Bipolar Disorder (Holistic)

About This Condition

Major mood swings may signal the presence of bipolar disorder. According to research or other evidence, the following self-care steps may be helpful.
  • Fight back with fish oil

    If your doctor agrees, try improving bipolar symptoms with fish oil capsules delivering 9.6 grams of omega-3 fatty acids per day along with your medications

  • Work in a workout

    Discuss exercise with your medical provider to see if it might be beneficial for you

About

About This Condition

Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder characterized by alternating states of depression and mania that follow each other in a repeating cycle.

People with bipolar disorder may cycle through these states quickly or may experience long periods of depression or mania. Often one mood state predominates, while the other occurs only infrequently or briefly. The cause of bipolar disorder is unknown.

Symptoms

Symptoms of the elevated mood stage of bipolar disorder include an exaggerated sense of confidence and well-being, racing thoughts, excessive talking, distractibility, increased desire for pleasurable activity, decreased need for sleep, impulsivity, irritability, and impairment in judgment. The depressed phase includes symptoms of sadness, fatigue, pessimism, feelings of helplessness, low self-esteem, and loss of interest in life, possibly with thoughts of suicide.

Healthy Lifestyle Tips

Exercise influences the production and use of neurotransmitters and hormones in the body, and its antidepressant effect is well known.1 A preliminary study of the effects of vigorous exercise on the body chemistry of patients with bipolar disorder found that exercise increased a specific chemical associated with better mood.2 However, exercise may adversely influence the effectiveness of some medications used for bipolar disorder. Many people with bipolar disorder take lithium, and because lithium is lost in sweat, exercise that involves significant sweating may change blood levels of lithium. Such a change has been reported in one person;3 therefore, people taking lithium who intend to start a vigorous exercise program should be monitored by their doctor.

Supplements

What Are Star Ratings?
SupplementWhy
2 Stars
Fish Oil
Daily omega-3 fatty acids: 9.6 grams for adults, 1,290 to 4,300 mg for children
People with depression may have lower blood levels of omega-3s. Taking fish oil, in addition to prescribed medication, improved symptoms in one study.

People diagnosed with depression may have lower blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids. A double-blind trial found that bipolar patients taking 9.6 grams of omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil per day in addition to their medications had significant improvements compared with those taking placebo. Similar benefits were reported in a preliminary trial that used 1.5 to 2 grams per day of pure eicosapentaenoic acid, a component of fish oil.However, in another double-blind trial, 8 grams per day of fish oil taken for 4 months was of no benefit for patients with bipolar disorder.In a preliminary trial, children with bipolar disorder saw benefits from omega-3 fatty acids (1,290 to 4,300 mg per day) from fish oil given for eight weeks.

2 Stars
L-Tryptophan
Refer to label instructions
Supplementation with L-tryptophan has led to improvement in depression in many studies, though its effect on bipolar disorder needs more study.
L-tryptophan is the amino acid used by the body to produce serotonin, a chemical messenger important for proper brain function. Supplementation with L-tryptophan has led to improvement in depression in many studies, but information is limited about its effect on bipolar disorder. Case reports on two bipolar patients treated with lithium or an antidepressant drug described marked improvements when they were given 12 grams daily of L-tryptophan. Two trials using 6 grams of L-tryptophan daily for acute mania in patients with bipolar disorder found little or no improvement, but another double-blind, controlled study using 9.6 grams daily reported better results. L-tryptophan is converted to 5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan) before it becomes serotonin in the body. In a controlled trial, 200 mg daily of supplemental 5-HTP had antidepressant effects in bipolar patients, though it was not as effective as lithium. In a double-blind trial, patients with bipolar disorder had greater improvement with a combination of 5-HTP at 300 mg daily plus an antidepressant drug than with 5-HTP alone.
1 Star
5-HTP
Refer to label instructions
Supplementing with 5-HTP has had antidepressant effects in people with bipolar disorder; the effect was greater when combined with an antidepressant drug (doctor's supervision recommended)

L-tryptophan is the amino acid used by the body to produce serotonin, a chemical messenger important for proper brain function. Supplementation with L-tryptophan has led to improvement in depression in many studies, but information is limited about its effect on bipolar disorder. Case reports on two bipolar patients treated with lithium or an antidepressant drug described marked improvements when they were given 12 grams daily of L-tryptophan. Two trials using 6 grams of L-tryptophan daily for acute mania in patients with bipolar disorder found little or no improvement, but another double-blind, controlled study using 9.6 grams daily reported better results.

L-tryptophan is converted to 5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan) before it becomes serotonin in the body. In a controlled trial, 200 mg daily of supplemental 5-HTP had antidepressant effects in bipolar patients, though it was not as effective as lithium. In a double-blind trial, patients with bipolar disorder had greater improvement with a combination of 5-HTP at 300 mg daily plus an antidepressant drug than with 5-HTP alone.

1 Star
Choline
Small amounts of choline are present in many B-complex and multivitamin supplements.
Though controlled trials are still needed to understand the effects of choline in people with bipolar disorder, acetylcholine levels in the brain may affect mood disorders and supplemental choline can increase acetylcholine levels.
Acetylcholine levels in the brain may affect mood disorders, and supplemental choline can increase acetylcholine levels. In a preliminary trial, six people with bipolar disorder were given 1 to 2 grams of choline twice per day (2 to 4 grams per day). Five of the six had a significant reduction in manic symptoms, and four of the six had a reduction in all mood symptoms. No properly controlled trials have yet investigated the effects of choline in treating people with bipolar disorder.
1 Star
Folic Acid
Refer to label instructions
Folic acid deficiency is associated with both mania and depression. Getting enough folic acid helps the body manufacture serotonin and other neurotransmitters.

Both folic acid and vitamin B12 are used in the body to manufacture serotonin and other neurotransmitters. It is well known that deficiency of either nutrient is associated with depression. There is some evidence that patients diagnosed with mania are also more likely to have folate deficiencies than healthy controls. Other studies, however, have found that folic acid deficiency was not more common in bipolar patients taking lithium than in healthy people. Some studies have found that people who take lithium long term, and who also have high blood levels of folic acid, respond better to lithium. Not all studies have confirmed these findings, however. A double-blind study of patients receiving lithium therapy showed that the addition of 200 mcg of folic acid per day resulted in clinical improvement, whereas placebo did not.

1 Star
Inositol
Refer to label instructions
Inositol may be useful for treating depression in people with bipolar disorder.

Inositol is a nutrient found in large amounts in the brain, but its possible role in mood disorders is unclear. Inositol levels may be reduced in certain parts of the brains of depressed and bipolar patients. However, lithium reduces normal brain levels of inositol, and this may be one of the ways lithium helps people with bipolar disorder. Although inositol is known to have significant antidepressant properties when administered in large amounts of 12 grams per day, case reports involving bipolar patients have reported either no benefit, some benefit, or worsening of symptoms from inositol supplementation. Until controlled research clarifies the effects of inositol in people with bipolar illness, it should only be used under the supervision of a qualified healthcare practitioner.

1 Star
N-Acetyl Cysteine
Refer to label instructions
In a preliminary trial, depression in patients with bipolar disorder significantly improved after NAC treatment.
In a preliminary trial, depression in patients with bipolar disorder significantly improved after N-acetyl cysteine treatment (1,000 mg twice a day for eight weeks). Double-blind trials are needed to confirm this benefit.
1 Star
SAMe
Refer to label instructions
SAMe is an amino acid that has an impact on serotonin levels, it has shown significant antidepressant effects in clinical trials.

SAMe (S-adenosylmethionine) is another amino acid that has an impact on serotonin levels, and it has demonstrated significant antidepressant effects in clinical trials. In both controlled and preliminary studies, SAMe has been shown to be helpful for the depressive symptoms of bipolar disorder. However, some patients have switched from depression to mania while using SAMe at 500 to 1,600 mg daily. This is a known side effect of other antidepressant medications. The mania induced by SAMe resolved when the supplement was discontinued, and in one case resolved spontaneously while the patient continued taking SAMe. Therefore, people with bipolar disorder should supplement with SAMe only under the supervision of a qualified healthcare practitioner.

1 Star
Vitamin B12
Refer to label instructions
Vitamin B12 deficiency has been associated with both mania and depression. In one study, these symptoms cleared after treatment with B12 injections.

Both folic acid and vitamin B12 are used in the body to manufacture serotonin and other neurotransmitters. It is well known that deficiency of either nutrient is associated with depression. There is some evidence that patients diagnosed with mania are also more likely to have folate deficiencies than healthy controls. Other studies, however, have found that folic acid deficiency was not more common in bipolar patients taking lithium than in healthy people. Some studies have found that people who take lithium long term, and who also have high blood levels of folic acid, respond better to lithium. Not all studies have confirmed these findings, however. A double-blind study of patients receiving lithium therapy showed that the addition of 200 mcg of folic acid per day resulted in clinical improvement, whereas placebo did not.

There have been case reports of both mania and depression associated with vitamin B12 deficiency, and these symptoms cleared after treatment with injections of B12. However, B12 deficiency has not been reported in bipolar disorder patients, and no studies have been published investigating the effects of vitamin B12 supplementation in people with bipolar disorder.

1 Star
Vitamin C
Refer to label instructions
Vitamin C helps the body reduce its load of vanadium, a mineral that adversely influences bipolar disorder. It has improved symptoms of depression and mania in some studies.

Vitamin C helps the body to reduce its load of vanadium and this has been studied for its possible role in treatment of bipolar disorder. A double-blind trial found that both manic and depressed bipolar patients were significantly improved after one-time administration of 3 grams of vitamin C, compared with a placebo. The same study found that both manic and depressed patients did better on a reduced-vanadium diet compared to a normal diet. Another double-blind study reported that 4 grams per day of vitamin C in combination with a drug known as EDTA (which also helps remove elements such as vanadium from the body) was helpful to depressed bipolar patients but not to those experiencing mania. Until more is known, people with bipolar illness should avoid supplements containing vanadium and consider supplementing with vitamin C.

References

1. Ransford CP. A role for amines in the antidepressant effect of exercise: a review. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1982;14:1-10 [review].

2. Lykouras E, Garelis E, Varsou E, Stefanis CN. Physical activity and plasma cyclic adenosine monophosphate levels in manic-depressive patients and healthy adults. Am J Psychiatry 1979;136:540-2.

3. Norman TC, Mathews W, Yohe CD. A case study on the effects of strenuous exercise on serum lithium levels. Nebr Med J 1987;72:224-5.

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