Lamictal, Hair Loss, and Lower Dosing

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jemsister

jemsister

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I'm experiencing some hair loss on lamictal. I've been on it for about a year, and I'm only just now noticing it this week, so it's definitely recent. I'm also on Vimpat, which I've been taking for about 9 months or something like that. I think it's the Lamictal.

Anyway, I'm taking 500 mgs a day of Lamictal, and 400 of Vimpat. Anyone know if reducing the dose of Lamictal helps with that? Or have you found that quitting altogether is necessary? Also, does it help to take supplements/herbals that promote healthy hair and hair growth?

I have very thick hair, so it's not noticeable now, but I'd rather nip it in the bud before it's bad, or too far gone.
 
I am on lamictal as well. I take 125mg twice a day. I have been on it since April. It seemed like I wasn't losing any hair and then a week ago I started shedding. I have thick hair as well. I don't know why my hair suddenly started to fall out.
 
Hey girl long time no see. :)

I'm on lamictal, 200 mg a day. I shed hair for a while then it stopped for a yr or so. :( It's back again full force. I know I'm not much help but wanted you to know you're not alone.
 
My hair loss started when I started on Keppra. I have changed between it and Lamictal a few times now, but it doesn't seem to make a difference. I know how hard and frustrating it is.
 
Biotin helped me when I had hair loss with lamictal. 500 mg dose. I have thin hair so I was pretty scared about it at the time but this made a difference for me. I just started Lamictal again so planning on taking it again!
 
Runbikegarden, did you find that it brought the hair loss back into the normal daily range, or was it still more than it should have been? Gonna try it and see. I think I could be losing up to 200 hairs per day. Hard to say for sure, of course, but it's definitely more than I used to.

Cathy Ann, nice to see you! I have been so busy, and now school has started (I homeschool), so I hardly have any time to myself anymore. Life with kids, right? XP
 
I have read so many accounts of people suffering hair loss on Lamictal, yet they don't list it as a side effect of the drug. I still don't understand this. Makes me concerned that my Epi will not take me seriously when I bring it up. I think maybe even lowering the dose of Lam and upping the dose of Vim might be helpful. But for all I know, Vim does the same thing. It's such a new drug, who can say for sure? =/
 
Hi Jemsister, I was losing a lot, as in, I would run my fingers through my hair and 20-30 would pull out easily. I have long hair and it was easily hidden but it wouldn't last for long at that rate. Once I added the biotin which I think I learned about on this forum or another one it went down to a "normal" hair loss like just a few when you brush or tug hard or it was really knotted. Hope this helps!
 
I experienced hair loss the first few months on Lamictal, but then the side effect went away. I think the Lamictal was to blame, though it's possible the prior med I was on (Zonegran) could have played a role, since hair loss is often a delayed reaction (it has to do with follicle growing cycles.)

I did reduce my Lamictal dose, but not until after the hair loss had already stopped.
 
I just started taking lamictal about 4 to 5 days ago and I am still on the 25mg dose, so it may take a while for me to notice. Does it completely stop your seizures? If so, then I think it would be a good idea to stay on the same dose for a little while longer. It's better to lose your hair, at least in my opinion than to continue to have seizures every freakin' month like it does to me. Usually the side effects or at least for me goes away within a few months.

It's your choice though, and yes, I assume it's caused by the lamictal. My neurologist mentioned that as a common side-effect, which is better than seizures. Sorry, I am not sure if vim causes it.
 
Runbikegarden, I am definitely going to try biotin!

Notime, I can't say for sure if Lamictal is stopping the seizures. My longish story (well, the part that involves Lamictal) is this: I was on Trileptal, but it dropped my sodium levels into the danger zone. So I was weaning off Tri and introducing Lam. But my seizures actually got a tad worse. But since I needed to get off Tri ASAP, they added Dilantin, and a little later Vimpat (meant to replace the Dilantin, since Di is not advisable for women of childbearing age), and eventually I did stop the Tri. But during all that, they also added Vimpat. Then, a little later, I went in for a five day inpatient EEG, and when I did that, I stopped meds cold turkey to encourage seizure activity. When I was done, they put me back on Lam and Vimpat, but excluded the Di and Tri, as that was a planned side benefit of doing the EEG--kind of a fresh start, in a sense.

Anyway, all that to say, I don't know if Lam is doing much for me, or if my control is being mostly caused by the Vim, or if I need them both for either to work, or what. And Vimpat is so new, who can say if it causes hair loss or not? Maybe it's the Vim and not the Lam. Or maybe it's both. I have no idea.
 
Good point Jem, I do not have a problem with lamictal and keppra, but mix it with another med or just the effect of the other could have a whole different story.
 
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