This site compiles interesting scientific evidence about BD. Please talk to a professional for treatment options.
Manic-Depression (Bi-Polar Disorder)
http://www.joanmathewslarson.com/HRC_2006/Depression_06/D_sadness_inside_you.htm
Another category of mood disorder is one that alternates a depressed mood with sudden shifts into a manic state. The identifying characteristic of these mood swing disorders is that they occur and reoccur in cycles, which may be predictable. I am not describing mood swings recurring over a 24-hour period; the name of that phenomenon is hypoglycemia.
Manic episodes can become exhausting yet there is no way to slow down without biochemical intervention. In these states there is usually little sleeping, and little appetite. Some manics may be obsessed with spending money, extra martial affairs, heavy drinking, gambling, and just being overly expansive to everyone. I watched a friend who was bi-polar, and on no medication, go through black times where he could not get out of bed and function for weeks. But as soon as his mood shifted upward, he was wildly gregarious and entertaining. One December he and his family were traveling by train to celebrate Christmas with relatives in another state. In an exuberant mood, he introduced himself to one and all, and finally wound up leading the entire group of travelers in Christmas carols for hours. Such is the behavior of a manic-depressive.
Some bi-polar people may see their manic episodes take another form. These persons are overly suspicious and paranoid. In mania, their persecutory paranoia becomes grandiosity and they are angry and irritable with everyone who (they think) stands in the way of the many wonderful achievements they feel they offer to society. In this elation phase, their excessive self-confidence, disturbed sense of judgment and inappropriate social behaviors may well disrupt their careers and relationships.
A Biochemical Basis
There are many studies pinpointing the biochemical abnormalities in bi-polar moods. However, there is no unified theory of WHY.
The National Institute of Mental Health research suggests that bi-polar people are hypersensitive to acetylcholine, a chemical that carries memory messages in the brain. They found that cholinergic receptors (chemical hitching posts on cells that receive acetylcholine) are far more numerous in the brains of manic-depressives. One substance that blocks acetylcholine is lithium. It is the current drug of choice for bi-polar depression. Lithium is a natural salt occurring at low levels in everyone. At much higher levels, lithium has been shown to interfere with acetylcholine and other receptors that create our moods, emotions, and memory. The Archives of General Psychiatry reported lithium effects on «normal» volunteers as a «general dulling and blunting of personality functions.» I have heard lithium-using clients describe their emotional state of mind as feeling like «a dial tone,» no highs or lows.
Lithium interferes with acetylcholine, the memory neurotransmitter. Psychiatric News, Dec. 1986, outlines the widespread difficulties that lithium causes, in an article, Lithium and Memory Loss. The high doses needed to stop manic moods are often toxic to the nervous system, causing a tremor in many users. At high levels lithium suppresses thyroid function and can cause hypothyroidism. Memory loss may also be a serious problem.
You can see that, with such ongoing damage, a better choice is needed. Orthomolecular physicians have found that the B-complex vitamins have a lithium-like action in the brain. They work synergistically with lithium; so high lithium doses can be substantially reduced when combined with daily B-complex vitamins. B-complex deficiencies commonly occur in 80% of manic-depressives. Many bi-polars are anemic from low B-12 and folic acid. They also show lower uptake of inositol (another B vitamin), compared to a control group.
Taurine
Another exciting, safe substance that has a lithium-like effect on the brain is the amino acid, taurine. Taurine is a calming, inhibitory neurotransmitter that naturally blocks the effects of excitatory transmitters like acetylcholine. Manic depressives have very low taurine levels, when measured in lab tests, which lead us to speculate whether this shortage may be a basic part of the bi-polar problem. Taurine has been successfully substituted for lithium (500 mg. 3 times daily) and, unlike lithium, has no side effects. A taurine deficiency causes far greater symptoms in females than males and bi-polar disorder is twice as common in women as men. Science also documents hereditary depression in taurine-deficient persons.
Body Clock Arythmias in Bi-Polar Disorder
If you are manic-depressive, another abnormality may be your disturbed body rhythms. Just as you show mood swings, you also have measurable disturbances in your daily rhythmic cycling or body clock. One study showed that four out of seven manic-depressives could quickly end their depressions by arising for their day at one o’clock A.M. rather than their usual morning time of rising. Anti-Aging News, July 1984
Interesting, lithium is also known to change and alter periods of rhythmic cycling. A form of natural lithium derived from vegetable concentrates (Lithinase 50 mcg taken with meals) greatly improved all participants in this study with patients who had a bi-polar diagnosis. Nutrition Perspectives, January 1988. Six weeks later, all were taken off the natural lithium and within three days all regressed to their former state of depression. When the lithium was re-supplied they again recovered from their depression. This study strongly suggests that high lithium doses that leave people toxic and trembling are not at all appropriate for some.
Health Recovery Center is now promoting Lithium Orotate, a low dose (5 mg) bio-absorpable form of lithium that has shown positive results in stabilizing bi-polar clients and improving sleep.
The following are excerpts and quotes from an article
by Ward Dean, M.D. and Jim English.
As found here: https://nutritherapy.wordpress.com/2010/07/20/lithium-orotate-ted-edwards-dc/ and here https://nutritionreview.org/2013/04/lithium-orotate/
The orotic form of lithium is transported directly to the intracellular membranes of mitochondrial, lysosomes and the glia cells. It stabilizes the lysosomal membranes and prevents the enzyme reactions that are responsible for sodium depletion and dehydration effects of other lithium salts making it a far superior source than the pharmaceutical forms of lithium and far safer too. Lithium protects against the shrinkage of the prefrontal cortex and the reductions in glial cell density, which are otherwise seen in bipolar depression. It may provide the growth-promoting support necessary to restore, enhance, and maintain normal synaptic connectivity.
Lithium has been found to be one of the most effective treatments for manic-depressive illness (bi-polar disorder). Normally these patients are given antidepressant drugs which are known to deplete body stores of L-carnitine and Taurine. These amino acids should be supplemented using several grams daily to ameliorate the adverse side effects of these drugs.
Of course it would be better to avoid these drugs all together and that is what Lithium Orotate enables many to accomplish. This is an important consideration, especially when the therapeutic dose of lithium orotate for cases of severe depression is 150 mg/day (1-2 tablets), compared to 900-1800 mg of the prescription forms. In this dosage range, there are no adverse lithium side effects and no need for blood monitoring.
More interesting info here
http://www.randomcollection.info/lithium-orotate-safety.pdf
http://www.healthguideinfo.com/bipolar-disorder/p98670/
As found here http://www.vitawise.com/Nutritional_Healing/manic-depressive.htm
A Self-Help Guide For Natural Remedies
Bipolar Manic Depression Natural Treatment
This is a situation that is characterized by extreme mood swings. The typical manic-depressive individual will go from a period of enthusiasm and elation to misery and the depths of depression. When he is in the depressive stage, he will demonstrate low self-esteem and have feelings of hopelessness. He will lack motivation to do anything, even to get out of bed. Some people in this stage sleep for weeks. They withdraw from social activities, avoid relationships with others, and are unable to work.
When in the manic stage, the manic-depressive individual will have what seems to be boundless energy. he will not want to rest or sleep for twenty-four hours or more.
The periods of mania start suddenly and without warning. They appear for no known reason and worsen rapidly. Some patients have these attacks frequently, and others have years between occurrences. Most people who suffer from this disorder seem relatively normal between stages. Approximately 3 percent of the population of the United States suffers from this disorder.
Some of the symptoms of manic-depressive disorder are changes in sleep pattern, withdrawal from society, started with enthusiasm, chronic irritability, sudden attacks of rage, and lack of inhibition, especially in sexual behavior.
There are several theories for the causes of this disorder. It may be triggered by extreme stress. Some researchers believe that early experiences, such as the loss of a parent or other early childhood trauma, play an important role in its cause. There is also evidence of increased concentration of intracellular sodium during these mood swings, which returns to normal after recovery. IN the depressed individual, monoamines are depleted in the brain.
| NUTRIENTS | ||
|---|---|---|
| SUPPLEMENT | SUGGESTED DOSAGE | COMMENTS |
| Very Important | ||
| L-Taurine (amino acid) | 500 mg 3 times daily. Take with 50 mg vitamin B6 and 100 mg vitamin C for better absorption. | L-Taurine deficiency results in hyperactivity, anxiety, and poor brain function. |
| L-Tyrosine (amino acid) | 500 mg twice daily on an empty stomach. Add a small amounts of vitamins B6 and C for better assimilation. | Important in treating depression,. Stabilizes mood swings. |
| Protein (free form amino acids) | Twice daily on an empty stomach. | Needed for normal brain function. Combats depression. |
| Vitamin B complex or liver injections and vitamin B12 and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) or vitamin B complex (hypoallergenic) capsules or tablets with B12 lozenges |
2 cc twice a week. 1 cc twice a week. 1/2 cc twice a week. 100 mg 3 times daily. 1 tablet twice daily on an empty stomach. |
These can all be taken in one injection. The B vitamins are essential for normal brain function and a healthy nervous system.
Important in making myelin, the sheath covering the nerves. |
| Zinc | 50 mg daily | Protects the brain cells |
| Helpful | ||
| Multivitamin and mineral complex (high potency) containing calcium and magnesium |
As directed on label.
1,500 mg |
Mineral imbalance may cause depression. |
| Unsaturated fatty acids | As directed on label. | Important for improved cerebral circulation and blood pressure stability. |
| Vitamin C | 3,000-6,000 mg | A powerful immuno-stimulant. Aids allergic defenses. |
RECOMMENDATIONS
The patient should have no sugar or its by-products (read labels!). Dairy products, alcohol, soda, and caffeine should not be taken by persons with this disorder. Avoid foods with added chemicals, additives, or food colorings.
The diet should consist of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, and legumes. Whole grains are recommended, but avoid excessive consumption of bread. Eat whitefish and turkey twice a week.
High doses of B-complex vitamins are needed because the manic-depressive does not absorb the B complex easily.
CONSIDERATIONS
The New England Journal of Medicine (1984) reported that individuals with depression and manic depression appear to be hypersensitive to acetylcholine, a chemical that carries messages to the brain. Therefore, choline should not be taken in a dose that exceeds the amount in a multiple vitamin.
The Journal of Orthomolecular Psychiatry (1979) reported that manic depressives had deficiencies of the B-complex vitamins and that improvement in their conditions occurred with B12 injections and megadoses of the B vitamins.
Amino acids are important in the treatment of this disorder, especially taurine and tyrosine.
See Dtermine if you have a food allergy. Certain foods may trigger an attack.
Mechanisms that may help counter mania
You can find a good introduction to taurine in the second half of Dr. Priscilla Slagle’s Jan 15, 2000 Newsletter.
Also see, Birdsall, TC, Therapeutic applications of taurine. Altern Med Rev. 3(2):128-36; April 1998.
For references, and further discussion of bipolar issues, see Natural Healing for Bipolar Disorder.
I’m currently reading The Brain’s Way of Healing by Norman Doidge. Amazon sells it and it is No. 1 Best Seller in Neurology. 🙂
Discussion Section «Of all herbal medicines discussed in this paper, kava, valerian, and SJW have been studied the most extensively. Based on currently available evidence, valerian seems to be the most promis- ing agent. Lemon balm is also thought to be beneficial despite limited systematic studies…. the mechanisms of action for some of these herbal medicines involve monoaminergic or melatonergic systems, which may have potential synergistic effects on the treatment of bipolar disorder…. Considering the fact that most bipolar patients receive polypharmacotherapy (Ghaemi et al., 2006), safety issues related to drug-drug interactions need to be investigated…. Although natural remedies are attractive agents for the treatment of anxiety and insomnia, other pharmacologic agents are definitely better in terms of efficacy. Atypical antipsychotics (Gao et al., 2006), anxiolytic anticonvulsants, and cognitive therapy (Rakofsky and Dunlop, 2011) have established efficacy…Despite limited evidence from currently available stud- ies, herbal medicines may have beneficial effects on anxi- ety and insomnia in patients with bipolar disorder. The herbal medicines discussed in our paper deserve further investigation, and additional studies are needed to prove their efficacy.»
Results Potentially useful substances include ginkgo and hydergine as cognitive enhancers, passion flower and valerian as sedatives, St John’s wort and s- adenosylmethionine as antidepressants, and selenium and folate to complement antidepressants.The evidence is less conclusive for the use of omega-3 fatty acids as augmentation treatment in schizophrenia, melatonin for tardive dyskinesia and18-methoxycoronaridine, an ibogaine derivative, for the treatment of cocaine and heroin addiction.
Conclusions Systematic clinical trials are needed to test promising substances. Meanwhile, those wishing to take psychotropic complementary medicines require appropriate advice.
I have found very little evidence that ginkgo biloba is beneficial or effective for treating bipolar. The links below are two good blog posts on it but proceed with caution and talk to a professional if you plan to use it.
http://www.dietnutritionadvisor.com/ginkgo-biloba-and-bipolar-mania
https://www.healthline.com/health/ginkgo-biloba-benefits#nbsp1
There are several herbs that anecdotally people say help with bipolar but caution is required because of possible interactions with medications. Please see http://www.webmd.com/bipolar-disorder/bipolar-disorder_supplements_and_medication_interactions
Bibolar Science: Holistic Reviews 