Valproate is a drug that is classified as an anticonvulsant medication and thus is typically prescribed to control seizures. It is also prescribed at times to prevent migraine headaches and to decrease manic episodes in bipolar disorder. Some physicians also prescribe it to treat the challenging behaviors in Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia. Using valproate in this manner is considered off-label since it is not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for this use.
Valproate products include valproate sodium, divalproex sodium (Depakote and Depakote ER), and valproic acid.
Different Forms
Valproate comes in different forms, including oral solutions, tablets, extended-release tablets, capsules with valproate sprinkles (these capsules can be swallowed whole or opened and the contents sprinkled on soft food for those with difficulty swallowing) and injections/IVs for those who can't take oral medications.
Why It's Used to Treat Challenging Behaviors
One of the difficulties in Alzheimer's disease is that personalities and behaviors can change as a result of the disease. Some of the challenging behaviors in dementia can include agitation, restlessness, combativeness, verbal aggression, resistance to care, wandering and paranoid thinking. It can be difficult to know how to respond to these types of behaviors and emotions.
The medical community has tried different drugs to try to reduce these behaviors, including antipsychotic medications (which can have significant negative side effects and are highly regulated in the nursing home industry), benzodiazepines (which also come with negative side effects and questionable effectiveness) and antidepressants (which aren't always effective or appropriate). The bottom line is that there is generally not a highly effective medication to treat behavioral disturbances in dementia.
Thus, valproate rose as a contender in the attempt to treat agitation in dementia. In addition to the hope of it being an effective treatment, valproate had the advantage of being a medication that initially flew a little more under the radar in terms of the nursing home regulations—which are highly concentrated on the reduction and elimination of antipsychotic medications in dementia but not as focused on valproate.
Should Valproate Be Used?
According to multiple research studies, the answer generally is: No.
Why not?
It is often ineffective. Although there are isolated anecdotal cases of effectiveness, reviews of multiple studies concluded that valproate was not any more helpful than a placebo (fake pill) in decreasing the challenging behaviors of dementia.
According to another study published in JAMA Psychiatry, valproate also failed to slow down the cognitive progression of dementia, a hoped-for benefit that did not emerge with its use.
Side Effects
Multiple studies also found that the participants who received valproate were at high risk for side effects from the medication. Specifically, advanced age, female gender, and high doses were risk factors for developing thrombocytopenia during treatment with valproate.
Those side effects included thrombocytopenia (decreased blood platelets), increased agitation, gait disturbances, tremor, sedation and sleepiness, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Alternatives
Rather than reaching for the medication bottle to modify difficult behaviors in dementia, the first strategy should always be non-drug approaches. Consider factors that could be triggering those behaviors such as the environment, physical pain, discomfort or restlessness and try to address and adjust those potential causes.
Employ strategies such as allowing the person some time to calm down alone and then returning later to finish the task you're trying to accomplish.
Finally, recognize that caregiver stress and burnout can exacerbate the behaviors of someone with dementia. Monitor yourself for signs of caregiver overload and use family, friends and community resources to support you in your caregiver role.
In 2023, the Food and Drug Administration approved Rexulti (brexpiprazole) for the treatment of agitation symptoms associated with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease. Rexulti is the first and only FDA-approved drug for this indication.
A Word From Verywell
It's normal and appropriate to seek out treatments that help with the difficult behaviors that often develop in dementia. Unfortunately, we have yet to find a consistently safe and effective medication for this purpose.
Because of this, be sure to seek support as a caregiver since the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia can be stressful to handle. This support can help you to feel less isolated and allow caregivers to share different strategies that have been helpful for them.