Q:  When Will My Hair Grow Back

Dear Dr. Phelps,

I was taking 1000 mg of Depakote ER a day for three months and my hair started to fall out dramatically.  I also experienced the weight gain you mentioned.  I am on every hair supplement in the universe and nothing has helped.  I discontinued the Depakote three weeks ago and am now on Tileptal.  My question is: when will my hair stop falling out, when will it start growing back and is it possible it may never grow back?  I have been to two dermatologists who couldn't answer my questions.  Neither could my psychiatrist, or Abbott Pharmaceuticals, who makes Depakote.  Thanks you so much.  Your website is FABULOUS.


Dear Elizabeth -- 
Thanks.  Actually, I think this is pretty easy to answer.  My patients who've been through this report their hair comes back curlier, and of course it's growing in at it's usual rate so it takes a while to show up, roughly 2 months and some folks have been a bit slower than that.  Good luck with the Trileptal. 

Dr. Phelps