Hi All,
I have temporal lobe epilespy with complex partial seizures- after a nightmare time switching from tegretol to keppra to lamictal, my hair started falling out by the clump-full. The doctors absolutely ignored me, said it wasnt a listed side effect and wouldnt do anything about it. I'm sure you all know how upsetting it is to first, lose so much of your hair, and second, made to feel like you're making it up and being completely irrational. I started taking country life hair tablets a few weeks after the hair loss started and i've seen a huge improvement. My hair still falls out, but not to the heart-wrenching extent it was before i was taking them. I wasnt really sure whether they were working or whether it was just that my body was getting used to the medication, but having run out end of december, my hair has started falling out in clumps again (showering is a bit of a nightmare) so i've reordered them because they do seem to make a difference. They have shitloads of biotin in, and some other herbally stuff which i think makes your hair better condition (so its less likely to fall out) and it grows quicker so hairs are being replaced faster. Also, whereas before my hair was so lank and thin you could see my scalp, its a lot less noticable, perhaps because its in better condition. The link is below, i only take one a day but they say you can take two so hopefully it will help some of you!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000168G1S

DO NOT LET THEM PERSUADE YOU YOU ARE IMAGINGING IT. You aren't, they just dont want to put you on a medication that will cost more, especially if your seizures are controlled.

Hannah

I keep losing a lot of hair.  I'll ask if my epileptologist can lower my Lamictal dose.  I'm even getting bald patches.  This is ridiculous!

Hi Robyn,

It's extremely important to brush your hair completley before washing your hair.  Sometimes unbrushed hair can cause hair loss.  I'm taking currently taking 700 mg/day of Lamictal and have noticed hair loss as well.  It was more noticeable when I was on Depakote.  I thought it was just me.  I'm currently taking 4 AEDs:  Dilantin, Clonazepam (Klonopin), Lamictal and Vimpat.  It might be a combination of them all, or just the Lamictal.  I see a lot of hair in the shower, on the floor, clothing; just about everywhere! 

Vimpat is a great drug.  I've heard that Trileptol is supposed to be like Tegretol, but I haven't tried it yet.  My white cell count is too low each time I see my epileptologist for him to make any changes.   That's the only AED I haven't tried!

I recently switched back to Lamictal. The first time I didn't make the connection. I just figured it was because my hair was dry/damaged. It wasn't until a friend of mine told me about the hair loss and how he and  others he knew were getting off of it that I started thinking back and realizing that I was losing more hair on it then and now than when I was on other meds. Now I seem to pull more than ever out after a shower and in my brush. My hair's thin to begin with, and the women on my mother's side have thinning hair and hair loss when they get old. I don't need to add to it. I haven't seen clumps yet...but I'm starting to see a little more space on the top of my head. Since I've had two seizures in the last 6 mos., my dr. has upped my dosage from 300mg a day to 525mg. I just don't know what to do anymore. I have grand mals and this is the 5th med I've been on and am tired of the side effects. Tegretol never controlled mine. (Apparently isn't made for grand mals,) I was on Depakote for over a decade and it made me gain a ton of weight (It wasn't till I had an allergic reaction to it that dr.'s decided to let me know that little fact.) Keppra gave me horrible mood swings, Zonegran was great for awhile...till I started having headaches. So back to the lamictal. It seemed like a good choice as my last seizure wasn't as bad as the rest...but I don't want to pay the price of losing all my hair, either. I hate the fact that the worst side effects are never listed in the rx material and the dr.'s never tell you. They only seemed concerned about controlling seizures not all the other side effects when they should let us make the decision as to what we're willing to deal with. Anyone have any suggestions of something other than Lamictal that I could ask my dr. about? I don't want to wait for it to get worse. I'm in my 30's...I'll  probably be bald by 40 or 50 if I continue on it.

my seizure was in july 2010. i started lamotrigine (lamictal generic) sept. 2010...i thought i was overreacting when i first lost afew hairs but these last couple of months, i'm soooo depressed ..i've lost 1/3 on my hair!!  this is in 5months!!! i was told to go on lexapro to get rid of the depression the lamotrigine has caused... my primary dr. said it's alopecia...the dermatoligist said to get off my meds and use rogain...we live on 1 retirement check a month and I can not spend 50.00 a pop for a hair product that may not work....my family told me i looked fine; now they just say "oooh, sorry mom".  the beautician said i have more hair than some other clients (who are in their 80's). my neuroligist said it's not a side effect, it's stress from worrying about my health...a natural hair loss after a trauma.....i don't want to wait till it's completely gone...i've seen the centrum silver suggestion...i use nioxin and the few hairs i have feel nice but big deal...you can still see the whole scalp on the top, sides and upper back.  i've read all comments here and think it's strange it's not listed as a side effect, yet only 2 or 3 of 100+ comments haven't lost hair....please...will someone tell me something that will put a positive spin on this...has it grown back for most of you? will it grow back at all??? has anyone had cortisone injections in the scalp?  did it help?  i'd love to stop crying about this so if you can, give my some positive feed or tell me about the substitutes for lamictal..my other side effects are loss of balance...forgetfullness, not being able to come up with the right word or short tern memory loss. looking franticallly for things that are right under my nose, headaches...it took me 15 minutes to remember how my husband broke his neck!! my friends avoid my somewhat...i feel like a 2 year old i feel so vain worrying about my hair but it's a huge issue for me...HELP

I've taken Lamictal since 2006 for epilepsy.  I've lost tons of hair - same as everyone else

NOW FOR THE $64,000 QUESTION 

Has anyone stopped taking lamictal and had their hair grow back?

Inquiring minds NEED TO KNOW.

hello everybody,

I need to know if anyone have an idea abt hair transplant, and in case i have a trasplant and continue on taking Lamictal will it be on vain??

txs a lot

I had to jump in on this thread, I saw my Neuro today and insisted to get off of Lamictal for this exact reason. I told him, "If you don't take me off of Lamictal, when I get home from this appointment, it's going right down the disposal!" I'm close to possible surgery and asked him, "What do I have to lose then other than my hair?" My memory is horrible on Lamictal, it never was until I started Lamictal. My memory in fact, was a running joke at my last job, everybody used to joke if they couldn't remember something, can't find something, call Danny. I went from a photographic memory to forgetting what day of the week it is. He put me back on Dilantin, which I loved and had MUCH BETTER seizure control. At some point in time, (of course I can't remember) an ER Dr took me off of Dilantin and put me on Lamictal. This was more than 10 years ago and I've been trying to get off it ever since! Of all the meds I've shoved down my throat for all these years, Lamictal is the worst. Since I'm only now switching meds, he has me slowly coming off my Lamictal dosage and slowly up on my Dilantin dosage. I'd rather not have my head drilled into if I can control my seizures with meds, we'll see how this goes with Dilantin for a while. I have to say again, after trying damn near any and every med there is for, at least my Epilepsy, Lamictal has given me the least seizure control and the worst side effects.   

my boyfriend definitely complained of hair loss with taking lamictal.  In my anatomy classes i learned that adding certain oils to your diet can help with hairloss

I've been on Lamictal for 8 months (300 mg) & was also on Topamax for a few months.  I'm not sure when the hair loss started exactly but I began to notice it around 3 months ago.  Along my hairline seems to be the main focus.  I've been off Topamax for 2 months now & am still on Lamictal.  I'm not sure which drug is the culprit or if it could be both.

Being single & female really makes it fantastic.  I may as well have my mom move in and start collecting cats.

Wow, I  told one of my doctors that I felt it was the medicene causing my hair loss, but he insisted no it wasn't and every spring/summer I always experience abnormal amounts of hair coming out when I brush my hair! I always thought it was because I dye my hair.

I have been having hair loss for sometime.  I searched for "lamictal and hair loss" and here I am!  Registered just for this!!  Of course in that same search are those who claim that lamictal will not cause hair loss.    I beg to differ ---->  this a "nice" way to disagree.  I have used dilantin, keppra, phenabaritol, trileptal, carbetrol, carbamatzapine.  (forgive  my bad spelling).  Not to mention topamax and lyrica.  All these babies have side effects.  Most of the side effects, except for those which prevent functioning, are bearable.   There is a question for neurologists we need to ask:  "What price must we pay to be seizure-free?"  I would rather skip getting the driver's license just so I can function.   For women, hair loss is not acceptable.   For me,  lamictal was added August of 2007.  Sometime shortly after Ike blew through my neighborhood, I realized that my hair was falling out a lot faster than it should.  I didn't notice until that time.   By January of 2009, I was referred to a dermatologist. My neurologist is great, but he needs to take what he prescribes (all of them should) before we take the meds!!  The meds from the dermatologist brought my hair back, but the hair fell out in a few months later, only faster.   The neurologists ought to read this forum.   Thanks for your time.  Bye the way, I need to get a new wig.  This one is wearing out.   Thanks again for letting me vent.  I hate pills!!!   (and epilepsy)   I feel much better knowing that there is a reason for all this hairloss.   Thought maybe my sex had changed.  Take care, ya'll.  Just call me Tex...Ziggy

I too am petrified with hair loss. Till recently I do not lose much hair but these days after every bath I can see few hair flowing down also while drying my hair, hair will just drop on my towel.

I do not know but maybe a day will arrive that I would need hair transplant surgery

I'm right there with you!!!!  I have been on Lamictal for awhile but a very low dosage (100mg) until November '08 because I was also taking Keppra...in November, we dropped the Keppra and raised the Lamictal to 400mg/day and my hair started falling out in clumps.  I have thin, pin-straight hair anyway, so it is very noticeable.  I have not changed my diet, my workout, my vitamins, my hairstyle, ANYTHING, and baldness does not run in my family, so all I can think of is it is the Lamictal.  I asked my doctor and they brought up the stupid "rash" as the only known side effect... I'm not glad to hear someone else is losing their hair, but I'm glad to know I'm not making this up!  I agree it should be listed as a side effect.  I have bought fancy shampoos and such and nothing is helping!

Wow...I wish I had seen this a few weeks ago.  I was put on Lamictal on December 1st, 08.  By the 15th, the side effects had started: swollen lymph nodes under my arms, a constant headache between my eyes, and strangely enough my face aged 10 years in a couple of weeks.  By February, I realized my tongue was swelling.  I told my Dr. that I was cutting the dosage. 

I dropped off it completely a week ago, but alas, I think the damage has been done.  I started losing my hair slowly at first.  I thought it could have been from the stress late last year or even the fact that I had started smoking again.  I was told by my Dr that hair loss was not a side effect of Lamictal, but I think it's time that they admit it is.  I lost over 300 hairs yesterday.  Yes I counted because I had to know that I wasn't losing my mind.  Over 250 in the shower alone.  They say that 50-100 hairs a day is normal shedding.  

Just when I was starting to feel better about my life this happens.    There is no denying that the Lamictal helped calm me down.  Snapped me right out of a very bad mixed episode, or so I've been told.  Now I just want to cry, but for a completely different reason.  I was only on 100mgs a day at the peak dosage.  Every step I took down seemed to have an positive effect on my body and skin.  I'm going to try to add the Zinc, Selenium, and Biotin to my daily routine to see if it helps the hair.  

I hope my hair recovers.  Don't let anyone tell you it's your imagination.  Just because you don't have "the rash" doesn't mean it's not doing something to your body.  I don't think the dosage matters either.  Mine was very low compared to some of the stories I read.  If it starts growing back, I will let all of you know.

Thank You 

hi, this sounds like fun. I am weaning off of topamax, which from what I've read can cause a lot of weight gain...and am being put on Lamictal, plus I am on 2000mgs Keppra 2x a day, so I'm a bit sleepy....Sounds like eventually, I'll be turned into a lazy fat bald woman....which my husband should really love. whoopee..atleast off of the dopamax I wont be quite as clumsy and forgetful. Hope he likes brains over looks:)

Apparently,the dose,ie:the amount in mgs taken daily doesn't seem to matter.My wife has recently started on Lamictal for temporal seizing...She's taking 100mg/day and the hair loss is phenomenal.Quite literally,it comes out in large clumps.Interesting point;her hairdresser noticed this and said something was wrong as toxicity shows up in the hair first.She also has multiple sclerosis and is going in for an MRI to see if there is some relationship between the disease and the recent onset of seizing.

Edw.A.Roth

I have been on Lamictal for a year.  The dose was increased 6 weeks ago.  A month ago my hair started coming out in clumps when I washed it.  I have started taking Biotin and using special shampoo and conditioners.

Has anyone had this hair loss problem slow down.  Lamictal is the only medicine that has worked for me.  Sometimes I feel like a guinea pig and don't really want to try "something else" to see what might work. 

Vanity or Sanity?  I know it is a stupid question but, I am just trying to find answers and the Drs don't seem to have any.

I was hoping someone here might be able to help.

I am on Lamictal and I have been told that all medications

can cause hair loss.

Hey guys, I actually had to register just because I felt the need to share this with everyone. Ok I was on 1000mg daily for 2 years of this stuff for bipolar disorder... A year after taking it I noticed I was cleaning out my hair brush a little more often, but I didn't think anything of it. 2 years later I am shampooing my hair and as I am combing my hair with my fingers to make sure the shampoo is out, I am taking out like mini clumps of hair. And I just recently told my doctor to shove it and I wasn't taking it anymore, and now that I am off it, I feel like my hair is coming out faster...? But here's the thing! I am a 20 year old female. Strange huh? I like screamed at my doctor, and was like "listen, I have a mental condition, but I am not stupid" I just want to let everyone know I am printing out this whole thing, and showing it to my doctor... Cuz a girl, who has enough problems to deal with should not have to deal with hair loss when she's 20 years old because doctors decide they have nothing better to do than to dope me up on an insane amount of medication that causes it, and didn't disclose it. I really think these doctors get a commission off these meds. I really do.... Thanks!

Tiffany