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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Creaky_Neurons on April 8, 2003, at 13:42:43
Hey fellow sufferers,
I'm a long-time babbler and have used as many e-names as i have meds over the years.
i'm feeling pretty good lately and i think it is due to long-term supplementation with fish oil, DHEA, exercise, and 1 hour of meditation/day.
i'm on 12.5 mg of zoloft (that's right - almost zippo) and take klonopin and/or seroquel for sleep as needed. my diagnosis is BPII and i have had significant mania without AD's in the past.
thought i'd throw these results into the mix as i've been seeing fish oil/DHEA mentioned here. it seems like the longer i stay on this combo the better i'm doing.
of course i am not a walking double-blind placebo trial, but the effect seems to be real and cumulative...
creaky.
Posted by Pfinstegg on April 8, 2003, at 21:26:49
In reply to Supplements that help?, posted by Creaky_Neurons on April 8, 2003, at 13:42:43
That's so good to hear! I have been seeing lots of discussion about fish oil, DHEA, exercise and meditation for unipolar here, as you probably have, but I think this is the first time I've heard about those things really helping for bipolar. Thank you for telling us.
Pfinstegg
Posted by Ritch on April 8, 2003, at 22:52:36
In reply to Supplements that help?, posted by Creaky_Neurons on April 8, 2003, at 13:42:43
> Hey fellow sufferers,
>
> I'm a long-time babbler and have used as many e-names as i have meds over the years.
>
> i'm feeling pretty good lately and i think it is due to long-term supplementation with fish oil, DHEA, exercise, and 1 hour of meditation/day.
>
> i'm on 12.5 mg of zoloft (that's right - almost zippo) and take klonopin and/or seroquel for sleep as needed. my diagnosis is BPII and i have had significant mania without AD's in the past.
>
> thought i'd throw these results into the mix as i've been seeing fish oil/DHEA mentioned here. it seems like the longer i stay on this combo the better i'm doing.
>
> of course i am not a walking double-blind placebo trial, but the effect seems to be real and cumulative...
>
> creaky.
>
>Creaky, what dose of fishoil/Klonopin are you taking? Do you feel that the fishoil adds an antimanic effect as well as an antidepressant one? I responded better to Zoloft (positive effects) better than any other SRI previously except for GI troubles/insomnia/RLS that were too tough to manage.
Posted by Creaky_Neurons on April 9, 2003, at 11:20:56
In reply to Re: Supplements that help? » Creaky_Neurons, posted by Ritch on April 8, 2003, at 22:52:36
I'm taking lots of fish oil (omegabrite, 5 grams/day) which is more than the usual depression dose. The bipolar studies imply that higher doses are responsible for the dampening action.
having gone off the fish oil, it does seem to have a significant mood stabilizing effect.
the DHEA effect is harder to pin down, but I feel better when on it, more motivated, more energy for working out.
I would like to say that exercise and meditation seems as important to me as these supplements. they make me feel like i am participating in my own mental health by *doing* something.
but it isn't perfect. i'm all for 1mg klon and seroquel when i feel mania kicking in. when i starting waking up earlier and earlier, making whacked-out plans, and sleeping very little, i know i'm headed for a mood cycle. i really try to nip things in the bud but getting my sleep pattern back on course, stopping all AD's.
I tried staying on seroquel 24/7. it worked well for me but i developed parkinsons-like symptoms and an locked-up neck. so i'm "symptom chasing" to a degree, but this has the benefit of reducing unwanted side effects.
Posted by Ritch on April 9, 2003, at 13:14:53
In reply to Re: Supplements that help?, posted by Creaky_Neurons on April 9, 2003, at 11:20:56
Posted by joebob on July 15, 2003, at 13:34:01
In reply to thanks! (nm) » Creaky_Neurons, posted by Ritch on April 9, 2003, at 13:14:53
Posted by Chris O on July 15, 2003, at 15:23:37
In reply to Re: Supplements that help?, posted by Creaky_Neurons on April 9, 2003, at 11:20:56
Creaky:
How long before you noticed any effects from the 5 grams of Omegabrite? I took 4 grams four a month and didn't notice a darn thing. I suffer from GAD, panic more than depression. Also, what specific effects did you notice when the fish oil started to kick in? Thanks!
This is the end of the thread.
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