Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2023 Apr 30;15(4):e38348.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.38348. eCollection 2023 Apr.

Valproate-Associated Transaminitis and Rhabdomyolysis

Anupam Sharma  1 , Jeannlis Sanchez  2 , Madison Dew  3 , Gursimran Shergill  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Valproate-Associated Transaminitis and Rhabdomyolysis

Anupam Sharma et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Valproic acid (VPA), a common anti-epileptic with prevalent use, has many side effects such as alopecia, abdominal discomfort, thrombocytopenia, etc. Other than those documented, publications cite the drug's rare side effects, such as hepatotoxicity, coagulation disorders, hyperammonemic encephalopathy, rhabdomyolysis, etc. We present the case of a 24-year-old man who was started on valproic acid after a seizure episode and developed mild transaminitis and rhabdomyolysis within 24 hours of drug initiation. Cessation of the drug led to the resolution of raised creatinine kinase and transaminase levels.

Keywords: acute hepatotoxicity; non-traumatic rhabdomyolysis; rare side effect; rhabdomyolysis; seizure medications; transaminitis; valproic acid; valproic acid toxicity.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

References

    1. Valproate: past, present, and future. Johannessen CU, Johannessen SI. CNS Drug Rev. 2003;9:199–216. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Valproate-associated hepatotoxicity and its biochemical mechanisms. Eadie MJ, Hooper WD, Dickinson RG. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03259935. Med Toxicol Adverse Drug Exp. 1988;3:85–106. - PubMed
    1. Valproic acid and fatalities in children: a review of individual case safety reports in VigiBase. Star K, Edwards IR, Choonara I. PLoS One. 2014;9:0. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Valproic acid-induced hepatotoxicity in Alpers syndrome is associated with mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening-dependent apoptotic sensitivity in an induced pluripotent stem cell model. Li S, Guo J, Ying Z, et al. Hepatology. 2015;61:1730–1739. - PubMed
    1. Pathogenesis of renal failure in rhabdomyolysis: the role of myoglobin. Holt S, Moore K. Exp Nephrol. 2000;8:72–76. - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources