Why is medicine Desval prescribed?

Q: I am a 19 years old male taking Desval ER 250 twice a day. For what purpose is this drug prescribed? Does the prolong use of this medicine cause any problems?

A:Desval is the brand name; the name of the medicine is divalproex. It is primarily used in the treatment of epilepsy, more particularly in the Petit Mal type (also called absence seizures when there are no fits). The drug has some side effects but if it is necessary in the treatment, then there is no alternative but to accept such undesirable effects.