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 491 ratings on Drugs.com. 65% of reviewers reported a positive effect, while 20% reported a negative effect. |
Valproic acid has an average rating of 6.0 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. |
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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 723 drugs are known to interact with Lithium:
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A total of 425 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.
Further information
Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.