Cosmetic Side Effects of Antiepileptic Drugs in Adults With Epilepsy

December 2014 in “ Epilepsy & behavior ”

Baibing Chen, Hyeong‐Ah Choi, Lawrence J. Hirsch, Jeremy Moeller, Asif Javed, Kenneth Kato, Alexander Legge, Richard Buchsbaum, Kamil Detyniecki

alopecia hair loss valproic acid pregabalin antiepileptic drugs Depakote Lyrica AEDs

Studysummary This study found that weight gain and alopecia were the most common cosmetic side effects of AEDs, with valproic acid and pregabalin being particularly associated with these effects. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

The study compared cosmetic side effects (CSEs) of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in 1,903 adult patients and found that weight gain and alopecia were the most common CSEs, with weight gain often leading to dosage adjustment or discontinuation. Women and patients with prior CSEs were more likely to experience CSEs. Valproic acid and pregabalin were associated with higher rates of CSEs, particularly weight gain and hair loss, while levetiracetam had fewer CSEs. The findings highlighted the importance of considering CSEs, especially in female patients and those with a history of CSEs, when prescribing AEDs.

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research Serum Drug Level-Related Sodium Valproate-Induced Hair Loss

17 citations , January 2013 in “Indian Journal of Pharmacology”

This case report highlights an interest in exploring the relationship between serum levels of sodium valproate and hair loss, though no case reports currently establish this link.

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21 citations , June 2011 in “Journal of child neurology”

This study found that while serum zinc levels were lower in children treated with valproic acid or carbamazepine than in healthy controls, zinc, biotin, and biotinidase enzyme activity remained within normal ranges and unaffected by these treatments.

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13 citations , July 2010 in “Drug safety”

This study examined reports in VigiBase and found that alopecia was frequently associated with lamotrigine use, potentially affecting treatment adherence and patient health outcomes.

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36 citations , October 2008 in “European journal of paediatric neurology”

This study found that pediatric patients on valproic acid may experience hair loss due to reduced zinc and biotinidase levels within the first 3 months, with zinc depletion continuing to contribute by the 6th month.

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107 citations , August 2002 in “Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry”

Women with epilepsy should be monitored for reproductive issues, which can be caused by epilepsy or its treatments, especially when using valproate.

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73 citations , October 2001 in “Epilepsia”

In this study, valproic acid treatment was associated with reduced biotinidase activity and improved skin lesions after biotin supplementation in children with seizures.

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63 citations , March 2000 in “Annals of clinical psychiatry”

This article reviews the association between psychopharmaceuticals and medication-induced alopecia, noting that hair regrowth typically occurs after discontinuing or reducing the medication, while mineral supplements' effectiveness remains unclear.

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38 citations , September 1996 in “Annals of Clinical Psychiatry”

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This study found that sodium valproate effectively stopped or reduced seizures in patients with various types of epilepsy, with best results in absence and myoclonic seizures, though it caused temporary hair loss in some cases.