Hair Loss as a Side Effect of Lamotrigine Treatment
August 2006
in “
American Journal of Psychiatry
”
TLDR A woman's hair loss stopped after she stopped taking lamotrigine, suggesting it might cause hair loss.
The document reports a case where a 63-year-old woman experienced hair loss as a side effect of lamotrigine treatment for bipolar disorder. The patient, referred to as "Mrs. G," began losing hair 2 to 3 weeks after starting the medication, with a trichogram showing an increase in resting (telogen) and dystrophic hair. Upon discontinuation of lamotrigine, her hair loss rapidly regressed. This case is presented as possibly the first to suggest a causal connection between lamotrigine intake and alopecia, as the patient was not on any other medication and the hair loss ceased after stopping lamotrigine. The authors suggest that patients and clinicians should be aware of alopecia as a potential rare side effect of lamotrigine treatment.
