Valproate

Valproate is a mood stabiliser that can be used to treat mania.

Valproate helps to treat the symptoms of mania in people with bipolar disorder. It is also used to prevent these symptoms from coming back. Valproate is a type of medicine called a mood stabiliser as it reduces feelings of excitability and over-activity and reduces mood swings.

We do not fully understand how valproate works for mania and bipolar disorder, but we have some ideas about it. Valproate blocks the breakdown of a chemical in the brain called gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). GABA is a chemical that calms nerve excitability in the brain. If valproate blocks its breakdown, there is more GABA to create this calming effect. There are gateways in the brain called ‘sodium channels’, which can be open or closed. When they are open, chemicals go through that can make us excited. Valproate may also work by locking on to closed sodium channels and keeping them closed. Sodium cannot pass through, which reduces nerve excitement.

When starting a new mediation it is not uncommon to experience side effects, some of the side effects of valproate include:

• pain in your tummy

• anger or agitation

• confusion

• diarrhoea

• sleepy or drowsiness

• hallucinations

These are not all of the side effects, but if you would like more information please speak to your doctor.

Please do not worry about these side effects. Some people will not get any side effects at all. If you think you are getting side effects from taking valproate, speak to your doctor or pharmacist. If you do get a side effect, please think about reporting it via the 'Yellow Card' system.

If you have taken more valproate than the dosage recommended by the doctor who prescribed it to you, you must get medial help immediately - even if you do not feel any different.