Bipolar Question from Dr. Jay Carter

Hi Julie,

Is there any supplements or herbal remedies that you would recommend for bipolar stuff, other than the

omega 3?

Any particular diet that is beneficial?

Jay

 (Dr. Jay Carter is a psychologist with an emphasis on bipolar disorder.)

**

Hi Jay!

St. John’s Wort can cause Mania.

Sam E is for mild depression.

Some people swear by the molecular stuff such as Taurine, etc. The serotonin mimic 5-HTP  is just like an

anti depressant as it can cause mania.

There are some supplements such as TruHope out of Canada that made a lot of claims and then got busted.

Some herbs can help sleep such as kava kava, valerian.

Calms Forte homeopathic works for some.

To be honest, I’ve found that most of the sleep stuff is for milder problems.  I use Ativan as I don’t have any

addiction problems- those with addiction worries to Ativan, Klonopin or Valium can use Benedryl.

I [ Read More ]





bipolarhappens.com Reader Comment

Bipolarhappens.com Reader Comment

I received such a great email from a reader named Daphne Stevens that I’m posting parts of it on the blog. I think it helps so much for us to see that we all go through the same challenges with this illness. Daphne and I discussed Lamictal and other meds. Here are her comments: Lamictal, by the way, is my “miracle drug,” too.  After two years of trial and error (and a lot of nasty side effects) my doctor and I finally settled on a combination of Lamictal and Seroquel. which levels out both the hypomania and  depression.  And my depression, while less frequent than hypomania, can be deadly, as you know.  Over a lifetime of struggling, I’ve finally learned not to be too afraid of it.  I know it will pass, no matter how permanent it feels at the time.  Riding it out, being kind to myself, doing what I can, [ Read More ]





Bipolar Disorder and Medications: Lithium, Zoloft, Celexa, Lamictal

Here are some stories that illustrate a fact: bipolar disorder medication efficacy can change over time.

Lithium: My dear friend Sherri- who has bipolar I-  took Lithium successfully for over eight years.  Two years ago she had a severe manic/psychotic episode without a major trigger. My coauthor Dr. John Preston calls them breakthrough mood swings. She spent the past two years on Lithium and Zyprexa. It was a tough two years, but she is doing SO well. I just talked with her today and I said, “It’s so great to have Sherri back!” She said that her husband feels the same. People do get better!

Zoloft: Another friend was on Zoloft for ten years. It stopped working effectively. She then tried Celexa. It worked for a while, but not as well as Zoloft. So she’s going back on the Zoloft! It’s an art to find out what drug works for you. It is a lifelong [ Read More ]