Sodium valproate, also sold under the brand names Depakene, Episenta and Epilim, is an anti-seizure drug used to treat epilepsy and severe cases of bipolar disorder. This drug works on the brain tissue to prevent seizures, and comes in injectable and oral forms. It is sometimes used to treat migraines.
Like other anti-convulsive drugs, sodium valproate can significantly change blood cholesterol levels. In one study, epileptic children receiving this drug had lower levels of triglycerides and LDL (bad) cholesterol, but higher levels of HDL (good) cholesterols.
These changes are much more positive for heart health than the changes caused by phenobarbitol and carbamazepine, two other commonly used anti-convulsants, both of which increased total cholesterol, including LDL cholesterol levels. Adults taking sodium valproate have also shown increased overall blood cholesterol levels, and should be aware of the way this drug can affect them.
Some medications used to treat high cholesterol can interfere with the way sodium valproate works. These include colestyramine, also sold as Questran, a drug which is also used to treat Crohn’s disease. Sodium valproate carries an increased risk of deformities and birth defects when taken by pregnant women – about four times the rate of other anti-epileptic drugs.
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