Q. My hair has been falling out and I wonder if it is from taking medications. I take paxil and klonopin for anxiety, depakene and gabitril for epilepsy, and albuturol for asthma. I started taking the paxil 2 months ago, could it be that?

A. I bet you money the Depakene is responsible for your hair loss. You did not mention when you began treatment with this medication or if you recently increased your dosage, but the hair loss should ease up with continued treatment. Before doing anything you need to rule out a medical reason for your hair loss, such as hypothyroidism. If it is related to the Depakene I suggest supplementing with 200 mcg of Selenium and 100 mg of Zinc. These doses are higher than the current RDA so you may need to take supplements in addition to daily vitamins. If the hair loss continues and medical causes are ruled out, you can try switching to another anticonvulsant medication under your doctor's supervision.

Anna