Valproate blood-level monitoring
If you take valproate long-term, a blood valproate level should be checked periodically.
Across de-identified U.S. psychiatric records, we found this step was missed about 82% of the time it should have happened.
Among people taking valproate, those whose blood level ran too high were about 1.6 times as likely to develop low platelet counts (which help blood clot) over the next year as those whose level stayed in the safe range.
This page is here to help you know what to ask about. It is not medical advice, and you should never start, stop, or change a medication on your own. Bring these questions to a doctor who knows you.
Questions to ask your doctor
Copy a line and ask it at your next visit. These are questions to start a conversation, not instructions to change your treatment.
- I take valproate - when was my last valproate blood level?
- How often should this level be checked?
The evidence
Among people taking valproate, those whose blood level ran too high were about 1.6 times as likely to develop low platelet counts (which help blood clot) over the next year as those whose level stayed in the safe range.
This page is information, not medical advice. It describes care patterns across many people and can't speak to your own situation. Bring these questions to a clinician who knows you.
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