Valproic Acid (Oral Route)

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Side Effects

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:

• Black, tarry stools
• Bleeding gums
• Bloating or swelling of the face, arms, hands, lower legs, or feet
• Blood in the urine or stools
• Confusion
• Cough or hoarseness
• Crying
• Delusions
• Dementia
• Depersonalization
• Diarrhea
• Difficult or labored breathing
• Dysphoria
• Euphoria
• Fever or chills
• General feeling of discomfort or illness
• Headache
• Joint pain
• Loss of appetite
• Lower back or side pain
• Mental depression
• Muscle aches and pains
• Nausea
• Nervousness
• Painful or difficult urination
• Paranoia
• Pinpoint red spots on the skin
• Quick to react or overreact emotionally
• Rapid weight gain
• Rapidly changing moods
• Runny nose
• Shakiness in the legs, arms, hands, or feet
• Shivering
• Shortness of breath
• Sleepiness or unusual drowsiness
• Sore throat
• Sweating
• Tightness in the chest
• Tingling of the hands or feet
• Trembling or shaking of the hands or feet
• Trouble with sleeping
• Unusual bleeding or bruising
• Unusual tiredness or weakness
• Unusual weight gain or loss
• Vomiting
• Wheezing

• Abnormal dreams
• Absence of or decrease in body movement
• Anxiety
• Bloody nose
• Bloody or cloudy urine
• Blurred vision
• Bruising burning, crawling, itching, numbness, prickling, "pins and needles", or tingling feelings
• Change in personality
• Change in walking and balance
• Changes in patterns and rhythms of speech
• Chest pain
• Chills
• Clumsiness or unsteadiness
• Cold sweats
• Constipation
• Darkened urine
• Degenerative disease of the joint
• Difficult, burning, or painful urination
• Difficulty with moving
• Discouragement
• Dizziness
• Dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up from a lying or sitting position suddenly
• Dry mouth
• Excessive muscle tone
• Fast, irregular, pounding, or racing heartbeat or pulse
• Fear
• Feeling of warmth or heat
• Feeling sad or empty
• Flushing or redness of the skin, especially on the face and neck
• Frequent urge to urinate
• Heavy non-menstrual vaginal bleeding
• Hyperventilation
• Increased need to urinate
• Indigestion
• Irritability
• Lack of appetite
• Lack of coordination
• Large, flat, blue, or purplish patches in the skin
• Leg cramps
• Lip smacking or puckering
• Loss of bladder control
• Loss of interest or pleasure
• Loss of strength or energy
• Multiple swollen and inflamed skin lesions
• Muscle pain or stiffness
• Muscle tension or tightness
• Normal menstrual bleeding occurring earlier, possibly lasting longer than expected
• Pains in the stomach, side, or abdomen, possibly radiating to the back
• Passing urine more often
• Pounding in the ears
• Puffing of the cheeks
• Rapid or worm-like movements of the tongue
• Rapid weight gain
• Restlessness
• Seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there
• Shakiness and unsteady walk
• Slurred speech
• Small red or purple spots on the skin
• Sweating
• Swollen joints
• Tiredness
• Trouble with concentrating
• Trouble with speaking
• Twitching
• Uncontrolled chewing movements
• Uncontrolled movements of the arms and legs
• Unsteadiness, trembling, or other problems with muscle control or coordination
• Vomiting of blood or material that looks like coffee grounds
• Yellow eyes or skin

Get emergency help immediately if any of the following symptoms of overdose occur:

• Change in consciousness
• Fainting
• Loss of consciousness
• Slow or irregular heartbeat

Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

• Acid or sour stomach
• Belching
• Body aches or pain
• Change in vision
• Congestion
• Continuing ringing or buzzing or other unexplained noise in the ears
• Hair loss or thinning of the hair
• Hearing loss
• Heartburn
• Impaired vision
• Lack or loss of strength
• Loss of memory
• Problems with memory
• Rash
• Seeing double
• Sleeplessness
• Tender, swollen glands in the neck
• Trouble with swallowing
• Unable to sleep
• Uncontrolled eye movements
• Voice changes
• Weight gain
• Weight loss

• Absent, missed, or irregular menstrual periods
• Back pain
• Burning, dry, or itching eyes
• Change in taste or bad unusual or unpleasant (after) taste
• Coin-shaped lesions on the skin
• Cough producing mucus
• Cramps
• Dandruff
• Discharge or excessive tearing
• Dry skin
• Earache
• Excess air or gas in the stomach or intestines
• Eye pain
• Feeling of constant movement of self or surroundings
• Full feeling
• Heavy bleeding
• Increased appetite
• Itching of the vagina or genital area
• Itching skin
• Loss of bowel control
• Neck pain
• Oily skin
• Pain
• Pain during sexual intercourse
• Pain or tenderness around the eyes and cheekbones
• Passing gas
• Rash with flat lesions or small raised lesions on the skin
• Redness or swelling in the ear
• Redness, pain, swelling of the eye, eyelid, or inner lining of the eyelid
• Redness, swelling, or soreness of the tongue
• Sensation of spinning
• Sneezing
• Stiff neck
• Stopping of menstrual bleeding
• Thick, white vaginal discharge with no odor or with a mild odor

Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

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