A way to avoid hair loss with Depakote?

[leadinglady]

I have agoraphobia with PD, major depression, borderline, PTSD and am on Prozac and Zyprexa for moods, amitriptyline and Requip for sleep stuff... I want to add Depakote back because I felt good on Depakote but I always lost wads of hair on it. Is there any way to avoid losing hair on Depakote? Taking Biotin supplements, maybe? 

[Flash]

I've had two meds cause hair loss, and the only thing that helped was getting off of them. I understand how sucky that is,   Because I was incredibly stable on my last meds, and I only stopped them because of the hair loss. My hair stopped falling out, but my MI went kaflooey on me very, very quickly. 

[Blahblah]

9 hours ago, leadinglady said:

I have agoraphobia with PD, major depression, borderline, PTSD and am on Prozac and Zyprexa for moods, amitriptyline and Requip for sleep stuff... I want to add Depakote back because I felt good on Depakote but I always lost wads of hair on it. Is there any way to avoid losing hair on Depakote? Taking Biotin supplements, maybe? 

Have you tried any of the other anticonvulsants in that class? Lamictal for example? I've heard that hair loss is a rare side effect with it, but may be worth looking into if you like Depakote. This side effect is probably also dosage dependent.

[rowan77]

Valproate-induced hair loss:

What to tell patients

In addition to reducing a patient’s valproate dosage when clinically feasible, you can suggest pharmacologic and lifestyle changes to help patients minimize hair loss:

1. Recommend a biotin supplement. Valproate can cause biotin deficiency and may lead to low serum and liver tissue biotinidase enzyme⁴; a major clinical manifestation of biotin deficiency is alopecia.

2. Tell patients to avoid taking valproate during meals to prevent its chelating effect on food. The chelating effect of valproate makes metals that facilitate hair growth, such as zinc and selenium, unavailable for absorption.⁵

3. Recommend zinc and selenium supplements, which can help stop further hair loss and regenerate hair.⁵

4. Suggest practical advice for hair care, including using soft brushes and mild shampoos and avoiding dyes, heated curlers, and hair dryers.

5. Consider minoxidil therapy. However, this is an expensive option and there are no cases documenting its use for alopecia caused by mood stabilizers.

http://www.mdedge.com/currentpsychiatry/article/64519/bipolar-disorder/valproate-induced-hair-loss-what-tell-patients

I take depakote and thankfully I have not loss hair so far but I read up on it a bit.

Hope this helps in some way.

[confused]

I took depakote. I had to be gentle with my hair. Air dry, lots of conditioner. I may have used a large comb or soft brush but nothing that pulls at the hair, 

i have heard good things about adding the vitamins and supplements mentioned by rowan.

[crtclms]

I have had some thinning, and I think it is from meds, but it could be because I'm through menopause. Anyway, I use biotin, and it helps. It hasn't returned to its original thickness, though. My nails grow like crazy.

[leadinglady]

On 3/4/2017 at 3:21 AM, rowan77 said:

Valproate-induced hair loss:

What to tell patients

In addition to reducing a patient’s valproate dosage when clinically feasible, you can suggest pharmacologic and lifestyle changes to help patients minimize hair loss:

1. Recommend a biotin supplement. Valproate can cause biotin deficiency and may lead to low serum and liver tissue biotinidase enzyme⁴; a major clinical manifestation of biotin deficiency is alopecia.

2. Tell patients to avoid taking valproate during meals to prevent its chelating effect on food. The chelating effect of valproate makes metals that facilitate hair growth, such as zinc and selenium, unavailable for absorption.⁵

3. Recommend zinc and selenium supplements, which can help stop further hair loss and regenerate hair.⁵

4. Suggest practical advice for hair care, including using soft brushes and mild shampoos and avoiding dyes, heated curlers, and hair dryers.

5. Consider minoxidil therapy. However, this is an expensive option and there are no cases documenting its use for alopecia caused by mood stabilizers.

http://www.mdedge.com/currentpsychiatry/article/64519/bipolar-disorder/valproate-induced-hair-loss-what-tell-patients

I take depakote and thankfully I have not loss hair so far but I read up on it a bit.

Hope this helps in some way.

I'm going to definitely avoid taking Depakote during meals and take a zinc and selenium supplement. I take biotin. Thanks for the information, it helps a lot!