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Despite its effectiveness in treating a variety of neurologic and psychiatric conditions, valproate carries many clinically significant adverse effects that are sometimes life-threatening. Due to the potentially severe nature of these adverse effects, providers must communicate these risks to patients and maintain close follow-up, especially during the first six months following drug initiation or dose increase. We present a case of a 64-year-old male with schizoaffective disorder who developed thrombocytopenia following the initiation of valproate. The patient was started on valproate for underlying mental illness, sleep disturbance, and impulsivity, with subsequent development of thrombocytopenia, which required discontinuation of valproate. Platelet levels returned to baseline within two weeks after discontinuation of valproate. This case underscores the potential risk of developing thrombocytopenia with valproate use and highlights the importance of vigilant monitoring and consideration of underlying risk factors before the initiation of therapy.
Surineni et al. (2024) studied this question.