Sodium valproate (Epilim®, Episenta®) and the related drugs valproic acid (Depakote®, Convulex®) are anticonvulsant medications used in the treatment of epilepsy. They are also used for treatment of bipolar disorder and as prophylaxis for migraine.
Exposure during pregnancy is a known cause of birth defects. As it is not possible to know whether an individual donation will be transfused to a pregnant woman, donors taking any form of sodium valproate or valproic acid must be deferred until at least one week after stopping treatment.
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