cannabidiol vs valproate
Side-by-side comparison of cannabidiol and valproate. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
minor Known Drug Interaction
7.3 Concomitant Use of EPIDIOLEX and Valproate Concomitant use of EPIDIOLEX and valproate increases the incidence of liver enzyme elevations [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )]. If such elevations occur, consider discontinuation or reduction of EPIDIOLEX and/or concomitant valproate.
Recommendation: Your doctor may need to lower your dose or stop one of the medicines if your liver tests show signs of stress.
Epidiolex
Depakote, Depakene
Epidiolex is a medicine that contains cannabidiol. It is used to treat seizures in people with certain conditions.
Valproate sodium injection is used when you cannot take valproate pills. It helps control seizures.
Epidiolex is used to treat seizures linked to Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), Dravet syndrome (DS), or tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). It is for patients who are at least 1 year old. These conditions can cause seizures that are hard to control.
This medicine treats certain types of seizures. It can be used alone or with other medicines to treat complex partial seizures. It also treats simple and complex absence seizures, and multiple seizure types that include absence seizures.
Epidiolex contains cannabidiol, which is a substance that may affect how the brain works. It is thought to reduce seizures by acting on certain brain chemicals. The exact way it works is not fully understood.
Valproate affects the levels of certain chemicals in your brain. These chemicals help to control seizures. This medicine helps to reduce the frequency of seizures.
- • Feeling sleepy
- • Decreased appetite
- • Diarrhea
- • Changes in liver blood tests
- • Feeling tired or weak
- • Headache
- • Dizziness
- • Nausea
- • Pain at the injection site
- Seizure 5,791
- Hospital stay 2,073
- Diarrhea 1,695
- Sleepiness 1,242
- Death 1,204
- The medicine is interacting with another medicine 1,187
- The baby was exposed to the medicine during pregnancy 1,043
- Sleepiness 951
- Seizures 813
- Harmful effects from different substances 757
Epidiolex can cause liver problems. Your doctor will check your liver before you start and during treatment. Tell your doctor right away if you feel very tired, have yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, or loss of appetite. Epidiolex may also cause sleepiness or suicidal thoughts. Tell your doctor if you have any changes in mood or behavior.
Valproate can cause life-threatening liver problems, especially in the first 6 months of treatment. Children under 2 and people with mitochondrial disorders have a higher risk. Valproate can also harm an unborn baby, causing birth defects and lower IQ. It can also cause pancreatitis, which can be fatal.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Epidiolex may harm your unborn baby. There are pregnancy programs to monitor outcomes, so talk to your doctor about enrolling. It is not known if Epidiolex passes into breast milk, so talk to your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you are taking this medicine.
Valproate can cause serious birth defects if taken during pregnancy. Do not take this medicine if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant unless other medicines don't work for you. There is a pregnancy registry for women who take valproate during pregnancy; call 1-888-233-2334 to enroll.
How to Read This cannabidiol vs valproate Comparison
cannabidiol is classified in the Cannabinoid (Anticonvulsant) drug class, while valproate sits within the Anticonvulsant / Mood Stabilizer class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, cannabidiol has 12,005 submissions while valproate has 4,751. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to taking these two medicines together can cause your liver enzymes to rise, which may indicate liver irritation.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between cannabidiol and valproate - always consult your physician or pharmacist first.
Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.