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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
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Skin Care and Diseases |
Hair Loss in Teenage Female Caused by Depakot04/06/2001 |
My 17 year old daughter, who suffers from migraine headaches since age 7-8, was treated with Depakote starting mid December through mid January, in addition to her regular medications of Inderal and Amitriptylne. We went off the Depakote due to terrible side-effects. We understood hair loss could be a side-effect; however, not til the earlier part of March did she start experiencing hair loss. The neurologist told us to get Selenium and that in a month we should see her hair back to normal. After a month of Selenium tablets 2x daily, she is continuing to lose hair...even more than a month ago...each day, and now we are REALLY concerned. The neurologist indicated the Depakote should have been long gone from her system in March when the hair loss began, but we can trace the hair loss back to nothing else than the Depakote, as nothing else in her personal care/eating/lifestyle/etc. has changed. My research has shown that hair loss often begins approx. 3 months AFTER something such as medication, stress, weight loss, etc., another reason we believe the Depakote is the culprit. WHAT CAN WE DO TO GET HER HAIR TO BEGIN GROWING BACK IN AND QUIT FALLING OUT? ARE THERE MEDICATIONS, FOODS, PRODUCTS TO USE? To many, hair loss is not `that big a deal`; but to a female, and to a teenager who had thick, lustrous, beautiful hair, it is tramatic. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE AND FOR THIS WEB SITE. A friend told me of the help she received and recommended your site.
The circumstances that you presented regarding your 17 year old daughter`s hair loss would support that medication has played a role in her hair loss. Medications may produce hair loss by several different mechanisms. The most common side effect would be the slow arrest of growing hair follicles leading to so called anogen effluvium that may express itself over a number of weeks and months following injury to the hair bulb. Regrowth of the hair, however, is usual unless there has been death of the hair follicle, and that is probably unlikely in this case. Delayed hair loss might be predictable and slow regrowth over a period of months more likely.Needless to say the precise cause of your daughter`s hair loss and its prognosis are simply theoretical from this inquiry. Her hair needs to be examined to see what kind of damage has occurred to the growing part of the hair and biopsy may be indicated based upon that examination. In order to help you with understanding the precise cause of her hair loss I would urge you to see a board certified dermatologist who can examine the hair, examine the scalp and even look for systemic causes of hair loss.
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Charles L Heaton, MD Professor Department of Dermatology College of Medicine University of Cincinnati |
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Please note: only your personal physician or other health professional you consult can best advise you on matters of your health based on your medical history, your family medical history, your medication history, and how information from any of these databases may apply to you. Neither University of Cincinnati (NetWellness) nor any party involved in creating, producing or delivering this web site shall be liable for any damages arising out of access to or use of this web site, or any errors or omissions in the content thereof. (More) 
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