Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Freaking Out ... Hair Loss Topa!

Collapse
X
Collapse
 
  • Page of 1
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
Previous template Next
    #1

    Freaking Out ... Hair Loss Topa!

    Hi all ... I started Topa a week and a half ago. 25mg a night for the first week, up to 50 mgs a night as of Sunday. I've always had relatively thin, fine, straight hair ... and not really a ton of it. But what I had was at least nice looking. Now it's coming out in gobs. Every day, the hairbrush absolutely full. The shower drain full. What's left on my head looks dead and lifeless, like it's about to drop out any second. I didn't really have a lot to lose. So, man. I look bad. I can't believe this is happening on such a low dose ... from everything I'd read, it was supposed to only become a risk on higher doses.

    I've been online part of the day and also, have had a quick chat w/a doctor friend. Apparently Rogaine isn't terribly helpful for this (has anyone experienced otherwise???)

    I'm really really torn. I'd been really hoping the Topa would work for me. It sounded a lot less agonizing to quit and/or cut back w/something to support craving withdrawal ... rather than rely purely on willpower alone/have to cope w/out of control cravings/denying them, etc But at the cost of my hair? I know it may sound stupid and petty and vain, but to a single 41 yr old mom who formerly at least had pretty blonde shoulder length hair she could feel good about (and now is looking in the mirror at the thin, barely-there, brittle, strawlike strands that remain ... I look a decade older at least and am contemplating going out to buy a wig), I'm now wondering if just sucking up to withdrawal and all that entails isn't a better bargain.

    Has anyone else been through this? Does your hair come back if/when you go off Topa? Did anything help you keep your hair if you chose to stay on Topa? Please ... someone help. I change my mind every few minutes. One minute I think: ok, suck it up ... your hair is a small price to pay to get off this rollercoaster you've been on. The next I think: no way! If this is the price of Topa, I can find a way to quit or moderate on my own, or will try one of the other meds.
    Tags: None
    #2
    Freaking Out ... Hair Loss Topa!

    It is not the topa...when you get hair loss from topa it begins after a couple months of use, generally hits around the 6 months mark. It is something else. And you are right, your dose is too low to have this side effect.
    It's not that some people have willpower and some don't. It's that some people are ready to change and others are not.
    James Gordon, M.D.

    Comment

      #3
      Freaking Out ... Hair Loss Topa!

      Hi vino,
      Don`t freak out........Star to the rescue!!! :H

      Seriously, my hair is my pride and joy.........now past my shoulders, but I lost all my hair about 3 yrs. ago due to a medical condition........was heartbroken and wore a baseball cap for first 6 mths.:upset: My hair is so good today thanks to MSM crystals..........organic sulphur.......known as "the beauty mineral". I just eat it off a teaspoon.........it`s not that disgusting and I promise it will remedy your hair loss problem. Can get it from any health store.

      Starlight Impress x

      Comment

        #4
        Freaking Out ... Hair Loss Topa!

        Oh Vino,

        I'm sorry you're having such a bad experience! I would be freaking out too!

        The post before mine says it's not the topa and this is from an m.d. Is there anything else you've changed in your diet etc.? I don't take topa so I don't have anything to compare. Hopefully someone else has a better answer to your dilemma...hang in there!
        Pepper
        Pepper

        Comment

          #5
          Freaking Out ... Hair Loss Topa!

          thx for the support; welcome any feedback i can get!

          thanks for the quick responses! i don't know what i'd do without this community.

          to the md. who says 'it's not the topa.' i'm as surprised as you, but i'm not sure what else it COULD be! i'm a healthy (suprisingly, shockingly so given that i drink about 4-5 bottles of wine a week) 41 yr old woman who exercises 5x or more a week, doesn't eat sugar and lives on a no junk food, no processed carbs diet. nothing else in my life has changed at all in this past week other than the fact that i'm on topa and drinking less. and that i ate too much turkey over the thanksgiving holiday like the rest of america. ;-)

          my one thought has been that i do have a propensity towards thinning hair (my mom's thinned out so much you could see her scalp very clearly by the time she was 60), so maybe i'm just super sensitive? i've always had the super fine, super thin hair she had and have known that would likely be my fate post menopause. but i'm not sure how it could be something other than the topa given that the only thing that's different in my life is topa. hair loss is a side effect of topa. my hair started falling out 7-8 days after starting topa.

          argh. i'll look into the crystals mentioned!

          Comment

            #6
            Freaking Out ... Hair Loss Topa!

            yes, star and bootsie to the rescue... msm i hadn't heard of that star. i have very fine hair that is down to my butt. and i actually did have challanges with topa. but i use biotin and thymus... so the minute you begin taking it. the minute it starts working. also, but very expensive in conjunction you can use the product that is specifically for hair regrowth that you apply directly to your scalp... have to go find it later though. or pm me if you are interested. hummmmi have to call my estetician... for you.
            :welcome:

            Comment

              #7
              Freaking Out ... Hair Loss Topa!

              ok .. answering my own question for the benefit of anyone else w/this problem ... apparently, it's not unheard of for hair texture change/loss to begin even @ lower doses (found out plenty about it at MadeByMark.com ... which is actually a pretty interesting topa site, mostly filled with people who are on it for other reasons ... headaches, bipolar, etc. but there was actually a suggestion in the mwo book for supplements to alleviate hair loss, which i missed first time through: selenium, biotin, zinc and green tea. plus rogaine. going to try it starting tomorrow! and sitting here w/olive oil/avo on my remaining hair trying to at least get it to a reasonable texture.

              i did, though, take my meds again tonight. going to try to stick with it. maybe i'll just get hair extensions if i can't reverse it (scarily enough, some folks on the madebymark site said their hair never really came back) trying to find some humor in this & keep positive rather than just get depressed because a good portion of my nicely highlighted locks are now blocking my drainpipe rather than gracing my skull.

              Comment

                #8
                Freaking Out ... Hair Loss Topa!

                Hi VG

                I went to the Topamax site for you. Alopecia (hair loss ) is not a common side effect of topa, in one study 2% of those on 50mg. daily reported loss and 5% on 400mg. daily reported loss.

                In other studies it is not mentioned at all.

                Sudden hair loss can be a symptom of other things like Thyrid problems, perhaps a doctors appointment is in order before you blame it on the topa.

                I would be devestated if my hair began to fall out in clumps so I have fingers and toes crossed, I'll see if I can do eyes too.

                magic xx
                ~Are you looking for the Holy One?
                I am in the next seat.
                My shoulder is against yours. ~Kabir

                Comment

                Previous template Next
                Working...
                X