Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get Started
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Proper Use
Take this medicine exactly as directed by your doctor. Do not take more of it, do not take it more often, and do not take it for a longer time than your doctor ordered. To keep blood levels constant, take this medicine at the same time each day and do not miss any doses.
This medicine comes with a medication guide and patient information insert. Read and follow the instructions in the insert carefully. Ask your doctor if you have any questions.
You may take this medicine with food to avoid stomach upset.
The sprinkle capsules may be opened and the contents may be sprinkled onto soft food such as applesauce or pudding. This mixture must be swallowed immediately without chewing and followed with a glass of water to ensure complete swallowing of the sprinkles.
Swallow the extended release tablet whole with a full glass of water. Do not split, crush, or chew it.
Dosing
The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.
The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.
- For oral dosage forms (delayed-release tablets):
- For mania:
- Adults—At first, 750 milligrams (mg) once a day, usually divided in smaller doses. Your doctor may increase your dose as needed. However, the dose is usually not more than 60 milligrams (mg) per kilogram (kg) of body weight a day.
- Children—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
- For migraine:
- Adults—At first, 250 milligrams (mg) two times a day. Your doctor may increase your dose as needed. However, the dose is usually not more than 1000 mg a day.
- Children—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
- For seizures:
- Adults and children 10 years of age or older—Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your doctor. At first, the usual dose is 10 to 15 milligrams (mg) per kilogram (kg) of body weight a day to start. Your doctor may increase your dose gradually every week by 5 to 10 mg per kg of body weight if needed. However, the dose is usually not more than 60 mg per kg of body weight a day. If the total dose a day is greater than 250 mg, it is usually divided into smaller doses and taken two or more times during the day.
- Children below 10 years of age—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
- For mania:
- For oral dosage forms (extended release tablets):
- For mania:
- Adults—Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your doctor. At first, the usual dose is 25 milligrams (mg) per kilogram (kg) of body weight once a day to start. Your doctor may increase your dose if needed. However, the dose is usually not more than 60 mg per kg of body weight a day.
- Children—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
- For migraine:
- Adults—At first, 500 milligrams (mg) once a day for 1 week. Your doctor may increase your dose as needed. However, the dose is usually not more than 1000 mg a day.
- Children—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
- For seizures:
- Adults and children 10 years of age or older—Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your doctor. At first, the usual dose is 10 to 15 milligrams (mg) per kilogram (kg) of body weight a day to start. Your doctor may increase your dose gradually every week by 5 to 10 mg per kg of body weight if needed. However, the dose is usually not more than 60 mg per kg of body weight a day.
- Children below 10 years of age—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
- For mania:
- For oral dosage form (sprinkle capsules):
- For seizures:
- Adults and children 10 years of age or older—Dose is based on body weight and must be determined by your doctor. At first, the usual dose is 10 to 15 milligrams (mg) per kilogram (kg) of body weight a day to start. Your doctor may increase your dose gradually every week by 5 to 10 mg per kg of body weight if needed. However, the dose is usually not more than 60 mg per kg of body weight a day. If the total dose a day is greater than 250 mg, it is usually divided into smaller doses and taken two or more times during the day.
- Children below 10 years of age—Use and dose must be determined by your doctor.
- For seizures:
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose of this medicine, take it as soon as possible. However, if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not double doses.
Storage
Store the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, and direct light. Keep from freezing.
Keep out of the reach of children.
Do not keep outdated medicine or medicine no longer needed.
Ask your healthcare professional how you should dispose of any medicine you do not use.
