Comparing Carbamazepine vs Valproic Acid

View side-by-side comparisons of medication uses, ratings, cost, side effects and interactions.
Carbamazepine	Valproic acid	Enter another drug to compare

Carbamazepine

Valproic acid

Prescription only

Carbamazepine is an anticonvulsant that may be used in the treatment of various seizure disorders and also to relieve nerve pain associated with conditions such as trigeminal neuralgia or diabetic... View more

Prescription only

Prescribed for Bipolar Disorder, Epilepsy, Cluster-Tic Syndrome, Seizure Prevention, Headache, Seizures, Hyperekplexia, Mania, Migraine, Migraine Prevention, Schizoaffective Disorder. Valproic acid... View more

More about Carbamazepine

More about Valproic acid

Ratings & Reviews

Carbamazepine has an average rating of 7.0 out of 10 from a total of 352 ratings on Drugs.com. 59% of reviewers reported a positive effect, while 21% reported a negative effect.

Valproic acid has an average rating of 6.0 out of 10 from a total of 64 ratings on Drugs.com. 52% of reviewers reported a positive effect, while 36% reported a negative effect.

View all 352 reviews

View all 64 reviews

Side Effects Experienced by Users Side effects are reported in Drugs.com user reviews and not clinically verified.

Dizziness (12.5%)
Drowsiness (9.1%)
Tiredness (7.1%)
Nausea (5.7%)
Memory loss (4.8%)
Sleepy (4.5%)
Rash (3.4%)

View all Carbamazepine side effects

Depression (14.1%)
Tremors (9.4%)
Weight gain (9.4%)
Hair loss (7.8%)
Insomnia (7.8%)
Memory loss (7.8%)
Nausea (7.8%)

View all Valproic acid side effects

Drug Class

Dibenzazepine anticonvulsants

Fatty acid derivative anticonvulsants

Generic Availability

Lower cost generic

Pricing and Coupons * Prices are without insurance

Quantity	100 each
Strength	200 mg
Per unit^*	$0.88
Cost^*	$88.36

View all Carbamazepine prices

Quantity	100 each
Strength	250 mg
Per unit^*	$0.33
Cost^*	$32.79

View all Valproic acid prices

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Dosage Forms

Oral capsule, extended release
Oral suspension
Oral tablet
Oral tablet, chewable
Oral tablet, extended release

Oral capsule
Oral liquid
Oral syrup

Half Life Drug half-life is the time required for plasma concentration to reduce to half its original value.

19 hours

16 hours

CSA Schedule ¹ View glossary of CSA terms

Not a controlled drug

Is not subject to the Controlled Substances Act.

Not a controlled drug

Is not subject to the Controlled Substances Act.

Pregnancy Category

Category D Positive evidence of risk

See the full pregnancy warnings document.

Category D Positive evidence of risk

When Treating Epilepsy

Category X Not for use in pregnancy

When Treating Migraine

See the full pregnancy warnings document.

Drug Interactions

A total of 805 drugs are known to interact with Carbamazepine:

260 major drug interactions (773 brand and generic names)
510 moderate drug interactions (3059 brand and generic names)
35 minor drug interactions (104 brand and generic names)

A total of 425 drugs are known to interact with Valproic acid:

24 major drug interactions (68 brand and generic names)
377 moderate drug interactions (2488 brand and generic names)
24 minor drug interactions (205 brand and generic names)

Alcohol/Food/Lifestyle Interactions

You should preferably avoid the regular consumption of grapefruits and grapefruit juice while... View more

Alcohol can increase the nervous system side effects of valproic acid such as dizziness... View more

Disease Interactions

First Approval Date

March 11, 1968

February 28, 1978

WADA Class View classifications

N/A

More Information

Patient Resources

Professional Resources

¹ The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) schedule information displayed applies to substances regulated under federal law. There may be variations in CSA schedules between individual states.

Further information

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

Medical Disclaimer

Comparing Carbamazepine vs Valproic Acid

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