hair loss

[Crazykid]

I am in a total dilemma here. Right now lamictal with parnate are helping me much more than any of the other meds my psych had me farting around with for the past few years (SSRIs, wellbutrin, buspar etc.) But the lamictal is causing nasty side effects, like hair loss!! I am only 20 years old and my hair is falling out. In addition to the hair loss it made my acne worse (never had pimples on my back prior to lamictal), and I get nasty gas, diarrhea, severe insomnia, night sweats, memory & cognitive issues...and I am only on 75mg a day! These are the worst side effects I've had from any med.. The parnate on the other hand only causes drowsiness and gives me goosebumps...not too bothersome. But I am in a bind because these meds have helped me alot-I went from a suicidal hospital patient to a full-time college student. However I am not exactly sure which med (or both) is responsible for my improvement since I started them around the same time.

Does anyone know if this hair loss is permanent? Cuz it is totally freaking me out. I don't really know what to do here...I would like to see if I could subsist on just the parnate and phase out the lamictal, but I am afraid I might get depressed again without the lamictal. And I cant'f afford for that to happen again, but these side effects are driving me nuts. Argh!... Anyone have any ideas? My psych appointment is tomorrow morning.

I am a unipolar chronic depressive, not bipolar...btw.

[usernametaken]

hey

not much for you but, when i was titrating up on lamictal my face broke out a lot. pdoc said it wasn't a side effect, but i'd say the lamictal was the only variable. it did go away, either after getting to the correct higher dose or something. 100mg is the typical min dose but YMMV. as for hair loss i didn't notice until i came off the lamictal, then my hair was fuller and shinier. it should not be permanent, but i did notice these two things. not a medical professional but given your symptoms i'd stay on the stuff and talk (communicate) to your pdoc. going off put me into two weeks of down. your skin does adjust, how long has it been?

[AnneMarie]

The hair loss probably is temporary. It should stop with your next hair cycle. In the mean time, try a little biotin, zinc, and selenium over the FDA 100%. (Can't remember ratios, but it's on the net.) Btw, temporary hair loss in response to any powerful med is not uncommon. Acne is a Lamictal SE for some. It may be temporary or not. See a dermatologist for topicals. If that doesn't work, there's the last ditch antibiotics that should resolve anything bad enough to warrant their use. Gastro-intestinal stuff is not a Lamictal SE to my knowledge, at least not if taken with a meal. That one might be the Parnate. Dunno. Minor cognitive issues with ACs often wear off with time. Extreme ones, however, can require med adjustments. Generally, 75mg shouldn't cause a bit issue, but it's all YMMV.

[CER]

Crazykid,

First of all, if you haven't been warned before, you should know that titration with Lamictal is a real bitch! (Worse than Stacia on a manic Monday). You will have all sorts of unpleasant side effects, but most of them will go away as you increase your dosage.

When I first started on Lamictal I woke up one morning (kind of like you) and thought a shedding cat slept on my pillow. It was freaky. Hair loss when you first start up on it is not uncommon, but it shouldn't be permanent.

The vitamins Stacia mentioned should help - they do for me. Also look into getting a good shampoo too (your doctor, stylist or dermatologist could probably recommend one).

Once I got to my target dose (200mg) I noticed my hair loss not being nearly as bad as in the beginning. It's probably because my body had adjusted to the med by then.

You have to remember to put things in perspective though - you say the med is working. What sucks less? Being crazy or dealing with a side effect?

Personally I like being crazy but my wife says "No way Jose!"