Effects - sodium valproate

[smigfist]

a friend of mine just got prescribed to epilim, an epilepsy medication also used to treat bipolar, its a "mood stabiliser". can anybody give me some info on its effects?
ta

[chillinwill]

here are some side effects it can cause

• Disturbances of the gut such as diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain.
  
  
• Increased appetite and weight gain.
  
  
• Decrease in the number of platelets in the blood (thrombocytopenia).
  
  
• Temporary hair loss - regrowth may be curly.
  
  
• Increased alertness.
  
  
• Aggression.
  
  
• Hyperactivity.
  
  
• Shaky movements and unsteady walk (ataxia).
  
  
• Tremor.
  
  
• Inflammation of blood vessels (vasculitis).
  
  
• Drowsiness.
  
  
• Confusion.
  
  
• Liver disorders.
  
  
• Irregular or stopping of menstrual periods.
  
  
• Skin rashes.
  
  
• Decreased numbers of white blood cells in the blood (leucopenia).
  
  
• Anaemia.
  
  
• Acne.
  
  
• Increased hair growth (hirsutism).
  
  
• Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis).