tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post4970399264731210336..comments2023-06-05T11:51:38.383-04:00Comments on Evolutionary Psychiatry: Alternative Therapies and Bipolar DisorderAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04429177284200775781noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-89828046872039967432014-06-12T06:16:21.674-04:002014-06-12T06:16:21.674-04:00Thank you for posting this interesting and very we...Thank you for posting this interesting and very well researched post. Didn't know there was a connection, will have it in my mind .Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05037600559974194915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-81291103120918459532013-07-14T19:48:18.596-04:002013-07-14T19:48:18.596-04:00Hi,
Wondering about the relationship between Schiz...Hi,<br />Wondering about the relationship between Schizophrenia and bipolar. A family member suffered for many years from schizophrenia, but recovered 40 years ago by following Dr Abram Hoffer's regimen of large doses of Niacin and Vit C. His hallucinations ended in two weeks, as the Dr said they would. He had lingering depression, which was recently found to be caused by gluten.<br />One of his sisters was bipolar. Another sister had mental illness and discovered she can't have dairy.<br />It leads me to wonder about dietary causes of bipolar. Has that been studied?<br /><br />ThanksKWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12630263241085890413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-22763014352024087202013-06-11T22:06:06.095-04:002013-06-11T22:06:06.095-04:00"one trick is to make tuna salad with 2 cans ..."one trick is to make tuna salad with 2 cans of light tuna, one can of sardines, celery, pickles, carrot, onion, spices, and your own olive oil mayonnaise "<br /><br />Great idea to mix sardines and tuna! I went in the kitchen and made it straight away with Spectrum Omega 3 mayo w/flax oil. But, good idea to make your own. <br /><br />It'sTheWoo, also a good idea to have smoked salmon with mascarpone cheese. Agree that salmon steaks are superior to the fillets. Will check out the chunk salmon from TJ's. <br /><br />I'm not bipolar but several people close to me are, so I'm researching as much as I can. Anyway, the food tips are good for me too, of course. Jenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02742026436206221165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-47354195608073631292013-04-15T17:09:41.699-04:002013-04-15T17:09:41.699-04:00Emily - I've specialized in treating bipolar d...Emily - I've specialized in treating bipolar disorder for about 8 years, and have seen a number of my clients improve a great deal - even without meds, on EmPower Plus - vitamin/mineral/amino acid supplement from a Canadian company called TrueHope. There is one psychiatrist I've met in the SF Bay Area who prescribes it regularly to many of her patients, but most doctors wont even consider it. Wondering if you've had any experience with this.Benjamin Schwarczhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16533277577726799110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-30755136469882620702012-12-30T18:04:29.261-05:002012-12-30T18:04:29.261-05:00Is there a study showing phen-fen like effects on ...Is there a study showing phen-fen like effects on the valves? SSRIs don't have such effects. I'm nervous, as I take 400 mg daily of 5-HTP. Helps me with anxiety. I am supposedly bipolar II, but could be unipolar w/ ADHD and anxiety.Kerrihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06057832812382688831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-85098149202999165542012-12-22T11:52:52.311-05:002012-12-22T11:52:52.311-05:00Hi Nur,
I don't find most psychiatry textbook...Hi Nur,<br /><br />I don't find most psychiatry textbooks too helpful. They are usually rehashes of the DSM, excrutiatingly boring, and filled with sentences such as "Between 14-70% of patients with anxiety disorder respond favorably to behavioral interventions."<br /><br />That said, Goodwin's textbook on bipolar is very good (latest edition was 2007) http://www.amazon.com/Manic-Depressive-Illness-Disorders-Recurrent-Depression/dp/0195135792<br /><br />For practical and evidence-based advice, I really like The Carlat Report. http://thecarlatreport.com/ I'm a subscriber, but there are many free articles on the website, and you can get the newsletter "a la carte" with CME if you don't want to subscribe for the whole year. I was just doing some CME a couple days ago, and their newsletter on ADHD had a lot of useful tips for diagnosing adult ADHD, including links to free/validated scales. http://thecarlatreport.com/issue/vol10-no2<br /><br />Hope that helps! Agree re: covert substance abuse.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04429177284200775781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-40843846195746765922012-12-21T11:56:57.804-05:002012-12-21T11:56:57.804-05:00Hi, this is my first time posting on your blog alt...Hi, this is my first time posting on your blog although I've been lurking for some time. I fully agree with your comment that bipolar type 2 can be hard to distinguish from its differential diagnoses, and to the list (depression + ADHD etc.) perhaps I'd add covert substance abuse as well. <br /><br />I wonder if you could tell me what your favourite resources are (textbooks, journal articles) with regards to distinguishing these conditions? It is of interest to me as I'm in the same profession but practising in an Asian country where diagnosing adult ADHD is rarely done. Nurhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03096166360466975090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-7590482614948400562012-12-18T21:38:45.966-05:002012-12-18T21:38:45.966-05:005-htp makes me nervous, lots of peripheral convers...5-htp makes me nervous, lots of peripheral conversion to serotonin and ? phen-fen or meridia like effects on the valves.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04429177284200775781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-58842657163952484322012-12-18T21:35:53.502-05:002012-12-18T21:35:53.502-05:00I've seen some interesting thing about flax an...I've seen some interesting thing about flax and some good anecdotes, but research is lacking because no one wants to waste time on non-converters mucking up the mix, I guess.Andy Stoll used to dose people so high they would get fishy-smelling. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04429177284200775781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-11313453518344624582012-12-17T22:18:18.249-05:002012-12-17T22:18:18.249-05:00Re: l-tryptophan...
If tryptophan depletion reso...Re: l-tryptophan... <br /><br />If tryptophan depletion resolves acute mania, why would l-tryptophan be an antimanic agent? Perhaps downregulating enzymatic conversion process to serotonin, or perhaps by excessive metabolism into antiserotonin metabolites? I tend to err toward the latter. You can shut off serotonin by completely ablating tryptophan supply, *or* by grossly overdosing it, which accomplishes the same thing as metabolism shunts it into serotonin antagonism.<br /><br />5-htp is widely available which is the same thing as l-tryptophan except more potent, requiring smaller doses for similar effects. Just a few mgs of 5-htp equals a few thousand mg of l-tryptophan in terms of impact on serotonin metabolism.<br /><br />My experience with 5-htp is that it is generally a depressant. It definitely affects my mood powerfully, although how depends on season and light availability; in darkness/coldness 5-htp is depressant and can worsen if not outright induce symptoms of atypical/winter depression (if trending that way). In peak sunlight and high temps it can promote insomnia, hyperactivity and excessive mental stimulation... suggesting to me something is quite wrong with how light/temp regulates my serotonin metabolism. Taking 5-htp usually does little to help and actively worsens such a condition, although melatonin directly can help. When my mood/energy is more typical 5-htp is a helpful sedative and seems to promote a lazy, hazy, pleasant outlook the next day...but I do not take it every day because it tends to cause depression when excessive.<br /><br />Historically taking melatonin is identical to taking 5-htp (in terms of depressant ability of the substance) except melatonin is more powerful to cause depression, whereas 5-htp requires more time on it/more days of use before I get those symptoms. I am pretty much afraid of melatonin as it has in the past induced negative emotionality/depression like symptoms the next day even after a single dose. <br /><br />Although, as stated, I suspect my serotonin metabolism is rather abnormal for whatever reason. Light/seasonal changes are huge triggers for my mood and energy, I virtually expect them and resign myself to them and I only hope to modulate severity/endurance of symptoms.<br /><br />Srry for WOT, discard this if more appropriate.ItsTheWooohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12057537399918684119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-61614308772626423762012-12-17T22:02:20.311-05:002012-12-17T22:02:20.311-05:00One of my favorite omega 3 FA delivery tool snack ...One of my favorite omega 3 FA delivery tool snack is to buy smoked salmon and eat it with marscapone cream as a cheese rollup. Not only good for the omega 3 but it also enforces ketosis.<br /><br />When I make salmon I always buy skin on as this delivers a lot of fat. Salmon steaks have a lot more fat than skinless boneless fillets. They also taste a lot better.<br /><br />Trader joes sells chunk salmon that is very flavorful; unlike canned fish it is dry not water packed, which allows the chunks to add to salad as people traditionally do chicken. I also eat them alone with salt because they are very tasty IMO.<br /><br />Though flax seed is widely considered worthless I have observed benefits eating it, and I also bake a "bread" of flax seed meal (the other components being ground almonds, eggs, butter/coconut oil, and some protein powder, leavening, erythritol/sucralose and cinnamon). It feels like a hearty bread and eat with marscapone/granular erythritol. Again, dual function omega 3 delivery tool + ketosis enforcer.<br /><br />Since fixing my omega 3 problem I not only observe progressively diminishing mood symptoms, but all other aspects of physical health have improved such as a tendency to acne and odd dry/scaly skin, and general mental functions like memory and over all level of calmness. <br /><br />It should be first line that all people presenting to crazy doctor start on high dose fish oil in addition to drugs, unless of course they have bleeding disorder (which almost no one has unless genetically abnormal, hypercoaguable diseases/trauma is far more epidemic in our o3 deficient society). ItsTheWooohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12057537399918684119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-22769783584820379262012-12-16T19:44:40.609-05:002012-12-16T19:44:40.609-05:00L-Valine supplementation is thought to deplete ser...L-Valine supplementation is thought to deplete serotonin: see second paragraph in Discussion of this very interesting case study: http://content.karger.com/ProdukteDB/produkte.asp?Doi=343094Puddleghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00953398103675945541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3045634714760830992.post-35477394507382774512012-12-15T13:51:59.538-05:002012-12-15T13:51:59.538-05:00Excellent and helpful, thanks!Excellent and helpful, thanks!Lucyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13792492158544789659noreply@blogger.com