Skip to main content
NCBI home page
British Medical Journal (Clinical Research Ed.) logoLink to British Medical Journal (Clinical Research Ed.)
. 1981 Aug 29;283(6291):577–581. doi: 10.1136/bmj.283.6291.577

Effects of sodium valproate in 100 children with special reference to weight.

J Egger, E M Brett
PMCID: PMC1506957  PMID: 6790086

Abstract

Excessive weight gain occurred in a patient who was taking sodium valproate and phenytoin. The sodium valproate was therefore withdrawn but the rapid weight loss that ensued led to phenytoin intoxication. Hence a retrospective analysis was conducted of 100 children with epilepsy treated with sodium valproate. Fit control improved in 77 and was best in children with generalised epilepsy. None of the reported severe side effects, such as acute liver disease and pancreatitis, were encountered. Milder but troublesome side effects, however, occurred in 65 patients. The commonest was increased weight gain, which occurred in 44 cases. Others were transient gastrointestinal disturbances (20), lassitude (nine), transient hair loss (six), transient enuresis (seven), and aggressive behaviour (four).

Full text

PDF
577

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bondy P. K. Metabolic obesity? N Engl J Med. 1980 Oct 30;303(18):1057–1058. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198010303031810. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bruni J., Wilder B. J. Valproic acid. Review of a new antiepileptic drug. Arch Neurol. 1979 Jul;36(7):393–398. doi: 10.1001/archneur.1979.00500430023002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Coulter D. L., Allen R. J. Pancreatitis associated with valproic acid therapy for epilepsy. Ann Neurol. 1980 Jan;7(1):92–92. doi: 10.1002/ana.410070118. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. De Luise M., Blackburn G. L., Flier J. S. Reduced activity of the red-cell sodium-potassium pump in human obesity. N Engl J Med. 1980 Oct 30;303(18):1017–1022. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198010303031801. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Jaeken J., Casaer P., Corbeel L. Valproate, hyperammonaemia, and hyperglycinaemia. Lancet. 1980 Aug 2;2(8188):260–260. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(80)90148-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Jeavons P. M., Clark J. E., Maheshwari M. C. Treatment of generalized epilepsies of childhood and adolescence with sodium valproate ("epilim"). Dev Med Child Neurol. 1977 Feb;19(1):9–25. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.1977.tb08015.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Lin M. H., Romsos D. R., Akera T., Leveille G. A. Na+,K+-ATPase enzyme units in skeletal muscle from lean and obese mice. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1978 Jan 30;80(2):398–404. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(78)90690-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. MEUNIER H., CARRAZ G., NEUNIER Y., EYMARD P., AIMARD M. [Pharmacodynamic properties of N-dipropylacetic acid]. Therapie. 1963 Mar-Apr;18:435–438. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Massey E. W., Pellock J. M. Meralgia paraesthetica in a child. J Pediatr. 1978 Aug;93(2):325–326. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(78)80566-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Matsumoto I., Kuhara T., Yoshino M. Metabolism of branched medium chain length fatty acid. II--beta-oxidation of sodium dipropylacetate in rats. Biomed Mass Spectrom. 1976 Oct;3(5):235–240. doi: 10.1002/bms.1200030509. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Redenbaugh J. E., Sato S., Penry J. K., Dreifuss F. E., Kupferberg H. J. Sodium valproate: pharmacokinetics and effectivensss in treating intractable seizures. Neurology. 1980 Jan;30(1):1–6. doi: 10.1212/wnl.30.1.1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Sherard E. S., Jr, Steiman G. S., Couri D. Treatment of childhood epilepsy with valproic acid: results of the first 100 patients in a 6-month trial. Neurology. 1980 Jan;30(1):31–35. doi: 10.1212/wnl.30.1.31. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Simler S., Ciesielski L., Maitre M., Randrianarisoa H., Mandel P. Effect of sodium n-dipropylacetate on audiogenic seizures and brain -aminobutyric acid level. Biochem Pharmacol. 1973 Jul 15;22(14):1701–1708. doi: 10.1016/0006-2952(73)90383-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Slater G. E., Johnston D. Sodium valproate increases potassium conductance in Aplysia neurons. Epilepsia. 1978 Aug;19(4):379–384. doi: 10.1111/j.1528-1157.1978.tb04504.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Sutor A. H., Jesdinsky-Buscher C. Gerinnungsveränderungen durch Dipropylessigsäure (Ergenyl. Med Welt. 1974 Mar 15;25(11):447–449. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Tanner J. M., Whitehouse R. H. Clinical longitudinal standards for height, weight, height velocity, weight velocity, and stages of puberty. Arch Dis Child. 1976 Mar;51(3):170–179. doi: 10.1136/adc.51.3.170. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Tanner J. M., Whitehouse R. H., Takaishi M. Standards from birth to maturity for height, weight, height velocity, and weight velocity: British children, 1965. I. Arch Dis Child. 1966 Oct;41(219):454–471. doi: 10.1136/adc.41.219.454. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Ware S., Millward-Sadler G. H. Acute liver disease associated with sodium valproate. Lancet. 1980 Nov 22;2(8204):1110–1113. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(80)92543-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Medical Journal (Clinical research ed.) are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES