Topamax and Hair Loss?
There’s a lot of discussion going on about hair loss as a side effect of Topamax (topiramate). Because of the time it takes hair to grow back, this can be an issue that goes on even after you’ve stopped taking it.
Although this doesn’t seem to be one of the most common side effects of Topamax, it’s obviously one to be concerned about.
But I’m not going to write about it – because the fine folks over at MigreLief already did some research. 🙂 So I suggest you check out the article I’m linking to below. But I would like to hear from you here – have you experienced this side effect? Did you find any solutions?
10 September 2013 @ 8:10 pm
Wow glad im not on that one anymore ! 😛
10 September 2013 @ 8:17 pm
I’m on an ultra low dose and am not having this problem =)
10 September 2013 @ 8:22 pm
I’m on Topamax for a while now and I do notice more hair comes out after showering while I brush it but luckily I have really thick and long hair…I also bought some biotin so I think I may take that daily..I will say Topamax has been my life saver as far as the migraines go!!
10 September 2013 @ 10:40 pm
I have been on Topamax for several year now. I have thin hair as it is, but noticed since I cut my long hair short it does not fallout as much or thin.
10 September 2013 @ 11:10 pm
I haven’t really noticed significant hair loss and I’ve been on Topamax for years. I have had other side effects but honestly the side effects are worth it. Topamax is the only thing that has helped me. I lost more hair w nortriptyline…
11 September 2013 @ 3:45 pm
I’ve been on topamax twice before and luckily haven’t had any noticeable increase in hair loss. Unfortunately it didn’t have much effect on my migraines and I had problems with other side effects such as weight loss and fatigue. Last preventative I was on was Depakote given the daily migraines and frequent vomiting, that helped keep my weight at a safe level but I doubt many migraineurs would resort to that medication.
11 September 2013 @ 5:03 pm
I was on Topamax and apart from affecting my brain quite considerably i did have a lot of hair loss and it took AGES for it to grow back. Unfortunately my dr didn’t think that was important enough to tell me. I think doctors don’t understand the importance of hair loss and how it affects your mood and personality. It is awful for anyone to lose hair and especially if the drug is not working for you
26 August 2021 @ 1:21 pm
I agree, my doctor didn’t tell me this either, I thought it was from stress or my thyroid, nope, I had a talk with my doctor and she then told me after being on the topamax for a year that hair loss is a side affect, not to mention then after doing more research, I had been having a very sore throat for months, thinking it was due to allergies, but this is another side affect from this drug, and could also contribute to a terrible disease call Steven Johnson syndrome. Please research each drug before you go on any of them, this is so important. I simply cannot believe with so many terrible side affect, ( Im also having vision problems as well) that the fda would approve such a drug.
16 September 2013 @ 4:12 pm
topamax gave me a form of dementia and I had to stop taking it
2 October 2013 @ 3:28 pm
Definitely had some hair loss from Topamax…I think it made me lose weight too (I’ve been on so many migraine drugs it’s hard to keep track). It didn’t work so I stopped taking it and the hair I lost eventually grew back wavy (I’d always had straight hair).
16 May 2015 @ 9:15 am
I’ve been on100mg of Topamax for 4 months now and definitely notice hair loss. I would definitely trade that for weight loss.
15 July 2016 @ 10:35 pm
Yes!! I had waist-length hair. I suffered 5 Strokes starting in 2006. Migraine was the only risk factor I had going into The Strokes. The neurologist put me on Topamax to try to control the migraines which got worse after The Strokes. I lost at least two-thirds of my hair. Nobody would believe me that it was the Topamax. After a year on it, and the neurologist raising the dosages because it wasn’t working. I finally insisted on being taken off of it. I had to cut my hair really really short to try to hide the loss of volume. It took years for my hair to grow back. I’m so glad somebody is finally acknowledging the connection!
2 July 2017 @ 1:49 pm
I stopped taking 100mg of Topamax a year ago and I still experience hair loss. I am concerned about the long-term effects this could have on my hair. My doctor thought I was making up but I knew that was what was causing the hair loss. So I insisted after 4 years to be taken off of it. As the dose was raised the hair loss got worse. I can’t wear my hair down because I get covered in hairs that are falling out and in the shower I lose hair by the handfuls. It is a nightmare.
14 November 2017 @ 12:18 pm
I have been on very low dosage Topiramate approx seven months. Finally stopped migraines but I also started having hair loss three months ago! I had very thick healthy hair. This side effect was never mentioned by my neurologist! At 12 mg daily I’ve stopped, cold turkey.. I had very little migraine pain, mostly auras! I’ll take my chances at this point and pray my hair starts to regrow. It is awful that so many physicians are not mentioning this terrible side effect. Does anyone have good advice on stimulating re growth of hair, something that actually works.
28 January 2018 @ 10:28 pm
Hi Diane,
Your story sounds so much like mine. I even had blood tests done to make sure I did not have something else going on. Everything else was fine. I was so frustrated and depressed about my hair loss and not able to find any answers or solutions. In my dispair, I just made sure I ate right, drank plenty of water and appreciated the fact that the other horrible side effects from that nasty drug slowly went away. About a year after being totally off topiramate, my hair started growing back and staying in my head! Its been about 2 years now and I’m at about 90% back to normal. And….my migraines are still less!
I do not wish my experiece on that drug to anyone! It almost ruined my life, with all the other side effects.
I wish I had a magic answer for you, but I hope sharing my experience off topiramate gives you some hope.
Hang in there and be good to yourself!
31 January 2018 @ 8:30 pm
Topamax was awful for my hair, along with my memory. It also gave me huge kidney stones. I did appreciate the weight loss but it was not worth the other side effects. I am now on Zonagran, same family, less side effects. My hair took a long time to recover.
5 November 2018 @ 11:08 pm
I’ve been on topamax for a few years to help with migraine prevention. I’m up to 200mg a day. Today my neurologist started to cut my dosage and within 3 weeks I’ll be off completely. I’ve been loosing a frightening amount of hair for months. I was never informed that this was a possible side effect. I mentioned my concerns about hair loss several times to my doctors. Unfortunately nothing was done until I did my own research and insisted I be taken off the medication.
14 November 2018 @ 2:06 pm
A few years ago I started to put together that it was the Topamax that was leading to my hair loss. I hadn’t started see any hair loss at all until I had been on this med for a while and now all the hair on top has thinned out. If I keep it short, I loose less. I’d love to go off it, but without it, I have daily migraines.
24 July 2019 @ 1:30 pm
I’ve been taking Topamax for over a year now for migraines. It stopped those but just last month I started losing handfuls of hair. My Internist did some research on my medications and identified the most likely cause as Topamax. Just called my neurologist to find out how to get off this drug. I’ll be wearing a wig for at least a year since I’ve lost about a third off my hairline ear to ear and back to my crown!
13 August 2019 @ 1:09 pm
I did not notice hair loss at first, however 6 months later it’s in the sink, shower, on my brushes and clothes.
A weight management doctor put me on Topamax due to weight loss being a side effect. I asked him to take me off it, because, I didn’t believe it was helping with the weight loss, and it was definitely the cause of my hair loss which is awful! I’ve not taken any other new medicine since beginning this. He said it is working and the side effects are temporary. It’s been 6 months.
I have lost some weight (35 pounds). I’ve also changed my diet completely and have walked miles! He diagnosed me as “Morbidly Obese” on my chart. I’m 180. I’m 5’4 My BMI is 31 which is not morbidly obese.
I’ve taken some time to research this medicine. It isn’t even approved by the FDA for weight loss. (Google away!)
Therefore, I will begin tapering myself off of it and I will not be seeing that doctor again.