[Amura]

Hi, I am curious if any of you have had positive or negative experiences with any Vitamins / Supplements?

If so what do you take and how much?


Thanks so much! Amura

[blueoctober]

Amura, I do take vitamins. I take vitamin c, a multi-vitamin, calcium, Omega 3. Ideally we should get what we need from food, but I find I need to take vitamins as well. It certainly doesn't replace my meds and prior to being diagnosed I was extremely strict with my diet and took vitamins etc. but it made no difference to my BP symptoms.

As far as doses/taking vitamins I would suggest speaking to a GP. If you haven't had recent blood work done that would be a good place to start. Vitamin B deficiency and thyroid issues have been known to cause depression symptoms.

If you're interested in the food/mood connection this is a great book on the subject, The Food Mood Solution by Jack Challem http://www.amazon.ca/Food-Mood-Solut...6934479&sr=8-6

[Minah Byrd]

Unlike most psychs who just prescribe stimulants, I strongly recommend taking almost exactly what Beth above just posted. I would make sure your multi has high amounts of B-complex. Omega-3 fatty acids are the most important and the only supplement with some real research to show it helps Bipolar Disorder...which blew away alot of my skeptical colleagues. But you need to take a lot, at least two 1000mg capsules twice a day. If these capsules are too big try the 500mg size. Dont expect miracles from supplements, but over the course of months I see improvement, and often it can help me reduce the dosages of the mood stabilizers, particularly if the mood stabilizers are causing side effect problems.

[yagalada]

I'm currently not taking psych meds but I am taking vitamins and omegas. For the vitamins I'm actually still taking my prescription prenatal vitamin since i breastfeed and I make sure to get in a lot of juice with vitamin c since i read that the c can help keep in check trace elements researchers have seen accumulate in bipolar folks.

I really don't know how to gauge if its really working for me or not. I'm doing horrible right now but my depression isn't as bad. Its mixed/mania i'm having the problems with now.

From what I read about supplements and vitamins, try to find brands that say "food based" as those are absorbed better. Also, I've read that as far as fish oil is concerned, mercury and other toxins *may* be present, so look for a refined one. I do a veggie omega supplement since I avoid fish altogether.

[kikki27]

Originally Posted by Amura

Hi, I am curious if any of you have had positive or negative experiences with any Vitamins / Supplements?

If so what do you take and how much?


Thanks so much! Amura

I take vitamin d at 250 mg and It works.I take omega fishoil at 1000 and that works

[sugahorse1]

I sometimes take Vitamins (Not if I'm late for work, or my boyfriend hasn't had time to sort them out...)
I take Omega (Fish oil), Vitamin B, Vitamin C, and an iron tablet

Positive? Negative? Neither. My Pdoc recommended that route when I was all against needing anything --ie. meds (as I was hypo and nearly bouncing off her couch.... ) They had no effect whatsoever for me. I can't remember dosages as it's been awhile, but can tell you I crashed hard and fast (after a particularly long hypomania) and was scrambling fast as the lowest and most desperate low was not all that long out of memory... and I knew exactly where I was going. It was meds for me.