Keppra hair loss

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I am still losing my hair from Topamax and Keppra (I am on Keppra and Lamictal). My doc said that he did not think that was a side effect of the med...because it was not listed as one of the side effects...

My vaccuum begs to differ.
 
Yeah, my neuro said the same thing. But they said blood test is normal range as far as thyroid so I am waiting to talk to neuro. I was on the Keppra for several months without this problem and after 1 week of changing to Keppra XR, the hair loss started.
 
Keppra

Great..... not!

I am changing over to Keppra XR. My dr is going to taper me or at least lower my Keppra amount. I am still concerned.
 
With the exception of the hair problem, I do like the XR much better. It's great to only have to take my med one time a day, I take mine right before bed. I have noticed an improvement in my moodiness, I think getting the time release keeps the meds at a steady level.
 
Well, now my neuro DOES think it is the Keppra XR making me lose my hair. I have two HUGE bald spots. He wants me to come see him Wednesday morning and talk about changing my seizure med. I really want to stay on Keppra...maybe I will and just get a wig
 
Hair Loss/Vitamins

anyone,

ever notice hair loss with keppra? I have long thick hair
it seems to be falling out everyday .... I run my hands through my hair and lots of hair in my hands... my hair is becoming thinner..... anyone, know what might help...


i dont want to quit the keppra just yet.. it seems to be helping my seizures...

any advice?

thanks,
angel
I understand what you're going through. Same thing with generic Lamictal (now, on brand name) and Clonopin which I'm still taking. My doctor recomended vitamin suppliments which I used way back when I had the same reaction to Depakote: Try...Selenium, Biotin and B-12 and massage olive oil onto scalp (clean hair) to stimulate root folicals for 15 minutes. All this has made a difference I can cope with. Very little hair loss, now. It's very devastaing for us to loose hair. It sure doesn't help in the "self-esteem department" and we need all the self-esteem we can get! There has to be away of managing our meds, under Dr's care, without loosing our hair. We don't need to add anti-depressants to our medication cocktail or have it increased if we are using it. Some people think that we should take meds "as is" and just accept hair loss. I disagree. Other things can be tried, under Dr suppervision, without compromising our health, setting us up for seizures. Good luck!
 
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I saw neuro yesterday, he wanted to change my seizure meds. I am so fearfully about all the other drugs and side effects, I didn't even wait to hear which drug he wanted to switch me to. When I took Keppra, I didn't have any hair loss problem...it was after I switched over to Keppra XR that the problem started. I asked if he would let me try going back to Keppra again first, he said let's give it one month on Keppra and see. If it doesn't get better, then I agreed to let him change my meds.
I really hate giving up the Keppra XR, I do have trouble remembering to take my morning dose and my moods are worse on regular Keppra.
 
jgbmartin

My neurologist is putting me on Keppra. He is subtracting some of my other meds. He is doing it very slowly. One pill every 3 months. I have a tendency to have large seizures when they do it quickly.

I have a pill box. I put my medicines in every night for the next day. That is how I remember to take mine.
 
My hair loss is going away since I have gone back to regular Keppra. I have been needing a haircut but have been putting it off since I needed to see if the hair loss was going to stop first. I went in to get my haircut from a lady that has been cutting my hair for last several months. I showed her where I have my bald spots at my temples so she could know how I need it cut to cover it. I was explaining how my seizure meds got changed and I was surprised when she asked what I took. Turns out she has seizure disorder too. We talked out our experience and I gave her info on this site.
 
Here, there...hair

Just back to recant my statement. My hair problem is not as entirely resolved as I had thought. Narrowing down, Clonopin "might" be the culprit. So, "I'm right here with you". I'm in a dreadful state everytime I go to wash my hair. Wet strands all over the place. I'm ready to buy the kooky hats and become a real certified character.

But this is not really funny. It's devastating, especially for a woman, to loose her Crowinig Glory. But still, I would stay on keppra if it's working for you. Managing Epilepsy is paramount though we don't have to give up our quest for that healthy hair we knew so well, so much apart of our identity.

Briefly, my Clonopin story: I've been on a very high dosage of Clonopin (it causes hair loss) and just finished withdrawls. Maybe, I'm anxious, expecting too much too soon, but I'm still lossing hair (I had a brief repreive). So, there's no real guarantee. I went from an astounding 10mg per day down to 1/2 per day now and feel I'm due for some relief, after all this hard work. Time will tell, but I'm not just counting on that.

Some homey ideas:

1) I've gone for blood work. Everything checked out OK with me there.

2) Vitamin suppliments for hair loss: Selenium, B-12, Bioten.

3) If I could afford a nutritionast, I'd be at the door right now!

4) I looked into good foods for hair health: Leafy greens, wheat germ, appels, apple juice, figs the list goes on...just plug in a search and you'll find the same.

5) Flaxseed Oil everyday. Would suggest liquid "Barleans" brand

6) Drink lots of purified water.

7) Aerobic excersize. (I walk outside, now that the weather's nice) Oxegen stimulates circulation so I imagine it'll reach and stimulate our hair folicals!

8) Massage clean wet hair with olive oil. Just massage scalp for 15 minutes then shampoo and condition.

9) A shampoo targeting hair strength.

Ideas. Nothing fancy. No reams of data for your study. Just some things I'm working on, hoping that I won't keep scowling at every hair commercial that comes on. Women with beautiful thick locks, brisking over shoulders... and in slow motion yet! Pure torture! I used to be that woman who'd, on occasion, flip her hair back...I'm reminding myself that there should probably be a number ten...

10) Scowling and worry will only cause tension. Stess can cause hair loss. :cheers: (Green tea is good, too) Good luck to us!
 
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I saw this post and was about to start a post like this in regards to hair loss with Keppra XR. Ive noticed over the past months now when I comb my hair, especially after washing it, I get a whole brush full of hair! Ive been on Keppra since the age of 18, so the past 12 years. But I was then switched over to Keppra XR in November 2010. Its just been the past few months Ive noticed an increase. Ive only been taking the Keppra XR 3000mgs a day (twice a day) starting May 31st alone. Prior to that, I was on Carbatrol ER with the Keppra XR. But now Im only taking just the Keppra XR. I might run this by my dr and see what he has to say about it.
 
Hi, there. It would be a good idea to run it by your doctor. You're following an old post of mine. It wasn't the Lamictal or Clonopin afterall which caused my hair loss. At the time I was only 90 pds, malnutrition caused my hair loss. Since, I've been eating healthfully and my hair has grown back as strong as ever.

I've just begun a Gluten-Free diet which is supposed to help keep seizures at bay and it's a very healthy diet in general which I'm sure would benefit hair growth but you might want to do a search regarding this. Good luck! Laurie
 
can anyone help me? i take 250mg of keppra a day as well as vitamin b complex and my hair still falls out it used to be so thick and now its so thin, my eyebrow is starting to fall out too. any suggestions or ideas please?
 
Hi,

I know this is an old thread but I was wondering if anyone who was losing hair to meds has had the loss stop after coming off it? My hair loss started seven years ago, 4 months after starting keppra, and three years ago it extended to body hair too, but no problems with skin and nails. I've taken so many supplements, hair oils, and snake oils to stem it, to no avail.

I've been off keppra now since 18 Jan, I've replaced it with 10g Taurine daily,which is a lot I suppose, but hair is still falling out. I used to take 2750mg keppra and six months ago, when I'd reduced to 500mg, I noticed my eyelashes coming back in (now they are longer then ever), but everywhere else still has a net thinning.

They looked for alopecia twice, which came back negative, thyroid test came back normal (although the low side of normal!). I drink a lot of green juice and take B-omplex, B6, magnesium, Vit D, Zinc, Calcium, I drink a lot of milk. By times I take selenium and biotin, and a little reluctant to take a lot of it as I've read overdoing it with these elements can cause hairloss and they're both in the green juice.

I also take 600mg Tegretol XR which I've been on for twenty years and which didn't cause any hair problems whatsoever, I had long straight thick hair all y life. Part of me wonders if Taurine a large doses would cause hair loss in the same way as Biotin and Seleium but every search I do discusses it's hair strenghtening benifits.

As you can probably tell I'm anxious about this, has anyone had their hair come back in after 6 months or so.

Thanks for listening, blessings
 
Hi Tombuchaill,

Welcome to CWE. It was made out of love by Bernard for his wife Stacy. That love has permeated throughout the forum.

I started losing my hair way before I started om Keppra. I am om 4 other medications for my seizures. I do not know if it was any of my medicines or my age.

I am 70 years old and even my age could be the culprit. Look up each medication that you are taking and read the side effects of each medicine very carefully. You can even ask your pharmacist which medication you are taking that might be causing your hair loss.

It is all right to bring back old threads if they apply to you.
 
My hair loss is ok not to bad but it comes out, its mainly my eyelases and eyebrows :-(. Im on 750mg morning and night which is getting increased to 1000mg morning and night, im so worried of side affects.
 
For me, Keppra has the least side effects. I am on 1000 mg in the morning and 1500 mg at bedtime. So, I am on 2500 mg of Keppra a day. My neurologist who put me on it, told me to take Vitamin B Complex. Keppra depletes Vitamin B.

The generic name is Levetiracetam.

Look up Keppra on line and you will find all of the side effects and all about other medicines, you are on.
 
Your pharmacist will give you a list of the side effects.

We all get some side effects from our medicines, like drowsiness. Which is worse, taking the medicine to stop the seizures or worry so much that you get seizures?

Over worrying can cause seizures. I hope you are not.

It is important to be aware of whether the medicines are helping you or giving you to many side effects. Please do not be overly worried.
 
I do worry quite a lot i have done all my life since i can remember, its hard to say but i have only took keppra, im on 1000mg morning and night, i tel my doctors but tey think im being partanoid, which makes it worse.
 
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