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Valproic Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of valproic include drug interaction, off label use, and seizure, based on 39,722 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 9.5% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Valproic side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for valproic.

1
Drug Ineffective9.5%3,780
2
Drug Interaction8.0%3,176
3
Off Label Use5.8%2,293
4
Seizure5.7%2,263
5
Toxicity To Various Agents4.9%1,943
6
Somnolence3.1%1,235
7
Depression3.0%1,196
8
Pyrexia2.5%983
9
Condition Aggravated2.5%982
10
Foetal Exposure During Pregnancy2.4%941
11
Overdose2.3%900
12
Completed Suicide2.2%889
13
Product Use In Unapproved Indication2.2%886
14
Epilepsy1.9%765
15
Pneumonia1.9%756

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that valproic caused these reactions.

Report severity

94.3%Serious37,459 reports
44.0%Hospitalizations17,496 reports
14.4%Fatal5,714 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Valproic drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside valproic. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Levetiracetam15.2%6,036
2
Lamotrigine9.6%3,799
3
Quetiapine-fumarate8.6%3,417
4
Topiramate6.8%2,696
5
Olanzapine6.3%2,496
6
Carbamazepine5.9%2,338
7
Clozapine5.4%2,136
8
Clonazepam5.3%2,125
9
Lacosamide5.3%2,095
10
Risperidone5.2%2,050
11
Clobazam4.8%1,892
12
Phenytoin4.8%1,891
13
Aripiprazole3.4%1,368
14
Lorazepam3.1%1,248
15
Sertraline-hydrochloride3.1%1,244

Taken alongside

1
Levetiracetam5.2%2,065
2
Clonazepam4.7%1,853
3
Lorazepam3.8%1,499
4
Lamotrigine3.6%1,439
5
Clobazam3.5%1,394
6
Quetiapine-fumarate3.0%1,210
7
Acetaminophen3.0%1,194
8
Carbamazepine3.0%1,181
9
Risperidone2.9%1,141
10
Levothyroxine-sodium2.8%1,123
11
Diazepam2.7%1,073
12
Topiramate2.6%1,044
13
Aspirin2.5%974
14
Olanzapine2.4%963
15
Omeprazole2.4%936

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports valproic side effects

41.6% of valproic adverse event reports involve female patients and 47.0% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 63%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female41.6%
Male47.0%
Unknown11.4%

Age group

< 24.0%
2–1112.0%
12–176.0%
18–6463.1%
65+14.8%

What is valproic used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking valproic when the adverse event was reported.

Abdominal Pain UpperAbnormal BehaviourAbstains From AlcoholAccidental Drug Intake By ChildAccidental ExposureAccidental Exposure To Product By ChildAccidental OverdoseAcquired Epileptic AphasiaAcute Lymphocytic Leukaemia RecurrentAcute Myeloid LeukaemiaAcute PsychosisAdjustment DisorderAdjustment Disorder With Depressed MoodAffect LabilityAffective Disorder

Showing 15 of 1,002 indications

Valproic brand names and reporting trend

Valproic is sold under the brand name Depakene.

Brand names

Depakene38,039

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking valproic with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.