Bipolar Disorder natural treatment with fish oils, herbs and natural therapy with vitamins and dietary supplements, is there a way to decrease the use of prescription medications?

Bipolar disorder is a long-term illness with a variable course. Some of the symptoms may include mania, an excessively elevated, expansive, and irritable mood; hypersexuality; decreased need for sleep; rapid speech; racing thoughts; increased activity and agitation; occasional delusions. It may also include periods of depression and other symptoms such as excessive guilt; anhedonia (absence of pleasure); or thoughts of death.

Natural Therapies for Bipolar disorder
We are slowly beginning to discover that natural supplements may play a role in the therapy of bipolar disease. Much has yet to be learned, but there are at least two nutrients that offer some hope:
   It's quite possible that one of the biochemical abnormalities in bipolar disorder is a higher amount of omega-6 fatty acids and a shortage of omega-3 fatty acids.

We are not aware of any other natural supplements that have been tested and found consistently effective in the treatment of bipolar disorder. However, some people may benefit from the use of 5-HTP.

Caution
Some nutrients and herbs have a stimulant effect and (hypothetically) may aggravate bipolar disorder or induce mania. These include SAM-e, Ginseng, St. John's wort and others of a stimulatory nature.

Bipolar studies
Lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and increased omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids in first-degree relatives of bipolar patients.
Sobczak S. Department of Psychiatry & Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands. Psychol Med. 2004 Jan;34(1):103-12
Lower serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and increased ratio of omega-6/omega-3 fatty acids have been reported in unipolar and bipolar depressed patients. Changes in cholesterol and fatty acids have been suggested to affect membrane viscosity and consequently serotonergic neurotransmitter expression. The goal of this study was to investigate whether lower baseline cholesterol and increased omega-6 and lower omega-3 fatty acids are present in healthy first-degree relatives of bipolar patients compared with controls and whether these changes were associated with neuroendocrine responses to an i.v. tryptophan challenge or mood. Baseline cholesterol, fatty acids and mood were determined in healthy first-degree relatives of patients with bipolar disorders (N = 30) and healthy matched controls (N = 15) (parallel-group design). Prolactin and cortisol were measured following tryptophan infusion. First-degree relatives showed significantly lower plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and increased total omega-6 fatty acids in phospholipids. Lower total omega-3 and higher total omega-6 fatty acids in phospholipids were positively correlated with peak prolactin response to tryptophan. Lower total omega-3 fatty acids in phospholipids and cholesteryl esters were associated with lower mood. Abnormalities of lower plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and increased total omega-6 fatty acids in phospholipids in these subjects are in agreement with findings in bipolar and major depressed patients. Changes in fatty acids show an association with central serotonergic parameters. It is suggested that these abnormalities in cholesterol and fatty acids may constitute a trait marker for bipolar disorders.

Bipolar disease natural treatment questions
Would B vitamins benefit bipolar disease?
    We doubt B vitamins will have any significant effect, but perhaps low dosages could be slightly helpful in some people.

Those with bipolar disorder are discourage from the use of yohimbe bark net herbal products.
We will update this web page on natural therapy for bipolar condition as studies with vitamins are published.