Valproic Acid
VALPROIC ACID
Manufacturer: Direct_Rx
Black Box Warning (Boxed Warning)
A Boxed Warning is the FDA's strongest safety warning — it indicates serious or life-threatening risks identified during clinical trials or post-market surveillance. It does not mean the medication is unsafe for all patients; your prescriber weighs these risks against the benefits for your specific situation. Source: FDA-approved prescribing information.
FDA-Approved Indications (1)
sole and adjunctive therapy of simple and complex absence seizures
Population: all ages
Indications & Usage
These highlights do not include all the information needed to use VALPROIC ACID CAPSULES safely and effectively. See full prescribing information for VALPROIC ACID CAPSULES. VALPROIC ACID capsules for oral use Initial U.S. Approval: 1978 WARNING: LIFE THREATENING ADVERSE REACTIONS SEE FULL PRESCRIBING INFORMATION FOR COMPLETE BOXED WARNING. Hepatotoxicity, including fatalities, usually during the first 6 months of treatment. Children under the age of two years and patients with mitochondrial disorders are at higher risk. Monitor patients closely, and perform serum liver testing prior to therapy and at frequent intervals thereafter (5.1) Fetal Risk, particularly neural tube defects, other major malformations, and decreased IQ (5.2, 5.3, 5.4) Pancreatitis, including fatal hemorrhagic cases (5.5) INDICATIONS AND USAGE Valproic Acid Capsules are an anti-epileptic drug indicated for: Monotherapy and adjunctive therapy of complex partial seizures; sole and adjunctive therapy of simple and complex absence seizures; adjunctive therapy in patients with multiple seizure types that include absence seizures (1) DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Valproic acid capsules are intended for oral administration. (2.1) Simple and Complex Absence Seizures: Start at 10 to 15 mg/kg/day, increasing at 1 week intervals by 5 to 10 mg/kg/week until seizure control or limiting side effects (2.1) Safety of doses above 60 mg/kg/day is not established (2.1, 2.2) DOSAGE FORMS AND STRENGTHS Capsules: 250 mg valproic acid (3) CONTRAINDICATIONS Hepatic disease or significant hepatic dysfunction (4, 5.1) Known mitochondrial disorders caused by mutations in mitochondrial DNA polymerase γ (POLG) (4, 5.1) Suspected POLG-related disorder in children under two years of age (4, 5.1) Known hypersensitivity to the drug (4, 5.12) Urea cycle disorders (4, 5.6) WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS Hepatotoxicity; evaluate high risk populations and monitor serum liver tests (5.1) Birth defects and decreased IQ following in utero exposure; only use to treat pregnant women with epilepsy if other medications are unacceptable; should not be administered to a woman of childbearing potential unless essential (5.2, 5.3, 5.4) Pancreatitis; valproic acid capsules should ordinarily be discontinued (5.5) Suicidal behavior or ideation; Antiepileptic drugs, including valproic acid capsules, increase the risk of suicidal thoughts or behavior (5.7) Bleeding and other hematopoietic disorders; monitor platelet counts and coagulation tests (5.8) Hyperammonemia and hyperammonemic encephalopathy; measure ammonia level if unexplained lethargy and vomiting or changes in mental status and also with concomitant topiramate use; consider discontinuation of valproate therapy (5.6, 5.9, 5.10) Hypothermia; Hypothermia has been reported during valproate therapy with or without associated hyperammonemia. This adverse reaction can also occur in patients using concomitant topiramate (5.11) Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DR
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