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Lamictal and Hair Loss

Tue, 02/01/2005 - 11:33

Hi everyone,

I was just wondering if anyone has experienced some hair lossor knows of a connection between hair loss and Lamictal? As i recently increased my dosage of Lamictal to 500mg a day, and i'm finding that i'm losing a lot more hair than usual especially when washing it. Any advice anyone can give me would be great!!!

Thanks Robyn.

Comments

Re: RE: Lamictal and Hair Loss

Submitted by marjoe on Sun, 2009-02-15 - 12:38
I have been on lamictal a few months.  Was just increased to 600mg a day.  I dont know why since I have been seizure free for years. Anyway my hair has thinned out terribly.  I used to have such thick hair and now I have bald spots in the front, back and thinning hair on the sides. My hair does feels\ very soft and silky and if it wasnt for the hair loss I could live with thinner hair.  I used to be on dilantin and tegretol for years and never had this problem.  I always had vertigo spells though and after many years of suffering the doctors figured out it was dilantin since my blood levels were so high they were toxic levels.  The doctor said Lamictal was a great drug with hardly any side effects.  She said most people tolerate the drug very well. She weaned me off dilantin and tegretol.  I have felt 100% better on lamictal excpet for the hair loss.  It is really depressing me I am looking in the mirror every 5 minutes to see if there is any more hair loss. I will see the neuro doctor at the end of February and either have her lower the dosages or go back on tegretol.  I would never try dilantin and am afraid to try any other of the medications b/c I read the side effects are bad and a majority of them cause hair loss.  After stopping Lamictal or lowering the dosage does the hair grow back or is it lost for good. Also does the hair eventually stop coming out. I always check my shower and brush but hardly any hair comes out so I am really puzzled.  I would appreciate any input you can give.  Thanks for listening.

Re: RE: Lamictal and Hair Loss

Submitted by marjoe on Sun, 2009-02-15 - 12:38
I have been on lamictal a few months.  Was just increased to 600mg a day.  I dont know why since I have been seizure free for years. Anyway my hair has thinned out terribly.  I used to have such thick hair and now I have bald spots in the front, back and thinning hair on the sides. My hair does feels\ very soft and silky and if it wasnt for the hair loss I could live with thinner hair.  I used to be on dilantin and tegretol for years and never had this problem.  I always had vertigo spells though and after many years of suffering the doctors figured out it was dilantin since my blood levels were so high they were toxic levels.  The doctor said Lamictal was a great drug with hardly any side effects.  She said most people tolerate the drug very well. She weaned me off dilantin and tegretol.  I have felt 100% better on lamictal excpet for the hair loss.  It is really depressing me I am looking in the mirror every 5 minutes to see if there is any more hair loss. I will see the neuro doctor at the end of February and either have her lower the dosages or go back on tegretol.  I would never try dilantin and am afraid to try any other of the medications b/c I read the side effects are bad and a majority of them cause hair loss.  After stopping Lamictal or lowering the dosage does the hair grow back or is it lost for good. Also does the hair eventually stop coming out. I always check my shower and brush but hardly any hair comes out so I am really puzzled.  I would appreciate any input you can give.  Thanks for listening.

RE: Lamictal and Hair Loss

Submitted by Bonny on Thu, 2005-01-27 - 18:20

Hi Bruce and lemond, thanks for your replies.

I was seizure free up until a few months ago, and after having a grand mal seizure on new years day i went back to see my neuro.  We suspected that the return of the seizures could have something to do with going off the birth control pill, that the lamictal may have come to rely on it, as i was on it for quite a while. So my neuro told me to go back on the pill and give it 4 weeks and then see if the seizures have stopped.

I think that the stress my body is under at the moment may (hopefully) be the cause of my hair loss, but because my dosage of lamictal has never been as high as 500mg before, as previously i was only on 300mg, i'm wondering if increasing the med has caused my body to react in this way!!!

But thanks for getting back to me!

Robyn.

Hi Bruce and lemond, thanks for your replies.

I was seizure free up until a few months ago, and after having a grand mal seizure on new years day i went back to see my neuro.  We suspected that the return of the seizures could have something to do with going off the birth control pill, that the lamictal may have come to rely on it, as i was on it for quite a while. So my neuro told me to go back on the pill and give it 4 weeks and then see if the seizures have stopped.

I think that the stress my body is under at the moment may (hopefully) be the cause of my hair loss, but because my dosage of lamictal has never been as high as 500mg before, as previously i was only on 300mg, i'm wondering if increasing the med has caused my body to react in this way!!!

But thanks for getting back to me!

Robyn.

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