This NHS content is written for people in England. Medicine names, availability, prescribing and services may differ in other countries.
Who can take valproic acid
Most adults can take valproic acid to treat bipolar disorder or epilepsy or help prevent migraine.
Most children aged 1 month or older can take valproic acid to treat epilepsy.
Who may not be able to take valproic acid
Girls and women who need to take valproic acid must be enrolled on Prevent, the valproate pregnancy prevention programme.
Valproic acid may affect fertility in men. There may also be a small chance of learning or behavioural problems in the baby if you are taking valproic acid and your partner becomes pregnant. For these reasons, doctors may recommend different treatments for men who could possibly have children, or in those planning to try for a baby.
To make sure valproic acid is safe for you, tell your doctor if you:
- have ever had an allergic reaction to valproic acid or any other medicine
- have liver problems
- have a rare metabolic or genetic condition such as porphyria, urea cycle disorder, mitochondrial disorder or primary carnitine deficiency
View the original NHS website page ↗. Refreshed 19 August 2026.
Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 ↗. MyPHU is independent and is not endorsed by the NHS.