Question:
 
I was recently diagnosed as bi-polar, which may explain why the depression prescriptions given to me over the last few years did not really worked for me. I am in my first trimester of pregnancy and my doctor says I cannot start any medicine for the bi-polar problem until the baby is born. Are there any natural alternative, for bypolar disorder, that I can use during my pregnancy? I am still taking Prozac, and am not sure what problems that may cause my baby. The doctors are concerned about post-partem depression, which I had with my last delivery. What can you suggest?
 
Rachel
 
Answer:
 
Congratulations on the upcoming new family member. Depression is not a lot of fun and comes in all forms, with bipolar being one of the hardest to diagnose therefore I am not surprised it went undiagnosed for years.

The scientific community agrees that the majority of depressions result from a chemical imbalance - which is nothing more than a mineral and trace mineral imbalance that short circuit the brain. Bipolar being one of those brain imbalances. I can only tell you what I've seen work and then you will have to be the one to decide if you want to try it.  What I am about to tell you has been done in pregnant gals that I know and great results.
 
First, I have to say, I've seen some nasty latent side effects in patients who took Prozac, so I worry about you taking it, whether pregnant or not.  Prozac has a way of changing a person's personality into someone most do not recognize, so why risk it when there are natural alternatives... Personality change is barely mentioned in the drug's literature. But patients that I saw in my years in the medical office, after Prozac came on the market, would come to me and tell me they did not like the person they had become since starting Prozac. One doctor, whose wife committed suicide after starting Prozac is trying to drew attention to the very fact that Prozac is a cause of suicides! He, so-far, hasn't had much coverage of that fact. Again we have the school and college shootings that have occurred over the years and started after antidepressants became so widely prescribed and when covered by the news media they fast forwarded over the fact the people doing the shootings were on antidepressants, not saying if it was Prozac, but I would bet my life it was! Of course there are other antidepressants that have the same effect just not so many people are taking the others these days.
 
Secondly, Post-partum (PP) depression is recognized by most naturopathic physicians as a symptom of a mineral and nutritional imbalances created during pregnancy and worse showing its head after the birth. Finally, some allopathic/conventional physicians are now getting smart and are recognizing that mineral insufficiency is a cause for PP... Sadly the drug industry has not modified their prenatal vitamins to reflect that thought. Most prenatal vitamins have very small amounts of minerals and vitamins to be effective! Read the label and if it doesn't have a total of 84 minerals and trace minerals listed in your prenatal vitamins know you are at risk for post-partum depression. Also some prenatal vitamins are not sufficiently digestible, hence a severe vitamin imbalance is being created as the fetus absorb nutrients from the mother and the body isn't replacing them.

Read Minerals Uses to understand it better.
 
Now for the natural alternatives for depression - Bipolar or otherwise. I have seen a couple of people with Bipolar disease leave it completely behind and have heard of a large number of others, but not personally known to me. So I will only tell you about the two that I know personally.
 
One has been symptom free and prescription free for twelve years, another for five years. Both found relief from their Bipolar symptoms by adding three supplements to their life and costing much less than their anti-depression prescription did. First and most important addition, 1 teaspoon of a balanced liquid ionic mineral-trace mineral complex twice a day. Second, a fantastic herbal formula compounded for brain support and circulation full of  herbs, vitamins and minerals, that  nourish the brain and does not deplete the body of vitamins and minerals as antidepressants do. It is Mind Power Master Formula, 2 to 3 capsules in the morning and 1 to 2 at noon (this may not be required after a few weeks after the body has balanced it's minerals out). Third addition, "Tolerance StressX  Formula" 1 to 2 capsules three times a day. The 12-year symptom free success took these supplements during her pregnancy and delivered a very smart happy baby boy who is almost twelve years old now and above average intelligence, so his mom & teachers say, as they have tried to push him up a grade twice. If you are interested in trying these alternatives go to Depression Repair Kit, which can save you some money as well.
 
The absolutely most important aspect to stopping and/or preventing depression - bipolar or others - is to make sure the body has a minerals balance (balance the chemicals) to correct the problem and not mask it as prescriptions tend to do. This gives the brain the electrical balance required to produce and remit signals to the rest of the organs... Minerals are a good thing in pregnancy and every other day of the year for just about every person living.
 
Diet and exercise is very important as well. Dairy and red meats tend to have an exacerbating effect on all kinds of depression also. Meat is full of acids that tend to create anger in some people, and the latest studies on meat eating is that meat depletes the body of B vitamins, which is the body's natural antidepressant nutrient! So no meat unless Organic should be consumed. Since studies have not been done with Organic meats we don't know if it depletes the body of B vitamins, so I choose to err on the side of caution and would stay away from them if I were you or at least experiment for a few months going without meat and then adding Organic and pay attention to how you respond to them.
 
If you do not wish to go the above alternative route I suggest that you make sure you are getting B-Complex 1000 IU per day and Vitamin C 2000 IU per day. That will not solve the problem but will help lessen it. Eat healthy and exercise daily!
 
Here is hoping you can find peace and happiness and deliver a happy healthy child.
 
Let me know,

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