Anticonvulsants are not typically prescribed in patients with liver or kidney disease. Some are not prescribed in patients with certain blood disorders (e.g., low platelet count). Others may be prescribed with caution and under close monitoring in these patients. Alcoholism may increase the risk of certain blood conditions (e.g., low sodium levels) in patients taking anticonvulsants.

Other potential conditions of concern with anticonvulsant use include:

• Anemia (deficiency of red blood cells)
  
  
• Diabetes (disease marked by an inability to control blood sugar)
  
  
• Glaucoma (disease marked by marked by increased pressure within the eyeball)
  
  
• Heart or blood vessel disease
  
  
• Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
  
  
• Thalassemia (form of anemia found in people of Mediterranean descent)
  
  
• Urea cycle disorders (diseases that prevent removal of ammonia from the body)
  
  
• Urination problems

Females should use caution when considering use of divalproex. Studies in epilepsy patients have shown that shown that valproic acid (which is formed by divalproex in the body) may increase testosterone levels in teenage girls and may produce or worsen polycystic ovary syndrome (a condition that results in disruption in the reproductive cycle) in women who begin taking the medication before age 20.