ketogenic diet (low in carbohydrates and high in fats) is recommended for children with epilepsy. This diet helps in utilising fat instead of glucose for the generation of energy.
- The Atkins diet (high fat and controlled carbohydrates) is recommended for adolescents and adults.
- Exercising regularly helps in maintaining weight and improving overall health.
- Rest well, get plenty of sleep.
- Avoid smoking and alcohol consumption.
- Meditation and yoga can help lower the stress, decrease pain sensitivity and improves coping skills.
- Have a seizure response plan, help those around you know what to do.
- Prepare your living area, small changes may reduce the risk of physical injury during a seizure.
- Understand what triggers seizures and try reducing or avoiding them.
- Please pay attention to overall health as it can help in reducing seizure activity.
- Install an alarm or emergency device to get assistance during a seizure attack.
Special Advise
- Regular monitoring of blood count and coagulation tests is advised while taking Divalproex, as it may cause thrombocytopenia (low platelet levels).
- Divalproex may cause liver toxicity, usually during the first 6months of treatment. Children below two years are at a higher risk. Regular monitoring of liver function tests before treatment and at frequent intervals is advised.
- Divalproex might alter thyroid function tests and urine ketone tests. Inform the person doing the tests that you are taking Divalproex.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Epilepsy: Epilepsy is a sudden rush of electricity in the brain. It is a disorder of the nervous system which occurs due to disturbed nerve cell activity in the brain. In epilepsy, the brain's electrical rhythms become imbalanced, resulting in recurrent seizures. In patients with seizures, the typical brain electrical pattern is disrupted by sudden bursts of electrical impulses that affect an individual's consciousness, movements or sensations. Seizures are of two types: generalised and partial seizures. Generalised seizures affect the entire brain, whereas partial seizures affect only a part of the brain. Seizures can cause uncontrollable muscle twitches and spasms. Stronger seizures may cause people to become confused or unconscious. Possible causes include high fever, trauma, genetic disorder, brain injury or stroke.
Mood disorder: It is a mental health disorder which mainly affects a person's emotional state. A mood disorder is associated with episodes of mood swings ranging from manic highs to depressive lows.
Migraine: Migraine is a neurological condition which is characterised by intense headaches. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound.
FAQs
Divalproex is used to treat epilepsy/seizures/fits. Additionally, it is also used to treat manic episodes associated with bipolar disorder and prevent migraines.
Divalproex decreases the excessive and abnormal nerve activity in the brain. Thereby helps in controlling seizures.
Divalproex helps to treat manic episodes associated with bipolar disorder by increasing the amount of a chemical substance called GABA, which helps in blocking the nerve transmission across the brain and provides a calming effect.
Divalproex limits the transmission of nerve pain, thereby preventing migraine headaches. Migraine is a neurological condition characterised by intense headaches.
Divalproex may interact with aspirin and cause abnormal side-effects. So, it is recommended to take any medication along with Divalproex only after consulting a doctor.
Divalproex may improve the symptoms of depression. However, do not use it without consulting a doctor as it may also cause mood disturbances and suicidal thoughts in some patients.
Do not discontinue Divalproex without consulting your doctor. To treat your condition effectually, continue taking Divalproex for as long as prescribed. Do not be reluctant to speak with your doctor if you feel any difficulty while taking Divalproex; your doctor will gradually reduce the dose to avoid worsening seizures.
Before taking Divalproex, certain laboratory tests are recommended. These include a Complete Blood Count (CBC), liver function tests (LFTs), kidney function tests, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine levels, and a pregnancy test for women of childbearing age. Additionally, blood glucose levels should be checked for patients with diabetes or at risk of developing diabetes. Platelet count and coagulation tests (PT/INR/APTT) are also recommended. Please note that this list may not be exhaustive, and additional tests or monitoring may be necessary based on individual circumstances.
Divalproex may cause thrombocytopenia (low levels of platelets). This might increase the risk of bleeding and bruising. Be cautious while using sharp objects. Consult your doctor if you notice unexplained bleeding or bruising. Regular monitoring of blood count is advised while taking Divalproex.
Topiramate (anticonvulsant) should not be taken along with Divalproex as it may cause hyperammonemia (excess ammonia in the blood), hypothermia (low body temperature) and liver problems.
It's crucial to consult with your doctor before discontinuing Divalproex. Abruptly stopping this medication can lead to severe consequences, especially if it's prescribed to treat conditions like epilepsy.
Divalproex is also used to treat mood disorders. It treats mood disorders by increasing the amount of a chemical substance called GABA, which helps block nerve transmission across the brain and provides a calming effect.
Divalproex can indeed make you sleepy. This is a common side effect of the medication. If you're experiencing excessive drowsiness, you must talk to your doctor.
Yes, Divalproex can cause hair loss as a side effect. While this isn't a common side effect, it can occur in some people. If you notice significant hair loss while taking Divalproex, it's essential to consult with your doctor.
Yes, Divalproex can potentially damage your liver. While this is a rare side effect, being aware of the risk is essential. Signs of liver damage may include yellowing of the skin or eyes or jaundice, dark urine, abdominal pain, light-coloured stools, nausea and vomiting. If you experience any of these symptoms while taking Divalproex, seeking medical attention is crucial.
Avoid consumption of alcohol while taking Divalproex as it may cause increased dizziness.
If you experience abdominal pain, nausea, and anorexia while taking Divalproex, it's essential to contact your doctor immediately. These symptoms can be signs of a severe side effect, such as liver damage.
An overdose of Divalproex can be a severe medical emergency. If you or someone you know has taken an overdose of Divalproex, it's crucial to seek immediate medical attention.
Divalproex can be taken with or without food. However, it is recommended to take it with food to reduce stomach upset and improve absorption. Food can help buffer any potential stomach irritation and enhance the body's absorption of the medication.
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember, unless it's almost time for your next dose. In this case, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the regular time. Never take a double dose to make up for a missed one.
