Treating Bipolar with Keto - 100 Self-Reports with Dr. Iain Campbell

May be try ...carnivore at all?

Fascinating interview! Great to hear about a possible ketone “threshold”.

Thank you both for the work you are doing!

It really makes me feel hope hearing about how it is helping others. Thanks everyone for these efforts. I am personally thankful to Dr Campbell for being so open and for his focus on furthering the science.

Dr., I am a great admirer of your approach to these mental conditions! I'm a teacher, and one of my 14 yr old pupils was recently diagnosed w/ bipolar, autistic and Asperger; also gender disphoria, depression... How can we cope daily and how can we tell parents about these new treatments? I am not a Science teacher, so nobody gives me any credit when I suggest alternative views. Can you share your wisdom on children/teens suffering from this? Thank you.

Like my friend @michaelblive, I'm grateful to Dr. Iain Campbell for his advocacy, research, honesty, and encouragement to those of us who have bipolar disorder.

I took part in this survey. I've been doing a vegan ketogenic diet for bipolar disorder the past 15 months, and it has been nothing short of amazing.The lifestyle isn't always easy, but the challenges have been worth it.

The Metabolic Mind series is my favorite resource for learning about ketogenic diets, and how to use this powerful modality safely.

You can learn more about how much keto has helped @michaelblive on Dr. Campbell & Matt Baszucki's podcast "Bipolarcast", Show # 20. After you listen, you'll never look at Gatorade quite the same way as you did before...🙂

Like Michael, I was honored to be a "Bipolarcast" guest and I discussed my vegan ketogenic diet for bipolar disorder & non-vegan topics, too. I invite you to check out Show #23. Take care! 🙂

I was fatigued and suicidal my whole life. I also had periods of a bit elevated mood. Three weeks ago I dived into keto, almost carnivore. It caused hypomania. I felt so good. I thought YES! Finally I found a cure . Unfortunately it lasted only 10 days. But it has opened my eyes. I diagnose myself with bipolar 2. Now I don't know what to do, go to a doctor and tell that I am bipolar and ask for meds, or simply continue with keto?

Thanks for the updates, it is giving good energy and hope all the way to us in the netherlands.I am trying to start with the keto dieet with the support from my doctor but over here It's all very new and we take small steps from the cave into the light. Nice christmas spirit Thanks Dr.Campbell and whole team keep it going

"We are surrounded by stories. At the largest level, our stories enfold, protect, and constrain us. Every invention grew out of a story. Even the stories of the stories grew out of stories - consider Plato's story of the shadows on the walls of the cave, ancient notions of the perfect archetype, the search for the ultimate story from Gilgamesh to Genesis to Stephen Hawking." ~ From Narrative Medicine: The Use of History and Story in the Healing Process by Lewis Mehl-Madrona, MD, Ph.D

We are not just a blob of molecules, cell, and the sum total of our brain/bodily hormones/chemicals/neurotransmitters. Modern medicine and psychiatry have taken the art of stories/narrative medicine out of the healing process, and focused heavily on prescribing medications as the solution for everything. What can you accomplish in 7-10 minutes of a visit with a human being?

To practice narrative medicine means to spend time with people listening to them. It means to ask: What happened to you? How did you get here? What can we do now to support you?

To interface with a human being means to open ourselves to their journey, their traumas and suffering, their struggles and triumphs, to their fears and doubts, to their vulnerabilities, and to their deepest hearts desires. It is to view them as whole and not just parts and pieces, and gloss over the rest.

This takes time curiosity, courage, patience, persistence, strength, grace, compassion, and love. It is the process of honoring a human being as a whole. Not just the next person you have to see in your waiting room full of patients.

Thank you Dr. Campbell for bringing back real human beings with their messy beautiful powerful stories, and integrating that into the scientific research and literature and deeply meaningful work. Ultimately, we are all attempting to help those who are in tremendous suffering, and how we do our work matters! How we treat people matters.

How are we suppose to be connected and know one another without spending time together? Without asking each other so many questions? Intimacy is built on communication and trust ("in-to-me-see"). It is built on respect and honoring each other's realities. We CONNECT by being open and curious with each other, by stepping and walking a mile in the other person's shoes.

By being present, attentive, and caring!

I'm grateful for both Bret and Dr. Iain Campbell who are clearly practicing "Narrative Medicine" and being role models in this area. We need more medical and mental health professionals who bring humanity to the world of science. We need stories like this, of patients and clinicians who are coming together and doing the work, and sharing for the benefit of those who suffer.

Stories give us HOPE. Stories touch our hearts. They inspire us. They impact us in wonderful ways and have the power to transform us. The art of storytelling is a powerful tool in changing ourselves, and others. It is a deeply healing practice.

Warm Regards,
Neseret

Excellent. Yet another pointer to the relationship between diet and health. Garbage in, garbage out.

Today the bipolar disorder cannot be healed. This is the view of present medical science. In contrast hereto Kinesiology has got a different opinion. There are two separate parts in the brain, hypophyse and hypothalamus. If both are ok bipolar disorder cannot exist anymore.
This dilemma of different medical conceptions is governed by modern pharmacy. Any truth is suppressed. About 100 years ago an Austrian doctor found out that fasting will start the immune system to burn first cancer cells. Another doctor found out that cancer cells cannot stand fever.
Are both successful healing methods used worldwide? Of course not. Cancer builds the basis of our doctor’s existence. And 50 % of all hospitals will go insolvent if their mayor clients do not come anymore.

Hello, I first want to express my utmost gratitude for the extensive research articulated in "Brain Energy" by Christopher Palmer, I'm hoping you can provide some insight into this rather obscure issue in the medical sphere: what do you propose is a solution to circumvent the slow "COMT" enzyme gene mutation; it is amongst a multitude  of genes implicated in the development of schizophrenia ,hindering the metabolism of catecholamines (dopamine, epinephrin, neurepinephrin) allowing for higher levels to remain in the brain. Some approaches recommend supplementation with methylated vitamins, folate, SAMe, magnesium but to no avail many describe the symptoms remaining. It is advisable to abstain from protein consumption, particularly foods with phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryphophan as they can be converted into dopamine, although they are ubiquitous and absolutely indispensible for normal bodily functioning. Functional practitioners generally recommend abstaining from polyphenol consumption (EGCG, catechins ) which are processed differently, and caffeine / theobromine as it furhter slows the COMT enzyme functioning . It is a huge conundrum considering there wouldn't be many foods left to consume and upon self experimentation it hadnt helped my symptoms. In my brief experience using the ketogenic diet it staves off hunger and provides more robust digestive health (if I eat carbohydrates I find myself either consistently constipated or with diarrhea but when i briefly tried the keto diet even with substantial amounts of fiber, FODMAPS and plant phytochemicals ie inulin, psyllium husk, black soybeans, cruciferous / allium vegetables i had very healthy bowel movements- a GI analysis had revealed dysbiosis and zero traces of akkermansia municiphilia which supposdely proliferates on a ketogenic diet) Some suggest these symptoms are soley the manifestations of traumatic adverse childhood experiences but Christopher Palmer claims the deleterious byproducts associated with "PTSD" can be stamped out due to the oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction it induces. I've also wondered whether or not the ketogenic diet would alleviate the symptoms of emotional / psychological stress in somebody who may be metabolically healthy / physically fit.

In a carnivore diet, would ones body produce less ketones considering the protein intake is higher than fat? From my understanding only a certain amount of ketones infers therapeutic effects that can't be achieved otherwise

Thoughts on the COMT gene?

Is glutamate a factor in cancer growth?

We need new episodes of Bipolar Cast!

I've used the ketogenic way of eating for over five and a half years to put my BD2 into remission without medication. I was a guest on Dr Iain and Matt Bazucki's podcast, Bipolarcast, Episode 11. I've since studied with Dr Georgia Ede, Beth Zupec-Kania, and Denise Potter and now help others recover from bipolar disorder. I love being a part of this incredible movement!

Brilliant news. Iain also seems like a very approachable doctor. But I can't avoid saying the obvious. There really was no excuse for the quality of Psychiatric treatments which have led so many people to despair over the years. Maybe Ibn Sina 980-1037 CE can stop turning in his grave now, as Edinburgh catches up.

@vizi434  Hi im also looking forward to try keto for bipolar with mixed features do you think keto can induce mania?There are some reports indicating keto induced mania.I'm not on any kind of medication.

Does this work for mixed states?

Root cause - inflamed brain?

Would it make sense that I’m out off my loooong BP depression after my attempt to target mitochondriafunction with following amino acids;
Complex Q10
Acetyled L Carnitine
ALA

My add on’s; NAC, glycine and zinc

Three months has passed, and I’m steady

I'm finding it incredibly helpful for mood, mania and energy stability. 4 weeks in.

Keto is a huge support to my mental health. It works so well for me. Thanks for a terrific interview :-)