Full Answer
Valproic Acid Dosage
Trough sampling is easily achieved just before a morning daily dose, but the issue arises when patient receives a night dose, because collecting a blood sample 21-24 h later may be limited by the operational hours of laboratory.
Your doctor may recommend that the test be performed at a certain time — for example, just before your child's daily dose — since valproic acid levels may fluctuate throughout the day. Also, it's important to let the doctor know about any other medications your child may be taking, as these can affect the results.
Valproic Acid - Valproic acid is used as an anticonvulsant to treat certain types of seizures, to prevent migraine headaches and to treat various psychiatric illnesses such as bipolar disorder and aggression. Drugs that compete for protein-binding sites with valproic acid can increase the concentration of valproic acid.
Drugs that compete for protein-binding sites with valproic acid can increase the concentration of valproic acid. Therapeutic drug monitoring is useful to optimize dose. Measurement of the free concentration is useful if toxicity is suspected.
hemodialysis. Hemodialysis might be the most effective therapy overall for valproic acid-induced hyperammonemia (since it removes ammonia, valproic acid, and perhaps some of the valproate metabolites). Hyperammonemic encephalopathy is an indication for dialysis (more on this above).
Large overdose can cause delayed absorption of valproic acid from the gut, with levels peaking in a delayed fashion (up to 24 hours after the ingestion). This phenomenon is particularly notable for patients taking extended-release formulations.
No controlled study has been performed on the use of hemodialysis. However, case series demonstrate that hemodialysis dramatically reduces the half-life for valproic acid elimination. Hemodialysis can reduce the half-life to ~2 hours, so ~4-8 hours of hemodialysis might be adequate to reduce valproate levels substantially.
Normally, valproate is metabolized largely in the liver into valproate glucuoronide. Valproate glucuoronide is a harmless metabolite which is secreted into the bile. In the intestine, valproate glucuoronide may be metabolized back into valproic acid by acylpeptide hydrolase – which is then absorbed into the blood.
Elevated anion gap metabol ic acidosis (AGMA) – due to a combination of ketoacids, propionic acid, carboxylic acid, lactate, and valproic acid itself. Elevated transaminase levels. Hypernatremia (due to the sodium content of valproic acid) or hyponatremia (due to valproic acid induced SIADH). Hypocalcemia.
However, this pathway may lead to carnitine depletion – which may be clinically problematic. VPA-Carnitine may also inhibit carnitine uptake into the cells – further exacerbating intracellular carnitine deficiency. The normal half-life of valproic acid is ~5-20 hours. However, in the context of intoxication this may double.
Unlike L-carnitine, L-arginine is not a standard component of therapy for valproic acid intoxication. However, one case series demonstrated that L-arginine administration correlated with improvements in hyperammonemia. ( 28152637) IV L-arginine could be a reasonable consideration in the following situations: