cross-posted from: https://hackertalks.com/post/7095330

TLDR: Ketone levels above 2mmol/l show significant improvements in patients with Euthymic bipolar disorder.

Of 27 recruited participants, 26 began and 20 completed the ketogenic diet. For participants completing the intervention, mean body weight fell by 4.2 kg (P < 0.001), mean body mass index fell by 1.5 kg/m2 (P < 0.001) and mean systolic blood pressure fell by 7.4 mmHg (P < 0.041). The euthymic participants had average baseline and follow-up assessments consistent with them being in the euthymic range with no statistically significant changes in Affective Lability Scale-18, Beck Depression Inventory and Young Mania Rating Scale. In participants providing reliable daily ecological momentary assessment data (n = 14), there was a positive correlation between daily ketone levels and self-rated mood (r = 0.21, P < 0.001) and energy (r = 0.19 P < 0.001), and an inverse correlation between ketone levels and both impulsivity (r = −0.30, P < 0.001) and anxiety (r = −0.19, P < 0.001). From the MRS measurements, brain glutamate plus glutamine concentration decreased by 11.6% in the anterior cingulate cortex (P = 0.025) and fell by 13.6% in the posterior cingulate cortex (P = <0.001).

These findings suggest that a ketogenic diet may be clinically useful in bipolar disorder, for both mental health and metabolic outcomes. Replication and randomised controlled trials are now warranted.

Full Paper: https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2024.841

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I've been put on Depakote instead of Olanzapine who made me put on 97lbs My psychiatrist says it is weight neutral, internet and research says otherwise. I am not looking for medication advice just anecdotes on whether Depakote made you gain weight or not. Or if it even causes the same ravenous hunger as an antipsychotic.

I’ve had a life change this weekend. I was diagnosed a few years ago right before I started a new relationship. It’s been three years we’ve been together and in the last week it just did a 180. Two years ago I got custody of my niece who is now 12. So today, I am a 50 year old single woman with bipolar and a 12 year old child in tow. I am scared as fuck. I have never done well the short time I’ve been single. Looking back, I would say it had triggered manic episodes. Self medicating to find stability? This IS the first time I’ve been single and I do have something to focus on, my kid. I’m hoping that’s enough. But scared as fuck it’s not. I was diagnosed 5 years ago so I never feel I can say for sure what a correct answer is. Empathy, suggestions, hugs,…. All are welcome right now. 😞❤️

Obviously I won't because it's dangerous, but the side effects are too much especially from antipsychotics. My old psychiatrist used Olanzapine to stop my suicidal thoughts and help my depression which it did but I was on 7,5mg now I am on 30mg with my new psychiatrist. I gained so much weight, I sweat like crazy, I sleep 14 hours and have a hard time waking up even with an alarm clock next to me or far from me I just go back to sleep. It absolutely blunted my emotions and I am not motivated to do the things I used to like doing : walk in nature, natation. So basically it makes me hungrier while making it impossible for me to do a physical activity.

I got a second opinion and I am now on 15mg Olanzapine and I sent an ultimatum e-mail to my psychiatrist telling her basically that I'll keep working with her if she agrees to find other options than antipsychotics or at least find one which is weight neutral. We've tried Abilify it gave me akathisia, Quetiapine and Risperdal and she stopped there and decided I go back to Olanzapine. I know much more antipsychotics that are weight neutral that exists. Also I don't have psychotic symptoms so I just know there's a full parade of medication she's just not willing to try.

It's lazy psychiatry

It's been 2 years since I've had stomach issues, especially puking. 2 years ago I went to the ER and they didn't even care I went home with a prescription to check my liver but a doctor didn't even examine me. At the time I was smoking which I thought was the cause back then, but then I kept puking since I stopped (I am still cigarettes free, no vape, no nicotine, no weed, no anything) and feeling something weird in my stomach. My liver results came back okay. Then at my second go to the ER 1 year ago the doctor said I might have an ulcer because of the meds I take and go check with my GP to have an appointment I said to her my GP was brushing off my problems saying they came from my weight gain so she wrote a letter to him but : My GP didn't really care and brushed it off again and gave me anti reflux medication.

I said that to my psychiatrist she pretended not to understand saying "well none of the medication I give you cause puking" (I am on a lot of meds)

Yesterday since 3 days ago I was puking pink, signs of blood. I called the ER to know if it was an emergency or if I could wait for the December 4th, the appointment with my doctor. They told me to find a doctor today, which I did. He told me the blood is irritation since I've been puking a lot but the puking might come from my meds and I should stop them for a while to see if that's really the problem. He is the second doctor suggesting my meds are causing my gastrointestinal problems, I don't even know how to bring this up with my psychiatrist because she didn't listen to me the first time and I am sure she would be against stopping my meds for a while. The thing is in my country she is a part of a free mental health hospital and I can't afford to go to another psychiatrist. I don't know how to taper off healthily myself but man I am tired of this system where nobody takes me seriously.

She told me I trauma dumped on her and I was looking to trauma bond. Which I think isn't true since I disclosed to other dates from the get-go I was bipolar because I am one of those who think it's better to tell someone right away then later when they get attached. Some people are just not okay dating with mental illnesses and that's okay. So I prefer to say it in advance.

She said she is disabled too and won't be capable of taking care of me all the time, I have taken it badly because as I said to her I am not looking for a mother. She told she's got "nurse syndrom" which is basically in the context of romantic relationships, is a psychological phenomenon where an individual, often a woman, feels a compulsive need to "save" or "fix" their partner. I told her I find that infantilizing I do not want a mother or someone trying to save me, yes I am disabled but yes I can also take care of myself like a grown-up, I am not 6 years old looking for guidance. I said to her I do not feel comfortable pursuing the relationship. AITA for thinking she's the one showing red flags?

I was diagnosed bipolar more than 20!years ago and have been on a slow but painful decline since.

On and off meds (More than 50 at last count), in and out of treatment, inpatient and out.

I have a kid, the most amazing little thing in the world. They are 10 now, their incredibly abusive mom and I having split and a nasty divorce 5 years ago.

I have the most amazing partner, they are supportive, caring, just. I am so fucking lucky.

So lucky that when my job was on the verge of killing me, after a stay in the hospital because they thought I had a heart attack, they grabbed my hand and said let's jump. Encouraging me to quit a well paid career in IT.

Now I'm waiting on disability, I tried to work up the courage to apply for some entry level retail jobs just to give me something else to do and I panic. So bad sometimes I'm reaching for the Ativan.

I was abused by my parents, raped by a priest and a camp counselor, I was nearly killed in some gang stupidity and had to testify and make myself and family a target as a kid. My second wife was so abusive I ended up shutting down my entire personality. I slept on the floor, with my dog, because I wasn't allowed on the bed. During the divorce I was accused of sexually abusing my kid by my ex, and for that lie I spent more than 4 weeks not being able to even talk to them. At 5.

I am so tired. So tired of struggling, just to survive to hurt more. I have no plans to solve that because I can't leave earth while my child breathes, leaving them to be raised just by their mom would be disastrous. I can easily imagine them going to back to the cult compound they moved into when they left, and becoming another sexual assault victim of my kids grandfather, along side his other daughter he's been fucking since she was 12.

I don't even know why I'm posting this. I can't really talk to anyone around me about it. I feel needy and bothersome.

Fuck this sucks

Any topic goes!

I started taking Abilify / aripiprazole just about a week ago and have had some very annoying side effects. I searched on Reddit and found people with similar experiences, but didn't find anything on Lemmy. For the sake of building up content here, I thought I'd share.

My psychiatrist started me on 5 mg Abilify at bedtime. Within a couple days, I noticed these effects:

• I feel drowsy and fall asleep easily about 20 mins after taking it. It usually takes me 30-60 mins to fall asleep otherwise, or 90-120 mins on really bad nights, so it's been helpful in that regard.
• I consistently wake up about 3 h into the night. If I try to go back to sleep, I can only stay asleep for 30-60 mins at a time before I wake up again.
• Whenever I wake up, I have this strange strobe light effect in my peripheral vision for a moment.
• My mood improved somewhat, but that's been outweighed quite a bit by the insomnia.

Just to clarify, I haven't been diagnosed with bipolar per se, but rather a mood disorder not otherwise specified. I get ups and downs, but I bounce between depression and irritability/agitation. Never had a manic episode.

I'll also note that I started lamictal / lamotrigine at 150 mg twice a day at the same time I started Abilify, but I've been on increasing doses for months with none of these issues. I'm also on HRT but that's been going on for years.

Thankfully, my psychiatrist gave me the go-ahead to stop taking the Abilify. Hopefully the negative effects go away soon.

How is everyone doing? All topics welcome!

There's a lot of anger today. Feel free to rant. Especially right now, if your meds say no alcohol, let's heed that warning. I am struggling myself on how to sleep the next few nights. We are here for each other.

How is everyone doing? All topics welcome!

I am still manic so please forgive me but I am on the comedown. I just wrote 3 pages in Word trying to tell my story but I couldn't express myself correctly so I'll boil it down. I've been manic for up to the last month and a half or was manic, crashed and am manic again. I tried to kill myself 13 days ago using (a fuckton of) pills. I very nearly succeeded. I am home and healing. Yesterday my sister was listening to me talk and broke the spell by just asking "have you considered you might be manic?". For the first time in 40 years I acknowledged that, yes, I was manic, it explained nearly everything very neatly and that meant I was actually bipolar. I am ready to heal.

While I've been out of the hospital, I was asked by my wife if this was her fault "do you not want to be with me?", we've been together more than half my life, "no, I'm sorry you thought that, I didn't want to be with me."

I've been unpacking why, trying to direct my energy to something productive instead of the constant masturbation and weed smoking I want to do.

(With the help of others) I've began to understand. When I was a kid I used to bleach and dye my hair, I would wear cut-offs, fishnets, Doc Martens, running around with green hair and a band tee (I'm a cis-man BTW). I got made fun of. I conformed for my own comfort, I eventually entered the service, and when I got out I continued masking for 17 years until I exploded.

I've always let through little bits of my true personality, when it was time for new sun glasses a few years ago I got the largest pair of aviators I could find in the store and made sure they were gold with the darkest tint available. I have an affinity for the loudest shoes I can find, I have a pair of brooks that are bright yellow, at work, people call them my tennis-ball sneakers. Once or twice a week I like to wear magenta scrubs (I get made fun of and the next day I come back in blue or gray), I used to parade around my house in skirts I picked up at the thrift-store and I "joked" with my wife that when we renew our vows, I get to wear the dress. (Did I mention I'm cis? I promise I am). But I've never owned it and let my freak flag fly, I've always protected my feelings, stuck in my own head "what will people think?" has been my mantra.

That nearly killed me. So I acknowledged who I really am, I shaved my wild, unkempt beard, I got my left ear piercing re-done and had my right ear done to match, I dyed my hair a lurid blue. I have not gotten any tattoos though I now know that, in the future when I have the money, I will. I don't currently have plans to cross dress again, that may have been a phase or not but if I want to in the future, guess who's going skirt shopping?

When I made my attempt I was a broken man in his early 40s with nothing I could see to live for, when I return to work, I will be a broken man in his early 40s with a future. When I go back it will be in my magenta scrubs, with my tennis-ball yellow shoes, my blue hair, and my piercings. Fuck what people think.

I'm (hopefully) done guarding my feelings, masking my true self, a peacock who wants to be the prettiest princess at the ball. I have a lot to work through with my counselor but I'm excited for that, I am now on a path of discovery and I'm excited to re-discover who I truly am.

And, for the record, when my wife and I renew our vows, I get to wear the dress.

How are you doing? All topics welcome!

just a nice chart I came across from yt vid by Brooke Miller

How are you doing? All topics welcome!

How are you doing? All topics welcome!

How are you doing? All topics welcome!

I just noticed the pills changed a bit, and instead of a 20 printed on one side, it's now a 25. I called the pharmacist and they said that it was changed and they don't know why.

Much more worryingly, I seem to be experiencing increased side effects since I started taking it a few days ago.

I'm curious if anyone else is taking these pills, and if you're noticing anything different?

How are you doing? All topics are on the table. Rant away!

How are you doing? All topics, rant away!