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Bipolar Disorder
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Posted 4/3/2010 10:36 AM (GMT 0)
I have just been offically diagnosed with cyclothymia/bipolar 3, after a long wait to see the P Doctor.  I am having a good day, so I can sit here easily and write this.  The P doctor dosen't want to put me on meds at the moment just incase I want to have kids later.  He has suggested that I take 4 fish oil tablets a day. I have learnt how to curb some of my faults but it can take all my energy and stamina to do so some days.  I have read various things about magnesium, SAMe and St Johns wart.  But they are generally related to depression.  The problem I have is that it might be fine for depression, but I find some things aimed at depression make me feel good for a short while but then send me on a horrible rollercoaster ride worse than what I would be normally. I have tried the St johns wart - it works well if I can't get to sleep because my brain wont stop, but then I still feel asleep the next day.  I even just discover that my multi vitamin was causing me problems because it contains caffine(green tea) .  Just wondering if anyone out there has found any suppliments that have helped them that might be worth a try?    I am willing to consider anything, I have to get this under control.
Posted 4/3/2010 5:43 PM (GMT 0)
What the heck?  Does want you to be on meds because you might have kids someday?!  What kind of crap is that?

 

Posted 4/3/2010 6:01 PM (GMT 0)
Meds don't stay in your system THAT long! get another doctor!!!!!!
Posted 4/6/2010 10:46 PM (GMT 0)
To clarify, are you trying to get pregnant right now, in the next year, or someday?

Either way, there are pleanty of things you can do aside from medication, mostly revolving around good healthy life patterns. The big three are Sleeping, Eating, and Exercising.

Make sure to get a lot of exercise, hang out outside int he sun (vitamin D comes directly from the sun and helps immensly with mood).

Eat fresh veggies and fruits, the season is here! I'm not talking about a can of green beans along with steak and potatoes, try to make veggies the major part of your meal. Fresh veggies, lots of them. I am a big man and I love meat and potatoes, but I am so much happier and feel so much better when I limit high carb and high fat foods to about an eighth of my meal.

And sleep, well I can't help you on that one. I have tried every over the counter-measure (pun intended) to get regular, good quality sleep, and nothing works for me. Some people have good luck with tryptafan, melatonin, diphenhydramine (tylenol pm, benadryl) or other allergy medicines. I have moved on to prescription meds. If you have a lot of trouble sleeping, it is contributing majorly to your bipolar (though it's probably caused largely by it too). I'd recomend talking to your doctor about getting something for sleep so that you can get a good nights rest when you need to. I take Clonazapam when it's bad, Clonidine when it's not so bad, and both when I'm manic.

Hope it helps! Keep us updated!
Posted 4/7/2010 12:30 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Tainted  I really appreciate your reply. 

I am not trying to get pregnant now, but maybe someday.  The doctor suggested to control  it naturally and see how I go, and I would like to try it naturally first anyway. 

I have been taking the fish oil for a week now and  I think it is starting to make a difference I will have to wait a little while longer to see if it lasts the full cycle and I am not just inbetween stages.  I am currently doing my reaserch and looking for the highest omega 3

out there in the least amout of tablets, so I don't have to take as many (I hate tablets)shocked I like the idea of excercise but sometimes it just leaves me too exhausted the next day (depends on the type of mood I am in).

I like salad and veg and know that when I eat them I feel better.  But there are days when I just couldn't be bothered - they are the bad days when I spend a lot of time going round and round in circles and just not getting anywhere and the normal routine just dosen't seem to happen.

I currently work part-time and different hours so I find the sleep routine a bit hard sometimes.  Most times I can force my brian to stop (I have learnt how to slow it down out of neccesity) as I know I have no choice in the matter.  But there are times when it just wont stop, but I can't afford to take something that will make me still sleepy the next day when I have to work.   I sometimes take an Analgesic/Calmative (contains codeine) and it slows the mind just enough but I don't think this is good to use too often - I will have to talk to the doctor about  this.  I will look into the other ones you mentioned and try them when I don't have to work the next day.

Have you heard anything about Magnesium being good for Bipolar?  I am not sure whether to give this a go.

Thanks for your advice, it was greatly appreciated.  I know I can do it I just have to put my mind to it.

Posted 4/7/2010 2:05 PM (GMT 0)
There is a new concentrated omega-3 product out there, available only by prescription. I saw an ad for it on TV. Maybe your doc knows about it?
Posted 4/7/2010 9:16 PM (GMT 0)
Do you know what it is called?
Posted 4/7/2010 9:20 PM (GMT 0)
LOVAZA

http://www.lovaza.com/
Posted 4/7/2010 10:23 PM (GMT 0)
It looks like we don't have it on this side of the world or maybe it is called something else. I will try to track something that is similar.

Thanks again.
Posted 4/8/2010 2:34 AM (GMT 0)
Is it possible to live with this disorder without meds? For some people absolutly. FOr me i need the meds to take the worst of the edge off. THat one ill allows me to have control of this tiger. However i do try and do as much as i can to limit what can set me off or cause me issues. Stress, like money, and relationships have to be carefully monitored. I lived overseas for 5 months (thank you USAF) LOL LOL and during that time i was comletely fine. I had a controled enviroment and no relationship stress or money stresses. So i was able to live with this fine with no meds at all.

Excersise has helped me immensly. My perfered method is bicycling and i love to get 2-5 hours a day in on the bike. Putting that much time on the bike reallly worked the manic energy out of my system. My Pdoc and therpast both feel that my riding was what has kept me under control for as long as i have. However that said the prevailing wisdom is that BP gets worse with age, so all the riding inthe world didnt help me from getting out of control.

Lastly i just wanted to say as a warning is that BP is a very sneaky desease. It doesnt just show up on your doorstep with flowers and a note saying "no return". LOL LOL LOL It slowely changes your mind and preceptions until you are out of control but think you are in complete control. Like i said, very very sneaky. Just be careful with this beast.


Thomas Jefferson said it best refering to slavery but it works equally as well for BP. He said "Its like having a wolf by the ears, you dont like it but you dont dare let it go."

Good luck and i hope this helps.

Bill
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