Posted by Lao Tzu on September 8, 2008, at 10:14:09
In reply to Re: For Justin Fernandez from Lao, posted by Lao Tzu on September 8, 2008, at 7:42:38
Also, the whole point of treating your symptoms is not to feel euphoric or wonderful all the time. That's just unrealistic and short-lived. Rather, stability is the key so that you can go on functioning rather normally in your daily activities with little anguish or despair. If you try the supplements I listed, I recommend taking the P-5-P form of B6 because I think it is more effective than regular B6. Fish oil can be helpful too, but I always tell people to try a very low dosage to start because some people react negatively to high dose fish oil. Fish oil in the correct dosage can add more stability to your mood. I take it everyday. I just can't take too much of it. Calcium has helped me with mood too. I take about 150mg-300mg per day and this seems enough for me. I can't take higher dosages of calcium like a lot of websites tell you. Better to err on the side of less than more with most supplements. However, with B12 you might need more rather than less. I started off taking 250mcg of B12, then gradually increased it to 500mcg then to 750mcg and stopped there. B12 works much better when you take it at the same time as B6. Or you can get B12 injections from your family doctor, which are highly effective. Another one is vitamin C. Believe it or not, just 500mg of vitamin C helps my mood, but I must say that taking just vitamin C alone won't do much good. You really have to take a cocktail of supplements to see any difference. Some people are also deficient in zinc and magnesium. Zinc seems to go well with B12, however, again err on the side of less than more. I only take 15mg of zinc per day because I can't tolerate more than this. With magnesium, I only take 200mg doses at a time because anymore than this makes me feel rather numb, and I hate that feeling. But like I said before, medication may be necessary to take care of the worst symptoms. Provigil for energy and motivation. Probably a mood stabilizer like Lamictal or Topamax. An antipsychotic like Abilify or risperdal for anxiety and dopamine dysfunction. These are just some of my suggestions. Don't take them as gospel. This is just what my doctor has done for me for bipolar disorder. If you get a diagnosis of ADD, then there are better current meds for that disorder. All in all, it's what you will tolerate and what you won't with any of your treatment decisions. It's your body and you are the ultimate custodian of it. Weigh your options, think it over. Get the correct information. Try non-medication therapies at first because I wouldn't tell anyone that medication is the only way to feel better. It just isn't. It's only good when your symptoms are so out of control that you just are not functioning well in life and you gain little satisfaction in both your personal life and social/work life. Good luck.
poster:Lao Tzu
thread:850920
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20080612/msgs/850948.html