Comparing Lithium vs Valproic Acid
| Lithium | Valproic acid |
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| Lithium | Valproic acid |
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Prescription only
Lithium may be used to treat manic episodes associated with bipolar I disorder; however, there is a fine line between too much and too little, and ongoing monitoring is needed to prevent lithium... 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 |
Related suggestions Bipolar Disorder
Schizoaffective Disorder
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| More about Lithium | More about Valproic acid | ||||||||||||||||
| Ratings & Reviews | |||||||||||||||||
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Lithium has an average rating of 7.3 out of 10 from a total of 495 ratings on Drugs.com. 65% of reviewers reported a positive effect, while 20% reported a negative effect. |
Valproic acid has an average rating of 6.1 out of 10 from a total of 65 ratings on Drugs.com. 52% of reviewers reported a positive effect, while 35% reported a negative effect. |
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| Side Effects Experienced by Users Side effects are reported in Drugs.com user reviews and not clinically verified. | |||||||||||||||||
View all Lithium side effects |
View all Valproic acid side effects |
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| Drug Class | |||||||||||||||||
| Generic Availability | |||||||||||||||||
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Lower cost generic |
Lower cost generic |
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| Pricing and Coupons * Prices are without insurance | |||||||||||||||||
View all Lithium prices |
View all Valproic acid prices |
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| Dosage Forms | |||||||||||||||||
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| Brand Names | |||||||||||||||||
| Lithium Carbonate ER, Lithobid | Valproate Sodium | ||||||||||||||||
| Half Life Drug half-life is the time required for plasma concentration to reduce to half its original value. | |||||||||||||||||
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29 hours |
16 hours |
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| CSA Schedule 1 View glossary of CSA terms | |||||||||||||||||
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Not a controlled drug
Is not subject to the Controlled Substances Act. |
Not a controlled drug
Is not subject to the Controlled Substances Act. |
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| Pregnancy Category | |||||||||||||||||
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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. |
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| Drug Interactions | |||||||||||||||||
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A total of 724 drugs are known to interact with Lithium:
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A total of 427 drugs are known to interact with Valproic acid:
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| Alcohol/Food/Lifestyle Interactions | |||||||||||||||||
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| Disease Interactions | |||||||||||||||||
| First Approval Date | |||||||||||||||||
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April 06, 1970 |
February 28, 1978 |
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| WADA Class View classifications | |||||||||||||||||
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N/A |
N/A |
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| More Information | |||||||||||||||||
| Patient Resources | |||||||||||||||||
| Professional Resources | |||||||||||||||||
| Related Treatment Guide | |||||||||||||||||
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.
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Further information
Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.