[intergalactictraveler]

For those who haven't read any of my posts, I'm 63, married, with treatment resistant ultradian cycling/mixed state bipolar. My new pdoc and I agreed that another trial of lithium, low dose(150mg)might help. Been on it twice before and the second time, my former pdoc pushed up my dose in the hope I'd get more stable. Ended up with akathisia; twitching, pacing and feeling like I was going to jump out of my skin. Treatment options(unless I want to break the bank for some new med)are slim and none. Twenty meds in the past 21 years. Fed up, tired and even lost my libido about two years ago(independent of meds). My wife is not particularly understanding and never wanted to learn about my illness. Now, my best friend, who also had the same type of bp, died two weeks ago of a heart attack at age 59.

If you're treatment resistant, tell me how you're coping. Thanks.

I'm not treatment-resistant ultradian, but I know someone who is and she made strong
improvement by certain changes in her diet:

She removed caffeine, which is contained in some teas, coffees, chocolates and over-
the-counter medications.

She removed alcohol completely from her diet.

(That's enough for a starter! )

There are other things, too, but you might try those and see how they work. Be
gentle with yourself in any effort you make to improve conditions for you. If any of
them work for you, come back and I'll give you some more ideas that she found
were helpful. (She still took medications, though.)

[intergalactictraveler]

Thanks, genetic. Well, don't drink coffee or tea or take OTC meds. I've experimented with gluten free, sugar free, low carb, high carb, omega-3, loads of nutritional supplements, no alcohol, now and then alcohol, don't smoke(legal or illegal, at least where I live). Zip, nada. There's either an answer that's so obvious to someone other than me or I am FUBAR and after years of struggle, I tend to think it's the latter.