Divalproex sodium and Hair Loss: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Anonymous
• July 14, 2011

Divalproex sodium for Epilepsy "I have taken Depakote for 13 years. Tried Dilantin and Lamictal at one point. They never fully stopped the seizure activity. Once I have learned to take my pills faithfully and have the correct dose, it has become a HUGE BLESSING in my life. I am 'normal.' I have some of the side effects (weight gain, depression, hair falls out), but to me, it is worth it to lead a normal functioning life. I also went through pregnancy on Depakote, and I have a healthy 2-year-old."

• Alt...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 17, 2018

Divalproex sodium for Bipolar Disorder "I have had three severe manic episodes in my lifetime. First was not diagnosed. The 2nd severe mania hit in '02, and I was given Zyprexa. This took the edge off, but I would wake up in the early morning manic again, once it wore off. When Depakote was added, I really came down. I was manic-episode free for 15 years, with a relapse in ‘17. I was put on Zyprexa and lithium but was still flying high and fast - complete manic. Once a high dose of Depakote was added, I came down for good. This drug has been critical for resolving my manias. My experience with it for long-term treatment has not been good, though - lost a lot of hair, a lot of enthusiasm, and felt like I was in a stupor. I gained weight, but that has happened on all the useful drugs."

• Ban...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 4, 2021

Divalproex sodium for Bipolar Disorder "In 2015, I got on Remeron and Seroquel. They made me gain a good amount of weight... 25 lbs, up and down. After years, they didn't have the knockout effect. Last year, in 2020, I was just stressed, all messed up, anxiety out of control. I was currently on 15 mg of Remeron and 300 mg of Seroquel. I was forced on Depakote last year, one year ago in March. Mentally, it worked great, 500 mg twice a day. My anxiety and stress went away. It's still gone a year later. The bad news is I've gained 35 pounds, have less sex drive, and thinning hair on the front, but not sure if that's the Depakote... but lots of people say so. Apparently, on 1000 mg a day, that happens. I'd say it's a great medicine for your anxiety and stress. Maybe only take 500 mg a day. Just like any of these medications, you will gain weight and have cons. But honestly, I was forced into it from the mental hospital a year ago; it did the trick, it fixed my life... and I love my kids, I still have emotions. The worst part is the weight gain and tiredness."

• sla...
• January 9, 2011

Divalproex sodium for Bipolar Disorder "I have taken this medicine for seven years... six of those in conjunction with Zyprexa. I ballooned from 120 lbs to 210 lbs in that space of time. I was not warned that this medicine has the potential to cause massive weight gain, and she insisted to me that the gain was nothing to do with the drug. Came off the drugs independently for 13 months, 95 lbs fell off me easily, but had another episode after that time. Am now on 500 mgs Depakote and 10 mgs Abilify. Don't notice any beneficial effects from this medicine: hair loss, nails breaking below the quick, hand and body tremors, forgetfulness, being abstract and far away, irregular sleep patterns. Want to ask the doctor to try me on Lamictal."

• pdx...
• October 10, 2011

Divalproex sodium for Bipolar Disorder "I am an active person with a healthy, gluten/dairy-free diet, and within the first 2 months, I gained nearly 40 pounds. I was crying all of the time, fatigued, and then my hair started falling out. It also led to a suicide attempt. Depakote may work very well for some, but for me, it was worse than the disease. Another downside was the cost. With insurance, it was nearly 150.00 dollars a month."

• Edd...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 31, 2022

Divalproex sodium for Epilepsy "I'm epileptic. I have been having seizures since my early teens. I’m 52 now. I was born with a tumor in my brain. The tumor has been removed, but the damage of the scar tissue is causing me to have seizures. I have been taking Depakote 2000mg a day, and I take with it Keppra 1000mg a day for 2 years, and the side effects suck. I can’t sleep, I stutter, I’m always anxious, and I have tremors. I have my ups and downs, mood swings. I lost my hair, I’m easily angered or frustrated and nervous. I also have high blood pressure now and have to take high blood pressure meds. I smoke THC and CBD to help. I’m usually nauseous, and I have digestive problems, if you know what I mean. I still have seizures, mainly blackouts. I haven’t had a grand mal seizure for a bit. But I would like to know if anyone came down with high blood pressure when started taking the meds."

• Dan...
• September 22, 2009

Divalproex sodium for Epilepsy "I have been on Depakote for about two years now, and it has certainly been effective in stopping both grand mal and petit mal seizures. I was diagnosed with localization-related epilepsy when I was 21, but this drug is great in that it treats many types of epilepsy. Still, I did experience negative side effects, such as hair loss, a little weight gain, and drowsiness, although all of these were slight enough that they didn't really affect my life. Because Depakote isn't ideal for young women like myself, my doctor suggested I try another drug. After a brief stint on Keppra (which made me feel like I was walking in a haze - awful!), however, I switched back to Depakote, only this time adjusting was way harder - I was incredibly emotional."

• Bla...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 28, 2020

Divalproex sodium for Bipolar Disorder "Wonder drug for me, although I only use it as a rescue med if I get an inkling of mania. I don’t take it all the time because I gain weight, and the hair loss is devastating. The upside is that it gives me curly hair (which also hides some of the hair loss). I lose about 50% of my hair volume. The curls slowly relax once I stop taking it. I still had waves two years after I stopped taking it full time. It’s the oddest thing. In addition to adding it as a rescue med, my doctor and I have carefully put together a drug cocktail that works for me: Effexor XR, Risperdal, and bupropion. I don’t feel over-medicated, and it took years to get the formula right. Never stop trying new meds if you aren’t getting good results."

• Sam...
• January 25, 2025

Divalproex sodium for Bipolar Disorder "Depakote, for me, mentally, was amazing. I felt very clear-headed, logically thinking, and emotionally stable. The downsides were that my appetite had increased dramatically, and my hair felt like straw, so when I would pull my hair up in a ponytail, it would consistently rip because of the brittleness. So I can see why people reported that their hair fell out. I had to quit taking it because I couldn't stop eating everything in sight. Though I could see myself stopping taking it because of my hair becoming very thin as well. The mental and emotional relief I received from this drug was unmatched, as I've tried other mood stabilizers and antipsychotics. Sometimes I wish I could take it again just because of the mental and emotional relief. But then I remember that all the food in the house would be gone the following day because I will have devoured it."

• fis...
• April 14, 2011

Divalproex sodium for Epilepsy "I'm on 1750 mg of Depakote, which was fine for the longest time, but when the doctors added other medicines, unpleasant side effects and sometimes more seizures occurred. The only side effects I've experienced were weight gain and thinning hair, but I can help control and minimize the effects on those. It's the effects I can't control that worry me, just like it confuses me why most of my seizures coincide with my menstruation."

• Dep...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 13, 2017

For Cyclothymic Disorder "I took Depakote two different times, once in 2016 and in 2017. The 5 months I took it in 2016, I noticed I had less OCD and insomnia. My hair got thinner, but not so badly, and also I felt like I couldn't do activities that requested an intellectual effort. The second time I took it for a period of about two months, I didn't feel like it slowed me down like the first time, but my hair loss was worse, and it made me very hungry. I discontinued it because the hair loss was too much. However, it still helped with my OCD and calmness."

• Dep...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 13, 2017

For Cyclothymic Disorder "I took Depakote two different times, once in 2016 and in 2017. The 5 months I took it in 2016, I noticed I had less OCD and insomnia. My hair got thinner, but not so badly, and also I felt like I couldn't do activities that requested an intellectual effort. The second time I took it for a period of about two months, I didn't feel like it slowed me down like the first time, but my hair loss was worse, and it made me very hungry. I discontinued it because the hair loss was too much. However, it still helped with my OCD and calmness."

• Mou...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 9, 2021

Divalproex sodium for Bipolar Disorder "I've been taking 250 mg/day for bipolar, and it already seems therapeutic for me. It's difficult to feel angry, and generally I just feel euphoric or calm. Some interesting side effects I've noticed, however, include a complete absence of hunger (and in turn weight loss), insomnia, feeling energized most of the day, increased frequency of erections, and feeling that I'm living life on autopilot (in a good way). At a higher dosage, I experienced a lot of hair loss, so I'm hoping to continue at my relatively small dosage."

• Und...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 12, 2017

For Bipolar Disorder "After two valiant attempts to get past the adverse effects, I'm finished with Depakote. The first attempt lasted a week; as it can exaggerate the effects of other meds, I became so drowsy I couldn't drive. For the second attempt, it wasn't combined with any other medication and lasted 3 weeks. I felt continually agitated and anxious, began to quickly gain weight, had terrible gas, and was going to the bathroom 4-5 times a day. Additionally, my hair began to fall out so quickly, even my husband noticed (and he's not very observant!). The most disturbing symptom was the frequent presence of pronounced, irregular heartbeats and at least one near-syncopal episode. All this in just 21 days-thanks, but no thanks!"

• Bad...
• May 2, 2011

Divalproex sodium for Bipolar Disorder "I have been on Depakote since June of 2006. I was initially started off at 1,000 mg and am now up to 1,500 mg. When I told my neurologist I want off it, she increased the dosage to 1,500 mg. I take it for epilepsy but have had similar problems as you all. I am 24 years old and am now balding. I have decreased ambition and have difficulty with memory and paying attention. I have gained about 50 pounds since starting it. Last year when my prescription was raised from 1,000 to 1,500 mg, I noticed a 15 lb increase in about a month. I am, however, not having any seizures."

• che...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• October 14, 2017

Divalproex sodium for Bipolar Disorder "I take non-generic Depakote ER 1750 mg, Haldol 4 mg, and propranolol 20 mg. I have some hair loss, insomnia, and shakiness. I believe the medicine is finally working after 17 years of trying every bipolar medication with Depakote ER. I lose my patience and get angry at customer service representatives sometimes. I lose my patience and get mildly angry at my husband, but it appears to be under control. The insomnia at times gets really bad, and I wind up calling Lifenet to cope. I will be trying melatonin 3 mg to see if this helps. I want to try 1500 mg of Depakote ER to see if my insomnia improves also."

• Mis...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 12, 2012

For Bipolar Disorder "I have bipolar 2. Been on this medicine at 500 mg 2x daily for 12 years. I have not experienced weight gain. I have experienced some hair loss (not enough to be that noticeable as my hair is short and thick). I have experienced hand tremors. My treatment regimen includes gabapentin 200 mg 2x daily, Wellbutrin 150 mg in the morning, and Imovane 0.75 mg at night for sleep. Apart from 2 major crashes approximately 5 years apart from each other, this treatment regimen has kept me sane. I do still struggle with bouts of depression and anxiety but am able to cope. Up until the past year, I have been able to work full-time and go to school part-time. My treatment plan works for the most part. Tried other meds but keep coming back to this."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 30, 2017

For Epilepsy "My husband took this for a week, and he turned into an unmotivated, angry, heart-palpitating, paranoid zombie. He had no relief for his headache and had tremors so bad he could not hold a fork to eat. Stomach pain, loss of appetite, hair falling out, and left arm pain, to name a few more. I don't know why any doctor would order this for brain tumor pain. It is just awful. This drug may work for others, but for pain, it's useless."

• Jan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 22, 2022

Divalproex sodium for Bipolar Disorder "I took Depakote for mixed bipolar. I was on it for about 6 months. Never had seizures before taking Depakote. Then I started to black out & start seizing out of nowhere. I also noticed I was losing weight without trying. At the time, I was about 30 pounds overweight. I lost 55 pounds. I hadn't been that skinny since high school. I was also losing my hair, eyelashes & eyebrows. My eyebrow & upper lip would repeatedly twitch out of nowhere. It was very embarrassing when it happened around others. I felt drained all the time & my head was in a daze. When I told my doctor about the seizures, they were surprised because Depakote is supposed to help stop seizures. But at the time, it was the only medicine I was taking and I never had issues with seizures before I started taking Depakote. After 6 months of continued side effects, I talked to my doctor and they gradually took me off the medication. Unfortunately, I gained all of the weight back rather quickly. Eyebrows & lashes damaged."

• Joe...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 4, 2018

Divalproex sodium for Epilepsy "Makes me so drowsy all the time. I'm on 1000 mg a day. Gained 40 pounds. Affects my work and grad school. Slows down my brain and gives me anxiety. Icing on the cake is I’m balding now at age 24."

• JRM...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 16, 2012

Divalproex sodium for Epilepsy "Hair loss, extreme fatigue, weight gain, hands trembling, and sometimes ringing in ears."

• Jm7...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 2, 2020

Divalproex sodium for Epilepsy "I have been taking medication for the past 17 years for a seizure disorder. I must say the medication seems to work great, very minimal episodes. The only side effect I had has been severe hair loss."

• Anonymous
• June 19, 2010

Divalproex sodium for Epilepsy "It made my hair fall out."

• nic...
• June 16, 2009

Divalproex sodium for Epilepsy "I have taken Depakote ER for a while with Lamictal. I have not had a seizure in 34 months. I do have hair loss and weight gain problems."

• Anonymous
• February 5, 2009

For Migraine Prevention "Works good for migraines, but I experienced hair loss."