i have bipolar and have lost alot of hair??

[blackcat111]

hi i am 25 years old and i have borderline personality disorder and bi polar disorder i was diagnosed 4 years ago. I am so depressed at the moment. i tried to kill myself two weeks ago by taking a bottle of valium. i did not die i just spent 8 days in the hospital. so i was on alot of medication but over the past 6 months i have stopped taking lithium, but i am still on lexapro and seroquel. so seven months ago something happened that changed my life for the worst. i lost alot of my hair. It was long about 4 inches past my sholuders. so much of it became thin and brittle and it just fell out and broke off. alot  of it was on the front of my head and alot on the left side and at the back, so just about everywhere, so i had to get it cut just above my shoulder blades.this was so hard for me as i loved my long hair and it was the only thing i liked about myself. so i tried to find out why it happened. i went to the doctor and she did a blood test and i found out i was very iron deficient and also very low vitamin D. the doctor said this is why it happened. but i had alook at the side effects of the medicince i was taking and lithium says it can make your hair thinning and brittle. also lexapro says it causes hair loss. i couldnt find anything about seroquel causing hair loss. seroquel is my main drug now, i take 300mg seroquel and 300mg seroquel xr at night. so i told my psy doctor and he said i could start tapering off my lithium, so it took me 6 months to get off of it. anyway i had a postive attuite when my hair first fell out in march this year. i was told it will grow back dont worry by the end of the year it will be back to normal. i have tried everything to help it get better. stopped taking the lithium, started to take vitimins, taking iron liquid, eating lots of red meat and eating very healthly, different shampoo, satin pillowcase. You name it i have tried it. anyway its now october and about two weeks ago i looked in the mirror and relised that to spite all my effort the hair at the front of my head(on the sides) hasnt actuley growen much at all, mayby 1cm. at the back its probably only grown 3cm and its still quite thin. i just broke down because i cant believe its the end of the year almost and its hardley better. Also i relised that i probaly will never be able to have children either. I am married and my husband wants kids now. i can hardly look after myself and dont want to bring a child into this world if i cant look after it. I am also a hairdresser so losing my hair was so hard as i have to look at hair all day. anyway my marraige has been very rocky with me having bpd. i just couldnt take it anymore so i decieded it would be best for everyone if i died. well i didnt die so now what. i cant go on like this, what should i do? i wear clip in hair extensions to hide what has fallen out. i feel like a such a fake wearing them.will my hair ever grow back? it must be growing very slowly. i have noticed it grows about 1cm every two months which is not normal. my husband says i need to get over it, i have tried but i cant help but feel depressed. i dont expect my hair to be as good as it was if the front would grow it would make me so happy. anyway please help me

[Jimmy86]

I to about a year ago,tried killin myself by hangin and cuttin myself and thought that my kids would be better off without me but I also have bpd and it,makes any relationship we have to be difficult,because,of,our,ups,and downs and all,the other,things that go along with our,disorder

[blackcat111]

thanks for writing to me. i have seen a dietition and i have been eating better over the last few months. i also do take folic acid.

[ILADVOCATE]

  It would be worthwhile for your doctor to refer you to a nutrionist so they could follow up on what would be the healthiest way to acheive a balanced diet if this is one of the potential causes of the hair loss. If it is medication related usually it is not this severe and folic acid is one supplement that can help as regards hair loss from medication and you could ask your doctor about this. Your psychiatrist would be able to see how to appropriate adjust and or change your medications if this concern is severe and wont go away. This side effect does not occur with all mood stabilizers and having it occur from one medication doesn't neccessarily mean it will occur with another one but you could ask your psychiatrist about the specifics of this.