Hi all, I'm new here. I was diagnosed at 18 with bipolar disorder but was in denial until a few months ago(I'm 23). My first choice when I had a hypomanic episode was to get right on medication. I tried one that made me worse, and then was put on a combination that first caused hallucinations and when I stopped the antipsychotic and continued just lithium, my moods dropped so severely that it has been hard to get out of bed in the morning, hard to care for myself or even eat well. I have gone from exercising 3 days a week, being motivated to improve my life, eating well most days, sleeping okay, and going out, to being miserable, only eating junk food, never working out, and being too anxious to even think of going anywhere. I am exhausted all the time..

So, in frustration after my doctor refused to add an antidepressant to my medication, I went to the health store to look around. That day I bought a book called "The Natural Medicine Guide to Bipolar Disorder" and it has changed the way I look at everything. I started taking GABA, a potent multivitamin, and Lecithin every day. I also began weaning off the Lithium with my doctor's help last week.

I will be starting Taurine, and either Tyrosine or Ginkgo Biloba later this week.. and also switching the Lecithin to a Choline&Inositol combination. I would prefer Tyrosine over Ginkgo so I'll be starting there but I never know with mood boosters. For example, I'd also started 5-HTP with the GABA and Lecithin, and it caused anger, mood swings, insomnia, and auditory issues that all stopped the day after I discontinued..

What I am wondering is.. Will GABA, Choline&Inositol, Taurine, and Tyrosine, along with a good multivitamin likely be enough for the mood issues? I definitely need something to stabilize me and help with impulsivity, and at the same time I need help with depression and social anxiety. I am willing to take more if I need it, so I guess it's just a matter of trial and error? How about Theanine?

I also am thinking of garlic supplements and probiotics as apparently stomach problems can contribute to bipolar disorder..

And I will be starting a low GI diet in a few months to control low blood sugar that I think contributes to my mood swings.

Any other suggestions??

I don't really have a good answer to your question, but fatty acids in good oils, including omega 3s, and also Vitamin D at least partly obtained from the sun, surely would help. The sun can help your mood--lay out for at least 15 minutes a day.

Theanine helps me relax and helps me sleep. I get stressed easily and get adrenaline surges. A homeopathic remedy by Metagenics, called Nervous Tension Remedy also helps me with that. It's labeled as being for depression and anxiety.

Thanks. I live in Canada so it's hard to get any sun right now. I have felt "manic" symptoms while taking fish oil and while taking vitamin D and I'm unsure if they caused it but with anything like that I get nervous to try it again. Same with b-complex, although I took very high doses of each one so perhaps that was why.

I will look into the homeopathic remedy, thank you!

Hi bipolarmom, I commend you for seeking a more natural treatment for yourself, prescription medications/anti-depressants are really bad news. Here's a supplement that you may consider, N-acetyl Cystein (NAC). Here's an article about it, also check out the related posts at the bottom...https://www.healthyfellow.com/786/bes...mental-health/

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"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." ~Immanual Kant~

You know, I've read that some people with low levels of D will get depressed and/or feel worse when they go in the sun. Then, as their levels rise that effect goes away. I wonder if it's the same with mania? Have you had your D levels checked? If they're low and it was high doses of D that caused the mania maybe you could start with low doses? But I'm sure it's best if you work with a doctor on that to be safe.

Same with Vitamin B. A lot of people are low on the B's especially B12.

Maybe try another good oil? Coconut oil, maybe? Or Rice Bran oil. Many people, including myself, have found a high quality cold-pressed rice brain oil to be really helpful. It's an omega 6 but it has a good profile of fatty acids.

But I know when the body is out of balance sometimes it won't accept certain remedies or those remedies, though needed, will actually cause problems until other remedies are done first.

If it's possible for you to go to a naturopath, that's what I would recommend, so he/she can work with you individually.

Glad you found your way to GABA. This will likely be incredibly important for you.

I suggest that you add one nutrient at a time and monitor carefully. Different bipolar cases can react differently, just like with drugs. I do think it is the result from a metabolic imbalance or nutritional deficiency.

Yes, you need to get your D3 level up to about 70. the only way you can be sure you are doing it right for your body is to get your D3 levels tested

Everything else you are doing sounds great. Do be careful to keep up your nutrient regimen even when you are feeling well. This is the downfall fo many bipolar cases, no matter how they are choosing to treat themselves. When they feel well they often go into denial and stop what keeps them in balance then they spin out and go into crisis. You must keep this in mind. If you have sustained periods of feeling well then likely you are making good choices.

I would also take a peek at your serum glucose levels to make sure that a sugar issue is not present. Check when you are feeling well and check again when you don't feel well.


I dont know if niacin will help you but it does help other disorder issues. I would give it a shot. Niacin will also help other nutrients to get into your system better. You can start watching youtube videos here and see what you can find

https://www.youtube.com/results?searc...75l3-2.6-1l3l0

and then check out this page. There is an organization called Truehope that claims some good results with nutrients
https://www.youtube.com/results?searc...l2-3.4.0.1l8l0

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Thanks for the replies! Everything is quite helpful. I am going to look for a naturopath within the next few months.

I'm also looking into finding a multivitamin that has foods in it as well as things like antioxidants, enzymes, and probiotics. I think that would be a convenient addition instead of my regular multivitamin that is not so great quality..

I will look into N-acetyl-cysteine as well, and Niacin. I have been considering a coconut oil supplement as well just because of things I've read here about the benefits.