Epilepsy and hair loss

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crazychick

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I was recently diagnosed with epilepsy in march, i was put on 500mg keppra a day it wasnt having any side affects until recently my hair falls out so much everyday when i brush it, wash it or just touch it, its also making my feel so low, im normally a happy person, i cry every night over my hair and the tablets, im finding it so hard to come to terms with. i want to stop taking my meds at least il have hair. I am so scared of my hair loss, the doctor said its just stress but i know its a side affect of the keppra,there is other side affects to, has anyone suffered the same? can anyone suggest anything to help me?

thanx
 
i'm on alot of medication including keppra and i don't experience any hair loss, however it is a known side effect. unfortunately i don't know what to do to combat it. i do agree with you neurologist as well though. stress can also be a combining factor
 
Crazychick,

When I took Keppra it made my emotions go all over the place, too.

Your doctor is probably looking at the package insert for Keppra when he says hair loss isn't a side effect. That isn't listed in the package insert. http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?id=35143#nlm34084-4

Keppra is such a new drug that the FDA may not have gathered info on hair loss yet. There's a think called stage 4 trials where they collect this kind of info, but I don't know where they are with that yet.

According to other sources, a side effect of Keppra is hair loss. They say it is rare, but it's still a side effect. You must be one of the lucky winners.
http://www.webmd.com/drugs/drug-180...rugid=18053&drugname=Keppra+Oral&pagenumber=6

My hair is falling out, but I'm on Lamictal and Diamox, not Keppra. Every day my drain is clogged with hair. I'm getting one of those very skimpy circles in the back of my head, which doesn't make me happy. It's getting thin on the rest of my head, too. I wish I knew if it was permanent. I'm left with the question, what's worse, seizures of a wig?
 
Like Endless, I lost hair on Lamictal. It stopped after I lowered my dose. If the Keppra is the culprit for you, and you can't reduce the dose, you need to decide if the hair loss is a deal-breaker and consider trying a different AED.
 
hair loss

Thanx every1, i dont know what to do to be honest, i would rather have seizures than a wig, i have been told about pre natal vitamins does any1 know if these work? i want to stop my medication altogether if am been honest. the keppra is making me so low down its unreal.
 
well...no matter what you do, don't just stop taking your meds. there are tons of side effects i hate about my medications, and unfortunately i just have to grin and bear it. but if you choose not to do that. talk to your neuro, and try to transitition yourself onto another medication that will best suit you. abruptly stopping an anti-convulsant will be much more dangerous than just losing your hair
 
it's understandable. but if you're young it'll grow back. and if you're old, who cares? ;) no. j/k

you only have to wait one more day. just hang in there.....not all anti-anticonvulsants cause hair loss and i'm sure you and your doc can figure it out. but keep in mind that all meds have their side effects. mood swings, rage, depression, weight loss/gain, etc.
 
Thankx msudero583. yeah am only young am 26. i can cope wi havin epikepsy its the hair loss i cant cope with. The docs havr fobbed me off twice already. Im jus so scared al b bald. Thnx for ya advice al let ya knw hw i get on tommorow. X
 
wow. hard to decipher. but np. don't worry you won't go bald. i was luckily blessed with hair that refuses to fall out even though i'm on tons of meds. just make sure you express your main concern, which is the hair loss...and possibly the keppra making you feel low (unless it's because of the hair loss) one medication that i am on, which is topamax doesn't list hair loss as a side effect and it is a very good anti-convulsant, so maybe a possibility? and yeah keep me updated. good luck to you
 
thanx for the gud look, well v herd all anti epileptic drugs make ya hair fall out? keppra dont list hair loss as a side affect but mine cums out.
 
i was on keppra and had to be taken straight off it after the side affects started to kick in. i had the same problems on this as i did on valpro/epilim which were extreme hair loss and severe depression to the point that i was borderlining suicidal and planning the whole thing out! and im usually the happiest and bubbly person in the room. so the reason why your feeling so down about your hair loss could be another side affect. my neurologist has prescribed me topiramate but i wont take it. i've made the personal decision that i dont want to take any more medication, i cant afford to. im only young so hopefully i will grow out of it!
 
Im the same about the suicidal thing, and i dont really want to take my medication either, doctor keeps fobbin me off saying its stress but i know its not, a few ppl have reccomended diferent vitamins to try do you know if these work? am only young am 26, but the side affects of the tabletrs are unreal i would rather have a seizure than put up with the side effects of these tablets.
 
yeah i was taking about 7 different vitamins to counter-act the medication and it didnt work, it was too strong! you need to stop taking it and find one thats right for you if you chose to keep it medicated!
 
I knew this medication wasnt right but no1 will listen. Im going to make the doctor listen today. I dont mind taking the mediaction its the hair loss n the feeling down biy that hurts the most.
 
i'm young too. i'm on keppra as well. and yeah it makes me wanna pretty kill everyone on site at times. maybe things are different for me cause i'm a guy. i don't know. if you're talking about vitamins for epilepsy, then no. no vitamins are gonna help for seizures. they will help out with your moods though.
 
reply to post

i meant vitamins for hair loss, i was advised on kelp it promotes hair growth, has anyone heard of this and if so does it work?
 
avoid Kelp

Studies have been done that show that kelp can cause arsenic poisoning.

Over a period of several months, the woman's short- and long-term memory became so impaired that she could no longer remember her home address. She also reported having a rash, nausea and vomiting, which made it very difficult to work and forced her to leave a full-time job. The woman actually increased her dosage of kelp from two to four pills a day after her doctors still could not find a clear diagnosis.
Click to expand...

Arsenic poisoning from kelp supplements

http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2007/04/more_heavy_metals_in_dietary_supplements_1.php

The latest example of this situation is the discovery that popular herbal kelp supplements are contaminated with arsenic. A study led by UC Davis public health expert Marc Schenker found higher than safe levels of arsenic in 8 out of 9 over-the-counter herbal kelp products they studied.
Click to expand...

All Natural Arsenic
 
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