Will Migraine make my hair fall out?
Unfortunately, some migraine medications, co-morbidities and migraine triggers can cause hair loss (alopecia) that may range from overall thinning, changes of the hair shaft itself, a decrease or thinning of the overall numbers of hair on the head (density of coverage), to downright patchy baldness.
Some examples: Topiramate (Topamax) and Depakote (Divalproex sodium) are only two of the many medications migraineurs often take that can cause hair loss in a small number of patients.
Migraineurs who have received Occipital nerve blocks that contain steroid medicines which may cause a thinning of the skin at the injection site, can also experience temporary localized hair loss.
Changes in metabolism that occur as a result of a co-morbidity or trigger such as Graves Disease (an autoimmune thyroid condition causing imbalance) may result in diffuse or patchy hair loss, and imbalances in cortisol (another element of metabolism) can sometimes result in changes from straight to wavy hair, or the reverse.
Breathe easy- Migraine disease or a migraine headache itself does not cause the loss of hair.
For more information, visit the WEGO Health Migraine Dictionary
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Some examples: Topiramate (Topamax) and Depakote (Divalproex sodium) are only two of the many medications migraineurs often take that can cause hair loss in a small number of patients.
Migraineurs who have received Occipital nerve blocks that contain steroid medicines which may cause a thinning of the skin at the injection site, can also experience temporary localized hair loss.
Changes in metabolism that occur as a result of a co-morbidity or trigger such as Graves Disease (an autoimmune thyroid condition causing imbalance) may result in diffuse or patchy hair loss, and imbalances in cortisol (another element of metabolism) can sometimes result in changes from straight to wavy hair, or the reverse.
Breathe easy- Migraine disease or a migraine headache itself does not cause the loss of hair.
For more information, visit the WEGO Health Migraine Dictionary
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Tags: hair, headache, medicine, migraine, occipital, preventative, preventive, thyroid
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Janeen on -
NO! Don't tell me that Topamax causes hair loss. You may remember that in the fall (Nov/Dec) I had posted about my hair falling out. I'M ON TOPAMAX! Why didn't the doctors mention that Topamax can do that? I had no idea. Thanks for posting this. I'm not ruling out the thyroid condition either (even though my doctor said no). I think pretty soon, I'll just be ruling out my doctor.
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Permalink Reply by Paul on
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Janeen,
Knowing every possible side effect for every medicine is a lot to ask of your doctor. I am doctor myself, and seem to find patients often expect perfection in a field that is as much an art as a science. What do you suggest that your doctor (or doctors in general ) do to make their partnership with you work better? ... PS. Are your migraines (or seizures) responding to the Topamax?
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Permalink Reply by Janeen on
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Paul,
My migraines are responding the Topamax. It's been a blessing (except for the hair part). I'm not sure if the Topamax caused the hair loss, I've just never read anything about hair loss being a possible side effect. The doctor (s) never mentioned it nor did the pamphelet from the pharmacy.
I know that doctors are human too and can't know everything. I just wish that my doctor would listen to me more instead of being so dismissive. Hair loss is a big thing for a woman (as are all the other symptoms that I've been having).
My comment about ruling out the doctor has more to do with a lack of over all care than the lack of information on Topamax. I can (should) investigate side effects too:)
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Permalink Reply by Ellen Schnakenberg on -
Dr. Paul has a real point -- be an educated patient. Doctors are people too. One advantage of using a headache specialist is that they are more familiar with the meds usually used for headache disorders. If you ask them specifically about your concerns, they will try to help you.
Do some digging on any new meds, or even old ones. Our parents didn't have any way to check for this information, but we do. The smart patient uses all his/her resources and asks questions.
Extreme hair loss is really not terribly common with most meds used for migraine. I got patchy baldness with Depakote, and a bald spot where I had an occipital block. I expected it with Depakote because it is a fairly common side effect, but the occipital block had me floored. I though maybe I had something else going on because nobody ever mentioned it as a potential side effect. Most of the side-effects listed had to do with allergy or the medicine effects itself, not the loss of hair that can result from it.
Be careful too. Just because a side-effect is listed, or someone you know had a particular side-effect, does NOT meant that is a side-effect you will experience as well. Just as our migraine experience is different from everyone else, so will our treatment experiences be different, and as we age and our bodies change throughout our lives, these will all likely change down the line. It is something you need to be aware of, and yes, comfortable with.
Janeen, you have other issues that could be causing your hair loss, much more likely culprits. If the Topamax is working for you, and you are keeping careful watch for other more serious side-effects (metabolic, etc) I would be very slow to place the blame on the medication alone. I have heard others complain of hair loss, but the last info I saw said only about 1% complained of this as a side-effect of the medication. You can read more on MAGNUM's page HERE.
I am a naturally questioning person. My first instinct is to question WHY the hair loss is happening in conjunction with the drug. For example, if a particular med lowers how your body uses thyroid for instance, perhaps tweaking those levels will help you all around, including hair loss.
Medication side effects is a complicated subject. The point is, yes, it could be your medication. No, it is not migraine disease that is causing it. Yes, you likely have other options if this is an issue.
My own personal cautions for my own experiences included this thought...
For me, the bald spots were heartbreaking. I am known for my long, curly blonde hair. It is how people identify me. No kidding. It meant changing how my hair was cut, and not knowing how far the balding would progress. I spent a lot of time hiding the effects of my treatment, and yes, I had a plan in case it got worse. I was not willing to give up the medication solely because of hair loss however. The devastating effects of migraine far exceeded my personal need for my hair.
In the end, the medication didn't help me. I gave it a good trial, so have no worries that I stopped it too soon and "maybe" it was the one thing that would have helped me. I know.
My hair is growing back in, slowly, but at least the spots are no longer bald. I now have a true empathy for chemo patients who wake up in the morning and pick up hands full of hair from their pillows. I was there once.
Hair loss is temporary. Devastating, yes, but temporary. Do consider your choices carefully when considering a medication change based solely on your hair. If it is a priority for you, be sure to mention this to your doctor and it may change the way he tries medications on you.
I hope this has been helpful. :)
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Permalink Reply by Ellen Schnakenberg on
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I have added a blog post about my personal experience with hair loss. (LINK)
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