[forbiddenlove20]

My mom was on Depakote for a few months and started to notice her hair coming out a lot at a time so she talked to her doctor and he took her off it but her hair is still falling out pretty good... it is a lot thinner than it was... is there any way she can make her hair grow back faster? Thanks...

[Wondergirl]

The site bipolar.about.com says "it isn't specifically known why certain drugs cause thinning hair, but what happens is a process called telogen effluvium. Normally, most hair is in the active growing phase, while a much smaller proportion is in the resting, or telogen, phase. Growing hair pushes the resting hair out. When a medication causes many more hair follicles to enter the resting stage than is usual, there is less hair growing and more to be pushed out -- or pulled out, whether by shampooing, brushing and combing, or just running your hands through your hair."

Three years ago I had a similar problem caused by anemia. For three months, I used an OTC product called Viviscal (2 pills a day), but it was too expensive for my taste, My hair did begin growing and thickening, though; the follicles finally "woke up," which they may have done anyway. It's available on Amazon, drugstore, etc. or just wait a bit until follicles might wake up on their own.