Valproic Acid: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Valproic Acid is a medicine sold in the U.S. under 3 brand and generic names. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Available as
- Syrup · Capsule · Capsule, delayed release · Solution
- Sold as
- 3 products — Depakene, Stavzor and Valproic Acid
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Yes
- What the pharmacy pays
- about $1 for a 30-count supply — not your price
Every valproic acid product we track (3)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
| # | Drug | Rating | Type | Form | Generic? | Pharmacy pays | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 72/100 | Prescription | Syrup | Generic | $1 | View → | |
| 2 | 72/100 | Prescription | Capsule | Generic | $1 | View → | |
| 3 | Not yet rated | Prescription | Solution | Generic | $1 | View → |
What valproic acid pills look like
Imprint codes, colour and shape from the FDA’s labelling data. Match the imprint on your pill — or search any imprint.
| Imprint | Strength | Colour | Shape | Maker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VALPROIC;250 | 250 mg | white | capsule | — |
| PA2120 | 250 mg | white | oval | — |
| PA2120 | 250 mg | white | oval | — |
Can you crush or split valproic acid?
At least one valproic acidproduct is labelled to be swallowed whole — crushing an extended-release tablet releases the whole day’s dose at once. Which applies depends on the form you were given.
What each valproic acid label says about crushing, splitting and chewingHow long valproic acid keeps
No valproic acid label we read sets a separate limit for after opening, but they do specify how it must be stored — and the stability behind any date assumes those conditions.
Valproic Acid and breastfeeding
From LactMed, the US National Library of Medicine’s Drugs and Lactation Database — quoted, not rewritten.
Full LactMed record for valproic acid: levels in milk, effects in breastfed infants, and the drugs it would consider insteadValproic acid levels in breastmilk are low and infant serum levels range from undetectable to low. Breastfeeding during valproic acid monotherapy does not appear to adversely affect infant growth or development. Breastfed infants of mothers taking valproate had higher IQs and enhanced verbal abilities than nonbreastfed infants at 6 years of age in one study. A safety scoring system finds valproic acid possible to use during breastfeeding, and a computer model predicted a relatively low infant exposure, consistent with literature reports. If valproic acid is required by the mother, it is not a reason to discontinue breastfeeding.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, record revised April 15, 2026. LactMed states its information is not a substitute for professional judgement.
What people report to the FDA about valproic acid
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 32,869 reports naming valproic acid, and the FDA flagged 94% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:
- seizure2,020 reports
- somnolence1,338 reports
- depression1,236 reports
- foetal exposure during pregnancy945 reports
- pyrexia925 reports
- status epilepticus780 reports
- vomiting764 reports
- fatigue741 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean valproic acid caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved August 26, 2026.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
Can you take valproic acid with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run valproic acid against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What brand names is valproic acid sold under?
We track 3 valproic acid-containing products in the U.S.: Depakene, Stavzor and Valproic Acid. They are the same active ingredient; they differ in form, manufacturer, price and FDA recall record.
What forms does valproic acid come in?
Across the brands we track, valproic acid is currently marketed as syrup, capsule, capsule, delayed release and solution, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic valproic acid?
Yes. Our catalog lists 1 generic valproic acid product alongside the brand versions. A generic has the same active ingredient and must meet the FDA's bioequivalence standard; it usually costs less. Ask your pharmacist which one your plan covers.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Valproic Acid: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/valproic-acid
- MLA
- “Valproic Acid: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/valproic-acid.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for valproic acid on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.