Quote:
Originally Posted by EternalWinter
Right now the only med I am on is lithium and thats all I want to be on. because whenever im on something else I get big side effects and it seems to only help with one symptom.
I still suffer from mild - moderate anxiety. And sometimes hypo mania. with a couple months of moderate depression about every four months. I dont run around climbing trees but if im walking through a park with my GF and feel the energy ill climb a big tree going up as fast as I can as high as I can go while she thinks im an idiot. It doesnt bother me none.
The depression sucks but I recently bot a box of ginseng and that helps a lot. I also got things like Valerian root extract for anxiety. I also bought magnesium tablets and It stops my high blood pressure caused by anxiety.
I just feel like I can decrease the lithium to a stop, do it on my own and when ever I need help ill use my little alternatives.
Your thoughts???
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Generally, ginseng stimulates and can jack up your mania. Valerian could help but it might also induce depression or make depression worse. I've tried so many herbs and nutritional supplements because I have treatment resistant bipolar. I still take magnesium in the form of magnesium glycinate. Can't say that I've ever felt calmer or more stable. Taurine, an amino acid that is a neuro inhibitory and exerts an action similar to an anti-convulsant, has brought me out of horrific manias but to achieve that, I had to take up to 9000 milligrams and it does induce depression as well as fatigue and a feeling of being 'jet lagged' but without it, I'd be hospitalized and drooling and twitching from Haldol.
Just don't fool yourself. You have a serious illness and you never know when it's going to turn ugly. It is too bad that there are few psychiatrists who have a holistic view and are open to other possibilities of treatment. That's just the way it is. There's nothing wrong with seeking alternatives to powerful drugs, but do it responsibly. Research, research, research. Don't go by sites where someone has a book to sell or some supplement to sell. Go to PubMed and read peer reviewed medical abstracts. Also,psycheducation.org, which is run by a great psychiatrist, Jim Phelps.