Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Mental Health (Expert Forum)
Long-term effects of valproic acid
Answered by
Roger Gould, M.D. - Mental Health, Wellness
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD) , bipolar disorder , dementia , electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) , learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) , panic , personality disorders, phobias , post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) , schizophrenia , stress , transitions, and work problems.
Long-term effects of valproic acid
by Chari, Jul 28, 2001 12:00AM
I have a friend who is taking valproic acid for treatment of bipolar disorder. She wants to know what the long-term side effects may be. She drinks alcohol frequently and in great amounts and wants to know how damaging this could be for her liver. I tried searching for info on the internet, but could not find much about long-term effects. Can you help me out with this question or give me a good site to go to for this information?
Doctor's Answer
by Roger Gould, M.D., Jul 30, 2001 12:00AM
, Jul 30, 2001 12:00AM
Both alcohol and valproic acid are metabolized through the liver, and the chances of having an exaggerated effect of either while taking both is quite great. If liver side effects are going to occur from either, they will intensified by taking both.
