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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 Sobriquet Style on February 5, 2006, at 14:20:36
Is there anyone who is Bipolar on this board, who is treating their Bipolar disorder solely with Natural/Alternative treatments?
Are you having sucess and what do you take?
Look forward to hearing from you.
:-)
~
Posted by blueberry on February 6, 2006, at 7:00:03
In reply to Bipolars and Alternative/Natural Treatment, posted by Sobriquet Style on February 5, 2006, at 14:20:36
At my doctor's suggestion and supervision, I am in the midst of attempting natural treatments for bipolar depression. I have tapered off all longtime meds, with only 1.25mg zyprexa remaining. Still tapering that one. I'm no worse than I was on meds, and sometimes better. It is sporadic at this early point in the game. Still sampling various things.
For stability, useful things include taurine 500mg to 1000mg a day; and/or magnesium 400mg to 600mg, in the glycine or taurine form, not the citrate or oxide form. Any calming herbs can also be tried, of which there are many.
For the depression, I have not found the common things to be very helpful for me...such as 5htp, st johns wort, tyrosine. I discovered by trial and error that the most profound and rapid antidepressant effect is with a combination of rhodiola rosea and panax ginseng. Ginkgo is sometimes good. There are at least a handful of other herbs as well. The amino acid DL-phenylalanine is worth a try, but dosing is tricky, ranging anywhere from 500mg 3 times a day to 500mg once every two or three days.
Like the meds, it's all trial and error and mileage varies.
Posted by blueberry on February 6, 2006, at 17:55:14
In reply to Bipolars and Alternative/Natural Treatment, posted by Sobriquet Style on February 5, 2006, at 14:20:36
Oops. Forgot a couple obvious ones.
Fish oil 1g to 4g per day (total EFA and DHA combined, not the mg of the capsule). For both mood stability and depression.
And of course one of the most time tested mood stabilizers, a natural salt...lithium.
Posted by Sobriquet Style on February 7, 2006, at 11:36:38
In reply to Re: Bipolars and Alternative/Natural Treatment, posted by blueberry on February 6, 2006, at 7:00:03
Good to hear things seem to be going generally well so far.
How come you use magnesium in the glycine or taurine form - and not the citrate and oxide form? Is it more calming that way and effective?
>5htp, st johns wort, tyrosine.
Me neither.
>rhodiola rosea and panax ginseng.
Thats sounds very interesting. I can confirm ginseng has been helpful in the past too, although I know longer take it now as I occaionally felt it slightly too up lifting with the sexual energy.
>The amino acid DL-phenylalanine
Thanks i'll look into that one..
Posted by Sobriquet Style on February 7, 2006, at 11:39:16
In reply to Re: Bipolars and Alternative/Natural Treatment, posted by blueberry on February 6, 2006, at 17:55:14
>Fish oil 1g to 4g per day (total EFA and DHA combined, not the mg of the capsule)
You're saying 1g to 4g of the omega 3 oils combined? (This could mean something like 9grams of fish oil in all?)
Thanks again.
~
Posted by butternut on February 7, 2006, at 14:35:01
In reply to Re: Bipolars and Alternative/Natural Treatment, posted by Sobriquet Style on February 7, 2006, at 11:39:16
Blueberry--Is your lithium the prescription kind or the OTC lithium orotate? I've recently started taking the orotate, and I think it might actually be helping w/mood stability, depression, etc. (I've never actually taken prescription lithium.)Any problems with kidney function? I'm just curious as some of the literature suggests this is a possibility.
Posted by Ed O`Flaherty on February 21, 2006, at 15:38:32
In reply to Re: Bipolars and Alternative/Natural Treatment » Sobriquet Style, posted by butternut on February 7, 2006, at 14:35:01
I am a family doctor in Dublin with a strong interest in nutritional treatment of mental illness. My view is that it is unwise to treat Bipolar entirely without medication.Nutritional treatment is very beneficial though and the Pfeiffer Center in Chicago (www.hriptc.org) has found a significant improvement in 68% of BP patients as against 75% who report a significant improvememt with nutrition in those with schizophrenia and 15% in those with severe OCD.
On a recent vacation in Sydney I found that Pfeiffer had arranged a week`s course for doctors and decided to skip the vacation and do their course. It was very enlightening and highly encouraging.They take a very detailed history for about an hour and do a lot of tests on urine,blood and hair. They then come up with a whole range of vitamins,minerals,amino acids and essential fatty acids which seem most appropriate.I saw patients with schizophrenia,bipolar,depression and autism there and I saw some really good results from those who had been seen a year earlier. I have been using some of their ideas for a few years now but am really thrilled to have had this opportunity.
This is the end of the thread.
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