Nutritional Supplements for Bipolar Disorder - Amplifying Effects of Drugs

The issue of interactions with meds was raised, but Dr Kaplan expressed her dissatisfaction with the term, interaction. Her theory is that nutritional supplements may improve the performance of metabolic pathways, thus amplifying the positive and negative effects of meds. As a result, therapeutic doses of meds can become overdoses. Truehope advises that new users will experience initial side effects from their meds thanks to the amplification factor, and urges patients to work with their doctor in lowering their meds dose. Overenthusiastic Truehope people may say you need to eventually go off all your meds, but just two patients in Dr Kaplan's small study and only half of Dr Popper's patients achieved this result..

If you are considering therapy with vitamins or other nutrients, do so with your psychiatrist in the loop. Since "integrative psychiatrists" are a rarity, it is wise to seek nutritional expertise from another source. It also pays to ensure that your psychiatrist is open-minded about nutritional supplements and would consider adjusting your meds if you responded well to your new regimen. Keep in mind that the final decision regarding lowering meds is one to be made between you and your psychiatrist, not with the person who is advising you on nutrition.

MDs with holistic expertise exist, some who conduct special lab tests to look for nutritional deficiencies or metabolic quirks. The American Holistic Medical Association provides a directory of its members, searchable by location and specialty.

You may wish to seek out a nutritionist, who has two to four years of specialized training, far more than the one class medical students get, though some MDs take additional courses to qualify as nutritionists. Clinical nutritionists have completed at least 900 hours of on-the-job experience. The National Association of Nutritional Professionals provides a directory of its members, searchable by location.

Naturopaths are another option, with training in nutrition, herbology, Chinese medicine, and other fields, but not medicine. Those who are NDs - naturopathic doctors - have four years of graduate training from a handful of schools in the US. The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians provides a directory of its members, searchable by location.

Safe Harbor also has a directory ranging from MDs to unlettered alternative practitioners.

And once more: Buyer beware. Nutritional supplements may turn out to be a life-saver for you, but you may have to negotiate a Wild West marketplace first. If you are highly skeptical of drug industry claims, maintain that same skepticism for natural products. Live well ...

Buy Elkins' Solving the Depression Puzzle from Amazon.com.

Buy Julia Ross' The Mood Cure from Amazon.com.

About the author: John McManamy is diagnosed with bipolar disorder. He is a professional writer and author of "Living Well With Depression and Bipolar" and runs McMan's Depression and Bipolar website.

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