This is a recipe for disaster, e.g., a mania followed by an almost inevitable depression, higher drug doses, perhaps hospitalization, often further mood destabilization.
Be careful.
Give yourself time to heal.
See previous entry.
Showing posts with label spring mania. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spring mania. Show all posts
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Spring Mania Cautions
At this season, when sunlight beckons, days get longer, and mania looms (for some), many bipolars decide to stop or reduce meds, or just forget to take them.
This is a recipe for disaster, e.g., a mania followed by an almost inevitable depression, higher drug doses, perhaps hospitalization, often further mood destabilization.
This is a recipe for disaster, e.g., a mania followed by an almost inevitable depression, higher drug doses, perhaps hospitalization, often further mood destabilization.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Happy spring! Vitamin D and mania?
Vitamin D helps balance blood sugar, promote natural biorhythms, counter free radicals, and protect against allergies and seizures, actions likely to support mood-stability.
Several thousand IU doses have recently become popular.
See: vitamindcouncil.org/mentalIllness.shtml
Most bipolars know that increasing seasonal sunlight may trigger spring/summer mania
See: http://boragebooks.com/bipolar_8_biorhythms.html
But what role does vitamin D play?
Consider:
1 - Vitamin D supports the creation of thyroid hormone, and of the major antidepressant neurotransmitters, serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine; and it helps with calcium use; altogether suggesting antidepressant activity. And that is just what researchers are reporting. (See, for instance, Vieth 2004, Gloth 1999, Landsdowne 1998)
Thus, D seems to be antidepressant, so is potentially promanic. See previous entry, Therapeutic Moderation, & Attention to Causes
2- Vitamin D is created by the interaction of sunlight with skin. Levels typically increase about 50% over the year, from approximately 16 ng/mL in winter to 24 in the summer. Vieth 2004
Schneider 2000 found levels in depressives at 80% that of normals.
If the continuum holds, manics would have above-normal levels.
Question is, especially in those bipolars prone to mania as hours of sun increase, does several thousand IU of supplemental D, at a time when body levels are already rising, further fuel those manias... making temporary intake reductions advisable?
For more info, see my book, available at naturalhealingforbipolardisorder.com/bipolar.html
Several thousand IU doses have recently become popular.
See: vitamindcouncil.org/mentalIllness.shtml
Most bipolars know that increasing seasonal sunlight may trigger spring/summer mania
See: http://boragebooks.com/bipolar_8_biorhythms.html
But what role does vitamin D play?
Consider:
1 - Vitamin D supports the creation of thyroid hormone, and of the major antidepressant neurotransmitters, serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine; and it helps with calcium use; altogether suggesting antidepressant activity. And that is just what researchers are reporting. (See, for instance, Vieth 2004, Gloth 1999, Landsdowne 1998)
Thus, D seems to be antidepressant, so is potentially promanic. See previous entry, Therapeutic Moderation, & Attention to Causes
2- Vitamin D is created by the interaction of sunlight with skin. Levels typically increase about 50% over the year, from approximately 16 ng/mL in winter to 24 in the summer. Vieth 2004
Schneider 2000 found levels in depressives at 80% that of normals.
If the continuum holds, manics would have above-normal levels.
Question is, especially in those bipolars prone to mania as hours of sun increase, does several thousand IU of supplemental D, at a time when body levels are already rising, further fuel those manias... making temporary intake reductions advisable?
For more info, see my book, available at naturalhealingforbipolardisorder.com/bipolar.html
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