Tips for Newbie Keto with Bipolar/Schizophrenia

newbies
(Tracy Ann) #1

Hello there! I have been stalking you all…figure it is time to join in! :wave:

I am prepping myself to start Keto with all new pantry ingredients, making meal plans, etc.

As you can see from the title, I have Bipolar/Schizophrenia (diagnoses change…just…sever psychiatric issues is a better descriptor). My psychiatrist suggested using this diet as part of the trial to see if the epileptic/keto diet can help with sever psychiatric issues.

Plus I have a good 200lbs to lose (thanks a lot lithium…that drug made me pack on the pounds…awful)

So…here are my questions.

1) Has any found any adverse/negative reactions with the Keto diet and their psychiatric meds I should prepare for?

2) Needing to lose such a large amount of weight, is Keto safe to do for long term? Some articles I have read say this is not a lifetime diet unless it does help the mental illness, then go for it??

Thank you so much!
-TracyAnn

(KCKO, KCFO 🥥) #2

Check out the 2ketodudes podcast with Carrie Brown, she speaks candidly about her psych. issues and how keto helped her. Sitting Down with Carrie Brown. Also she does great keto recipes, so check out her web site as well.

(Eric - The patient needs to be patient!) #3

It is a lifetime way of eating. There are a lot of negative articles on keto in the press that are not grounded in facts. It appears to be safe if you get the carbs low <20g / day. But some meds may need to be adjusted. Frequently Blood Pressure meds need to be reduced or removed. Also T2D meds. Being on the kinds of meds you are on, you need to stay in close touch with your doctor. Hopefully someone with specific experience around your conditions will help in this thread.

Good luck. Please report back to us on progress. I am hoping to get a friend to try keto that has clinical depression.

(Tracy Ann) #4

Ah!! Thank you so much for the direct link to Carrie’s specific podcast episode! I really appreciate the work you put in to find that! I am listening to it now.

Thanks again!!
-TracyAnn

(Tracy Ann) #5

I will let you know for sure.

My psychiatrist has seen some great studies (I live near University of Michigan Med School) with Keto helping with major psychiatric disorders similar to how it helps with epilepsy. I don’t know about your friend, but my brain does not produce “normal” chemicals so I will have to be on meds for the rest of my life…but my psychiatrist is hopeful I can reduce some meds and have less Bipolar swings using Keto. Can’t hurt to try!!

I will go with the mindset this is not a diet, just a way of life, like how I will always take meds, I will always use food as medicine the Keto way. Giving myself a way out is never a good idea, per my history, I will go with any excuse to not do something :slight_smile: . I will keep up with my Doc. Thanks so much!!

TracyAnn

(Hyperbole- best thing in the universe!) #6

Welcome! I hope you find keto helpful in your health journey :orange_heart:

(MelissaH) #7

Definitely keep us updated @Tracy_Ann on how this WOE effects you . I’d like to pass this along to a family member if it goes well. This forum is a great place to start!

(Aa_44) #8

Good luck!! I find it so amazing that something as simple as changing the foods someone eats can help people with medical conditions that require a lot of medication. I wish there was more research done so it was more socially acceptable.

(CharleyD) #9

I have a couple close family members who have battled bipolar for decades now, and I sorely wish they’d read about how sugar and vegetable oil impacts neurons and neurotransmitters. I know my brain/mind calmed way down once I cut the sugar and upped the natural animal fats.

(Daisy) #10

I am diagnosed BPD, schizoid, GAD & MDD. Thanks to God and much self awareness, I had gotten off all meds a couple years ago. I definitely still have some issues with GAD & MDD on occasion and I would say keto does help with both of those. My moods are more stable now, which just keeps everything working smoother! Good luck in your journey!!

#11

Also in Ann Arbor + Bipolar. Keto is great for bipolar. No more sugar highs and crashes. Just make sure you drink plenty of fluids and salt while taking lithium especially during the first month. You may even lower your dose temporarily if your doctor is okay with it because you don’t want to get toxicity. This is the recipe for ketoade KetoAide homemade

(Running from stupidity) #12

Depression/ADHD[1]/autism tendencies here, and Keto has been nothing but good. I am not on any depression meds currently (all they did was make me eat heaps for no discernible mental benefits) so I can’t talk to them, and I started the Ritalin after I started keto, so no baseline.

In general - absent exogenous factors like the MIL visiting for a fortnight - I’ve found that I’ve been far more stable on keto, with the lows significantly decreased (what are highs?). I also think my short-term memory (ADHD issue, pretty severe) has improved, but that’s basically impossible to be certain about.

2) Needing to lose such a large amount of weight, is Keto safe to do for long term? Some articles I have read say this is not a lifetime diet unless it does help the mental illness, then go for it??

There seems to be no reason to NOT do it for the long term, but if there is, that will become apparent to you further down the track. Having your psych on board is a MASSIVE plus, so I can’t see any downside to doing it.

I’ve also found that operating inside the parameters of keto is beneficial to my overall mindset, as it gives me a feeling/(illusion) of control, which doesn’t hurt when you’re at war with your brain.

[1] Just formally diagnosed at 55. Really.

(Tracy Ann) #13

Praise the Lord, no more Lithium for me! That stuff is pure evil in my opinion. My body hated it.

Also, can you see me waiving at you in AA? :slight_smile:

(Tracy Ann) #14

Thank you for the thoughtful reply!

(Running from stupidity) #15

I also meant to say “hang in there.” It’s amazing what changing your diet can do for you (speaking as an old person for whom it has made more difference than any medications).

(ANNE ) #16

Going to add my penniesworth in here, regarding the lithium meds.
It is worth finding out if lithium is stored in body fat. If so, as you lose weight you may have more lithium circulating than normal as the fat cells deflate and release the lithium into your bloodstream.
Also consider that as you lose weight, which may happen, the dose of lithium you require may alter if the drug is based upon milligrams per kilograms of body weight.
I really don’t know how lithium works and the better brains on this forum may have some more sound advice.
Good luck and I hope you find this way of eating that helps you both short and long term.

(Christine) #17

Although I’ve been depressed and not on my game lately, when I am on point, my anxiety/depression are no where near where they are on sugar/carbs.

Detoxing from carbs was hard on my moods. If you can just stick with it. It is helpful. Be stubborn.

I suspect I have a version of my dads bipolar, but undiagnosed. I have some mood regulation something but that’s all I know.