[piano97]

Was just reading some literature on the subject. Seems like it's somewhat of a mood stabilizer, more so for depression. I know at one point in the last couple years I was taking it but I don't think i was consistent with it and it's been quite a few months since I was doing it.

The research I did today seems legit and that it's likely to help. What I found is 1 gram per day. There was some studies that showed improvement in most folks in the study, but there was no difference in folks with 1 gram vs. 3 gram. This was mostly related to depression, not manic symptoms, but if depression is lessened, I would think that there's some protection again manic stuff via improving and lessening cycling.

So one gram seems like a good addition to med profile. The bottle I have from awhile back is still below its expiration and says it has been purified to remove mercury.

Sardines are also a good choice if you eat them a few times a week. They are not known to have a lot of mercury because they are at the bottom of the food chain.

Anyhow, I'm going to start taking it daily with a meal.

My biggest problem with with bipolar is cycling. Since I started Seroquel this has been improved quite a bit but I'm still subject to it, I think mostly in times of stress that affect my sleep. I also recently switched to valium from klonopin. I was not taking the klonopin, I never liked how it made me feel the day after, and when I was taking it daily I felt really foggy and stupid. Since starting the valium, I feel like I have less anxiety (I think I had more than I realized), and that is helpful. I also recently did some theurpeutic massage that included reflexology, cranial-sacral massage, and polarity therapy. It's 70 bucks for an hour, at a glance that sounds like a lot but my meds are probably 100-125$ a month. So I'm thinking I'll go a couple times a month. I talked to my doctor about it and he said he thought it was a great idea to add to my treatment.

Thoughts or experiences or insights?

Thanks! Have a good day everyone!

[Blueberrybook]

I do take fish oil daily. I think it may help a little, but mostly I take it for all the health benefits. There are lots of them, and if it helps with the cycling, so much the better. Like I said, it may help a little; it seemed that way when I was off meds in preparation to start trying for a baby.

[Tucson]

I took fish oil for many months. I noticed no effect at all. I have never heard it being a mood stabilizer. Can you post a link to that study?

[piano97]

https://www.bipolar-lives.com/fish-oil-bipolar.html

[piano97]

Nutritional Supplements Help Antidepressants Work Better

[Tucson]

It looks like the focus is bipolar depression, and not for the stabilizing of our mood. The following excerpt from that book the article referenced on bipolar is worth noting.

“Because nutritional supplements cannot be patented, there is no large industrial base of support for research on these compounds. . . clinical research thus far, while not definitive, has yielded some encouraging results . . . about the addition of omega-3 fatty acids [fish oil].”

Some questions of mine would be how significant would be the effect on bipolar depression? I find the supplements that work are much too weak for them to be of practical benefit. A case in point is St Johns Wort. This leads up to the question how much does one need to take before the effect is noticeable? I have taken a higher dose of fish oil for over a half a year with no apparent effect. Maybe it helps some people and not others? This may still work for you.

Good luck with the fish oil.

I took OTC fish oil (Nature's Bounty 2400 mg soft gels), over 1 gram Omega 3s per day (4 soft gels per day). I took it mostly in hopes that it would lower my triglycerides, but also thought it could help my bipolar. Unfortunately it did neither, but it didn't hurt me to take it other than the soft gels being big pills to take that hardly fit into my pill boxes. I eventually quit them. Oddly, my triglycerides have normalized without them or even major dietary changes. I'm suspecting going off of Geodon helped with that, but that's just a wild guess.

The above is my experience. I would never discourage anyone from trying fish oil if their doctors approved. What doesn't help one person may help another.

[Unrigged64072835]

I'm taking 2.4g twice a day. It's supposed to help bring down triglycerides but it hasn't. I've taken it for so long and I also don't know if it changed my moods or not.

[Guiness187055]

I take 4800mg of fish oil a day.

[piano97]

Guiness, how long have you been doing that for?

Have you found it helpful in any way?

What does your doc think of it?

Thanks!

[Guiness187055]

I have been doing that for over a year now.

It's helped a little with my mood and along with saw palmetto helped my swollen prostate.

Doctor thinks its fine the omega three's are good for the heart.

[leomama]

Originally Posted by piano97

Was just reading some literature on the subject. Seems like it's somewhat of a mood stabilizer, more so for depression. I know at one point in the last couple years I was taking it but I don't think i was consistent with it and it's been quite a few months since I was doing it.


The research I did today seems legit and that it's likely to help. What I found is 1 gram per day. There was some studies that showed improvement in most folks in the study, but there was no difference in folks with 1 gram vs. 3 gram. This was mostly related to depression, not manic symptoms, but if depression is lessened, I would think that there's some protection again manic stuff via improving and lessening cycling.


So one gram seems like a good addition to med profile. The bottle I have from awhile back is still below its expiration and says it has been purified to remove mercury.


Sardines are also a good choice if you eat them a few times a week. They are not known to have a lot of mercury because they are at the bottom of the food chain.


Anyhow, I'm going to start taking it daily with a meal.


My biggest problem with with bipolar is cycling. Since I started Seroquel this has been improved quite a bit but I'm still subject to it, I think mostly in times of stress that affect my sleep. I also recently switched to valium from klonopin. I was not taking the klonopin, I never liked how it made me feel the day after, and when I was taking it daily I felt really foggy and stupid. Since starting the valium, I feel like I have less anxiety (I think I had more than I realized), and that is helpful. I also recently did some theurpeutic massage that included reflexology, cranial-sacral massage, and polarity therapy. It's 70 bucks for an hour, at a glance that sounds like a lot but my meds are probably 100-125$ a month. So I'm thinking I'll go a couple times a month. I talked to my doctor about it and he said he thought it was a great idea to add to my treatment.


Thoughts or experiences or insights?


Thanks! Have a good day everyone!

I take fish oil as part of my regime.

[bizi]

my pdoc insists I take fish oils for proper brain function.
She says it needs to be the proper ratio of ingredients.
I don't eat enough salmon or fatty fish may 3-4 times per month.
It should be twice that.
I also take turmeric for improved memory. They give it to Alzheimer patients.
I take other supplements as listed in my signature line below.
bizi

[Merlin]

I talked to my pdoc about taking omega-3 pills. I expressed concern about swallowing them. My pdoc said to just ensure I was getting the fatty oils in my diet.

[BipolaRNurse]

I've taken fish oil for a couple of years now. I don't know if it's done anything for my depression but it's helped decrease my triglycerides from over 500 to 175. Frankly, I think vitamin D does more for depression, especially the seasonal-affective type...I used to be badly deficient (and who in the Pacific NW isn't?) and since my levels have come up I haven't experienced my winter downswings. They don't call it the "sunshine vitamin" for nothing. I didn't even have to use my light box this past winter.

[piano97]

Thank you for the insights. I am going to continue taking it for now. I have my annual PCP check-up in 2 weeks (it's actually been 2 years but who's counting lol). I have a feeling my labs are going to be a wreck but we will see, and at least I'll know. My BP and HR are quite a bit higher than normal since I started Seroquel (which in general has been a game changer for me). I've gained 25 pounds. Currently on a total of 500/day, MD has let me cut it down recently, was a little bumpy at times but I supplemented with 25mg tablets and did a couple of step-downs. Had been on 700. Which made me a total hermit, but a much stabler hermit lol. I have been getting out more now, some of it is Spring, some of it is not being overmedicated. It's a fine line...

[Shazerac]

I’ve tried taking fish oil and all I got was fishy tasting burps. Maybe I didn’t take it long enough. Some people say it helps. If it helps you that’s all that matters.

[leomama]

Originally Posted by Shazerac

I’ve tried taking fish oil and all I got was fishy tasting burps. Maybe I didn’t take it long enough. Some people say it helps. If it helps you that’s all that matters.

There are anti fish burp capsules .

[Wander]

I take 3g of fish oil a day as prescribed by my Rheumatologist for inflammation and brain function. Honestly don’t notice it when I forget it or go into hospital so don’t know if it helps or not 🍮