I've been taking Valproic Acid (Epilim), for about 30 years. My neurologist use to also refer to it as a "mood stabiliser," maybe because it's also used to treat anxiety and bipolar disorder.
Initially, I was taking 3,000mg a day - currently down to 1,000mg a day. The biggest side effect I noticed and I was warned, was that it made my hair fall out quickly. So I was bald a lot sooner than I expected but, that didn't bother me as baldness runs in the family.
It also effects your libido, a lot of anti-convulsants do.
I have blood tests once a year and don 't know my current levels except to say that they're a lot lower than they were when I was on 3,000mg daily.

You have a great Neurologist! Mine was Doctor Comair of Neurology specializing in Neurosurgery at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. But now he is in another state.

Frank, I did not realize that was the base for a mood stabilizer. It is not as if any pharmaceutical company is going to post the biochemical formula for any of their medications. It sounds like you had/have a very good neurologist. It took me 24 years I was diagnosed (and 41 years after my epilepsy restarted as a teenager), but I finally got a good neurologist again. It was too bad that I did not have Dr. Abbott long enough before the Alzheimer's started taking away all of that knowledge. He was up-to-date on everything to do with neurology and then some. And he was also a great human being. Finally, I have great doctors, a therapist, and an RN that watches over my diabetes (my primary care doctor watches the A1C). And all 3 of my doctors at Brigham and Women's Hospital (my neurologist for epilepsy, my neurologist for sleep medicine and my psychiatrist are all young, friendly and smart) My therapist is who I try not to worry about, but it is tough because she is overloaded because she has patients who have come back to her in the last 3 years (some of whom she hasn't needed to help them for at least a decade), thus she is too nice a person (and very aware of the lack of replacements coming in the small cities and towns), thus she knows she cannot retire.

I myself like @A MyEpilepsyTeam Member, used to be tested for my liver. Then had to be removed from valporic acid because it was damaging my liver.

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A MyEpile...

I haven’t been prescribed Valproic acid since 1988.