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Valproate semisodium

 

 
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Valproate semisodium
 
 
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Valproate semisodium (INN
International Nonproprietary Name

An International Nonproprietary Name is the official non-proprietary or generic name given to a pharmaceutical substance, as designated by the World Health Organization ....
) or divalproex sodium (USAN
United States Adopted Name

United States Adopted Names are unique nonproprietary names assigned to pharmaceuticals marketed in the United States. Each name is assigned by the USAN Council, which is co-sponsored by the American Medical Association , the United States Pharmacopeial Convention , and the American Pharmacists Association ....
) consists of a compound of sodium valproate
Sodium valproate

Sodium valproate or valproate sodium is the sodium salt of valproic acid and is an anticonvulsant used in the treatment of epilepsy and bipolar disorder, as well as other psychiatric conditions requiring the administration of a mood stabilizer....
 and valproic acid
Valproic acid

Valproic acid is a chemical compound that has found clinical use as an anticonvulsant and mood stabilizer medication, primarily in the treatment of epilepsy, bipolar disorder, and less commonly major depressive disorder....
 in a 1:1 molar relationship in an enteric coated
Enteric coating

An enteric coating is a barrier applied to oral medication that controls the location in the digestive system where it is absorbed. Enteric refers to the small intestine, therefore enteric coatings prevent release of medication before it reaches the small intestine....
 form. It is used in the UK
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 and U.S.
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 for the treatment of the manic
Mania

Mania is a severe medical condition characterized by extremely elevated mood, energy, unusual thought patterns and sometimes psychosis. There are several possible causes for mania including drug abuse and brain tumours, but it is most often associated with bipolar disorder, where episodes of mania may cyclically alternate with episodes of ma...
 episodes of bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder is a Classification of mental disorders that describes a category of mood disorders, or mood swings, defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated mood clinically referred to as mania or, if milder, hypomania....
, and increasingly taken long-term for prevention of both manic and depressive phases of bipolar disorder, especially the rapid-cycling variant. It is also used in the US for the treatment of epilepsy
Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizure s. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain....
, chronic pain
Chronic pain

Chronic pain is defined as pain that persists longer than the temporal course of natural healing, associated with a particular type of injury or disease process....
 associated with neuropathy
Neuropathy

Neuropathy is a medical term describing disorders of the nerves of the peripheral nervous system It is usually considered equivalent to peripheral neuropathy....
, and migraine headaches.






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Valproate semisodium (INN
International Nonproprietary Name

An International Nonproprietary Name is the official non-proprietary or generic name given to a pharmaceutical substance, as designated by the World Health Organization ....
) or divalproex sodium (USAN
United States Adopted Name

United States Adopted Names are unique nonproprietary names assigned to pharmaceuticals marketed in the United States. Each name is assigned by the USAN Council, which is co-sponsored by the American Medical Association , the United States Pharmacopeial Convention , and the American Pharmacists Association ....
) consists of a compound of sodium valproate
Sodium valproate

Sodium valproate or valproate sodium is the sodium salt of valproic acid and is an anticonvulsant used in the treatment of epilepsy and bipolar disorder, as well as other psychiatric conditions requiring the administration of a mood stabilizer....
 and valproic acid
Valproic acid

Valproic acid is a chemical compound that has found clinical use as an anticonvulsant and mood stabilizer medication, primarily in the treatment of epilepsy, bipolar disorder, and less commonly major depressive disorder....
 in a 1:1 molar relationship in an enteric coated
Enteric coating

An enteric coating is a barrier applied to oral medication that controls the location in the digestive system where it is absorbed. Enteric refers to the small intestine, therefore enteric coatings prevent release of medication before it reaches the small intestine....
 form. It is used in the UK
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 and U.S.
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 for the treatment of the manic
Mania

Mania is a severe medical condition characterized by extremely elevated mood, energy, unusual thought patterns and sometimes psychosis. There are several possible causes for mania including drug abuse and brain tumours, but it is most often associated with bipolar disorder, where episodes of mania may cyclically alternate with episodes of ma...
 episodes of bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder is a Classification of mental disorders that describes a category of mood disorders, or mood swings, defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated mood clinically referred to as mania or, if milder, hypomania....
, and increasingly taken long-term for prevention of both manic and depressive phases of bipolar disorder, especially the rapid-cycling variant. It is also used in the US for the treatment of epilepsy
Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizure s. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain....
, chronic pain
Chronic pain

Chronic pain is defined as pain that persists longer than the temporal course of natural healing, associated with a particular type of injury or disease process....
 associated with neuropathy
Neuropathy

Neuropathy is a medical term describing disorders of the nerves of the peripheral nervous system It is usually considered equivalent to peripheral neuropathy....
, and migraine headaches. Its chemical name is sodium hydrogen bis(2-propylpentanoate). The extended release formulation allows for a single daily dose.

In the UK semisodium valproate has been sold for a few years as the proprietary drug Depakote and marketed for psychiatric conditions only. It is about five times the price of sodium valproate, which has been marketed for around 30 years as Epilim by the same company for epilepsy
Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizure s. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain....
 and is also available from other manufacturers as a generic product.

Side effects

The most severe side effects are ten times higher-than-average incidence rates of serious, irreversible birth defects (teratogenic) such as births of brainless babies (anencephaly
Anencephaly

Anencephaly is a cephalic disorder that results from a neural tube defect that occurs when the cephalic end of the neural tube fails to close, usually between the 23rd and 26th day of pregnancy, resulting in the absence of a major portion of the brain, skull, and scalp....
). People who take this drug can experience a variety of side effects
Adverse drug reaction

An adverse drug reaction or adverse drug event is an expression that describes the unwanted, negative consequences associated with the use of given medications....
, some of which may require immediate medical attention. Especially dangerous side effects include vomiting, loss of appetite, fever, or dark urine. These suggest a possibility of liver
Liver

The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals; it has a wide range of functions, a few of which are detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion....
 damage. People taking this drug should also call their doctor if they experience other serious side effects. Some serious side effects are unusual bleeding (especially in the urine), hallucination
Hallucination

A hallucination, in the broadest sense, is a perception in the absence of a stimulus . In a stricter sense, hallucinations are defined as perceptions in a conscious and awake state in the absence of external stimuli which have qualities of real perception, in that they are vivid, substantial, and located in external objective space....
s, and complete drowsiness. Some people also experience constipation or diarrhea from use of this drug. 1% to 10% of people report weight gain and increased appetite. The same percentage also reports abnormal dreams. Major risk of birth defects such as spina bifida
Spina bifida

Spina bifida is a developmental birth defect involving the neural tube: incomplete closure of the embryonic neural tube results in an incompletely formed spinal cord....
 has been demonstrated among populations of female patients who took the medicine in childbearing age.

Branded formulations

  • Brazil
    Brazil

    Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the List of countries by population country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world....
    —Depakote by Abbott Laboratories
    Abbott Laboratories

    Abbott Laboratories is a diversified Pharmacology health care company. It has 68,000 employees and operates in 130 countries. The corporate headquarters are in Abbott Park, Illinois, located near North Chicago, Illinois....
  • Canada
    Canada

    Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
    —Epival by Abbott Laboratories
    Abbott Laboratories

    Abbott Laboratories is a diversified Pharmacology health care company. It has 68,000 employees and operates in 130 countries. The corporate headquarters are in Abbott Park, Illinois, located near North Chicago, Illinois....
    .
  • United Kingdom
    United Kingdom

    The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
    —Depakote by Sanofi-Aventis
    Sanofi-Aventis

    Sanofi-Aventis , headquartered in Paris, France, is a multinational pharmaceutical company. The company is the world's fourth largest List of pharmaceutical companies....
  • United States
    United States

    The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
    —Depakote and Depakote ER (Extended Release) by Abbott Laboratories
    Abbott Laboratories

    Abbott Laboratories is a diversified Pharmacology health care company. It has 68,000 employees and operates in 130 countries. The corporate headquarters are in Abbott Park, Illinois, located near North Chicago, Illinois....
  • India-— Encorate Chrono by Sun Pharma


In the US, generic versions of brand-name Depakote became available on July 29 2008..

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