Lossing my hair

[captainann]

I'm new here. I had to find some support. I have no where else to turn.  I have suffered with bio polar ever since my divorce from an abusive marriage in which he threatened to kill me, stalked me to a breaking point to give him my son which I regret, that was over 14 years ago.  Today I find myself slipping back into a manic state of mind I went to my Dr and got some xanax but it's not helping with the depression.  My boyfirend who which I have been with for 7 years just blows me off like I'm not sick.  No support.  My Dr thinks I should go see a syck Dr been there done that, it just made things worse so I afraid it would be a waist of time.  I say to myself most of the time when not working I hide in the house.  I thought I had some unlderying illness causing my hair to fall out but now I think it is stress.  Anyone else with bio polar losing their hair.  Females.  Any ideas?

[Anonymouse88]

Yeah, depakote can cause hair loss and/or weight gain in some people.  

Selenium deficiency can cause hair loss, but don't go overboard on supplements.  This is because too much selenium can cause hair loss.  If you can get a level tested (not sure if the test is easy to get, since it's probably not in high demand), you probably should before starting supplements.

[michaelallenbarron]

I have been taking Depakote for over a year now and my hair has thinned tremendously and I've gained over 25 pounds.  I was always a thin person that struggled to gain weight.  In my mid - late 30's I gradually added a few pounds that looked natural, but now I have a gut and side fat.  I've never dieted in my life, but now I guess I'll have to... I never thought I would be a person that had to do that.  This med has turned me into a middle aged, fat, balding man - within a years time!  I need to switch to something else because this is causing its own set of issues!

[Crystal413]

Don't give up hope. Having Bipolar comes with all of the trial and errors of meds and med combos. You really have to be patient. It is frustrating because it often takes so much time. But we have to just keep trying. Really we don't have a choice if we want to get better. I have to believe it will come eventually. You may already know this but there are other classes of drugs other than anti-psychotics. Some people can take some meds and others can't. Lithium from what I have heard and read is the first line drug. It has helped me (now I take Lamical with it). I had side effects for the first two weeks and then they were gone, that was 3 yrs ago. People have side effects to diff drugs so you just can't go by their experience. Your experiences with meds will be unique to you. I was on the med you were speaking of a very long time ago. As I remember, I did not have side effects, it just did not help at the time and it was the only med I was on. Even meds you may have tried in the past that didn't work may work with another med complimenting it. Again, it's all trial an error. When I first began this unfavorable journey, I would say the first two years, I just feel like a guinea pig. I was new at this and just couldn't understand why they couldn't find something that works. I now know and am much more educated. I'm not sure if any med will work perfectly but we can hope.

I'm sorry about your relationships. Families really need to be supportive and understanding. If we are in a bad way, we just stay away, that's what I do. Every family reacts differently to one of their members having Bipolar. I'm really sorry your family isn't in your life. Is there any chance that things will get better? Do you have a therapist to talk to? I wish you the best on your journey, hang in there and be patient. Crystal

[jstyle76]

thx for that darlin...im just so very frustrated  My bipolar II mental illness destroyed many relationships, esp with my now ex-wife as well as my immediate family..I cannot handle the intense side effexcts of any anti-psychotic so i just feel stuck...i did read however that drug called carbamazepline would be a good complement to lamictal and it side effects were not as bad as depakote or lithium...Have you ever heard of the reference medicine...Im at my wits end with all this ****!!!  I have pretty much given up hope in finding the right cocktail for me

[adel_ezz]

I asked this question sometime ago as i was using then 3 types of BP drugs all antipsychotics and didn't guess which was the reason. and i received this from a lady using lamictal among other things.

Not really sure which if any could be causing hair loss. My pdoc suggested
selenium and zinc for med induced hair loss when I started losing hair (we
thought Lamictal was the culprit but could not be sure) my hair loss stopped immediately. I take 200mcg of selenium (not mg) and 50 mg of zinc a day.

although i didn't use this myself I told others about it and one said it's effective. If you decide to try it, just please inform me of the results.

I know depakote sure makes you lose hair and this is definite and reported many times

good day,

[Crystal413]

Keep in mind that everyone responds to and reacts to meds differently. For me, Depokote made my hair curly and fall out. I had straight hair before. I lost half my hair on it. I also gained 25 pounds, I have been 115 my whol life until Depakote. This is how my body responded to the side effects. Needless to say I got smart, I look back and think boy was I ever slow on doing something about this. I said no more and stopped Depokote. I have tried many drugs. I currently take Lithium and Lamictal. The Lamictal is new as of last week. I have been on Lithium now for 3 yrs. It does fine for me as far as weight. My hair did grow back but it is a bit on the thin side. When I shower, I maybe loose a 2 strands, that's it. As for suggestions for combinations. I wish I had the magic answer. There are so many drugs, types of drugs and drug combinations that it's impossible to answer. Everyone's chemistry is different so we don't know how a drug will be until we try it. Some people may not have side effects or only certain ones and others may not. You just don't know. Unfortunately, this illness is not cut and dry and comes with a lot of trial and error. Do your research on all of your drug choices. Compare their side effects. When it comes time to change or introduce a new one you will be well informed. It is your decision as to what meds to try. I have brought my list to my pscy dr appt many times thru the yrs. It has really helped me after my Depokote ordeal. Be your own advocate. Hope this helps. Crystal

[jstyle76]

   Hi there fellow bipolar II nuts!! ya'll seem to more knowledgable than doctors!  Im brand knew to this website and its wonderful replies and blogs.  I take 75mg of lamictal daily about 10 am,  I take 500mg of Depakote ER every morning as soon as I wake up, as well as 5mg of lorazapam daily(2mg in morning around 10 am, 1mg around 3pm and 2mg around 8pm)  
    I have have had wavy/curly hair all my life( I am 36 now) but since I started combining lamictal and depakote to complement my lorazepam, my hair looks a good bit thinner and now more wavy than curly.  Is this a side affect from the Depakote??  Also after starting the Depakote about three months ago my weight has vastly increased.  Before i started taking the Depakote, my weight for the past 15 years has been around 155-165 lbs  of solid muscle and a noticible six pack.  I now weigh 186 lbs!!!  And i hate this extra weight!  As a former collegiate athlete I have always taken pride in the way i look, especially with my shirt out.
    I now feel just plain awful from the 25 lbs. i have put on over the past 3 months.  Should i expect more thinning of my hair, and more weight gain..Somebody please give me the lowdown on all this.  These two side effects are making me even more anxious, tense, and depressed.  Is there a better cocktail than Depakote and Lamictal??
    Even though I'm not taking a large dose of either bipolar medicine daily,
(75 mg of Lamictal and 500 mg Depakote ER ) to combat my bi-polar disease, it seems obvious that the severe weight gain and thinning of my hair is due to the medicine, (esp. the Depakote)  
   Are these side effects continual or will they subside?  What should i do??  I expected some side effects from both medicines, but I never would have started taking them if I new the hair thinning and the huge weight gain would happen.  Is there a better cocktail of meds out there to complement the Lamictal that wont cause such a quick and big weight gain as well as my thinning hair?

[captainann]

Thanks for you comments.  Maybe when I do I will post it.  It might help others.

[ivoryevil]

Sorry to hear about your hair loss... I however know what you're going through... I blame my hair loss to 1500mg Lithium a day. My hair seems to come out in waves, I'll lose a lot of hair, like in earlier posts and then it'll stop and my hair will start growing in, and then we start over with it falling out..... Hopefully you have something like a vitamin deficiency. Good luck with finding out!

[captainann]

Thanks for your response.  Yeah I think it is a vitamin or hormone problem since I don't take vitamins and I had female organs removed.  My hair brakes off and falls out too.  Had test done no underlying illness.  I'm going back in early March and I want some anwers. Doctor's look for the worse first instead of the simple things.  They tend to forget about the little things that can make a difference.  I think your on the right track.  The bad part is it's gotten so far that I wear a wig now.  Dude they shave my head and then glue it on.  This is a horrible experience.  Thanks for your help.  This gives me a new dirrection.

[paranoid_cataclysm]

I'm not a woman but I have a lot of long hair and I'm going to spill the beans on some things I've been told about hair after my initial story.  Mine fell out a lot on its own and ripped out easily before I even took medication but I was stressed out A LOT more back then than I am now (I'm still very stressed as it is) so it could very well be stress.  I have taken Geodon and take Abilify now and the hair fall has actually slowed down I think.  Although I just pulled on a lock of hair in a few places and two hairs came out just now but that's no big loss I guess.

If you have long hair it may look like you have more hair falling out than someone with short hair because your hair is more noticeable.  Keep in mind, we all generally lose around 100 hairs per day and if you have hair down to your butt, it's going to probably look like a mini wig fell out when you take a shower because taking a shower also causes all the trapped hair to come free all at once because when you have long hair the falling out hair becomes entangled.  Hair could also be breaking off on you because it's brittle perhaps.  I don't want to play it down though, perhaps you are losing more hair, I would talk to your doctor and ask about vitamin supplements to prevent hair loss and strengthen hair.

[captainann]

Thanks for your feedback.  I hope you are doing well.  Day by day I laways say.

[captainann]

Thanks for your comments, I wish was as simple as meds but, since I don't take any that can't be it.  I think it's hard for us girls to lose hair for any reason but it does help to know why.  I have been told it is my genes but I don't think they are right.  I fear something else is up.  God Bless

[Anuket]

Sorry to hear you are having problems!  In addition to stress and medications, other causes for hair loss in women can be hormones, thyroid imbalance and vitamin deficiencies. On WebMD there is a good article on Treating Hair Loss Naturally, specifically for women. Hope that helps.

[freddie8605]

Hey, sorry things don't seem to be working out. Yes i have bipolar and am female and my hair falls out. no big clumps like where you can see it my scalp or anything but after a shower it just comes and comes and will seriously block the drain, and when i wake up in morning there will be loads of head on my pillow and on my cloths. I believe it is caused by my meds. i am on lithium 1000mg and Seroquel 300mg. but my doc claims to not know.

Hope that helps