Depakote and Hair Loss

[Guest PinkToo2grrl]

Not sure if this belongs here on in side effects, or ... <sigh>  please feel free to move, thx!

OK, so I am on a low dosage of depakote, 500 mg/nite.  I am SHEDDING all over the place, and while my DW assures me it doesnt LOOK as if my hair is thinnning, I am freaking out, nightmares of pulling chunks of hair out in my hands and so forth. 

So, pdoc said if its an issue just take selenium, so I got some, and I am wondering if anyone else has used it, at what dosage, and what your results have been.  appreciate your feedback.

[JennaPoz]

Not sure if this belongs here on in side effects, or ... <sigh>

[scatty]

I was told to take 200 mgs and zinc also.  I just kept losing more and more hair!

My pdoc said it was med related but not dose related, so he had to pull me off the

depakote before I went bald.  My hair did grow back but now has a funky wave to

it that I hate!  Just my experience.

[Lisa_K]

Hey Pinky...Im on Depakote ER 1000mg at bedtime and yes I have the hair thing going on too...fun fun...I take selenium, calcium, vitamin E, and multivitamins. It has helped some. Im not balding or anything...but Ive noticed it comes out more in the shower when Ive got tons of conditioner on, whether or not that has anything to do with it. So Ive cut down on the conditioner. The vitamins have also helped, I think.

When I first started Depakote and first noticed the hair thing I could run my hands through my hair in the bath and it was like....ewww...grosss... I had a ton of hair in my fingers...and thats when I freaked and started asking my doctor what I could do...and looking into supplements.

Now, I dont have that in my fingers...at leats not like before, maybe a strand or 2, but not like before. And I can tell I have hair growing in, which is good. But having epilepsy, and bipolar, and being that depakote has worked so well for me, I cant really afford to switch off of it over something like my hair right now.

[Guest Llamanator]

I've been finding that after the initial period of hair falling out with meds, (BCPs and Lamictal to an extent), that it does level off after a while, and even has periods of trying to grow back.

*errr...grow!* *wait for five minutes* *you're not growing yet*

Almost...cyclic, hardy har (do wonder how much of it's hormonal...).

It hasn't changed much since I experimented a little and took a break from all the supplements and vitamins and things, really. They really do have other benefits regardless, mostly in the skin and memory department. Which is good, considering the side effects these drugs tend to have in common.

Considering the memory problems I've been having over the last few months, it's time to start again.

BTW, I did find that mostly ditching shampoos with sodium laureth sulfate (use it once a week, maybe...still looking for a replacement for it's cleaning power) and being generally gentle with my hair helped a lot. No blow drying, coloring, or styling products. It makes a tremendous difference.

Good luck.

Mimi

[Artchick]

I didn't have much luck with supplements and Depakote did a number on my hair. My beautiful long blonde straight hair very gradually thinned out. The problem came when it started to grow in again. It was curly- I mean everyone thinking I got a perm curly. So I had some long straight hairs and some short curly hairs all mixed together. My hair was so out-of-control that my sister started calling me Monica (remember that Friend's episode?)

I switched from Depakote to Lamictal and 2 years later I have my long straight hair back.

I'm vain. What can I tell you.