Fasting For Bipolar Disorder
Is it ok to do a water fast while taking bipolar medications?
Age: 25
Weight and Height: 5’11, 145
Type of Fast: water
Any past experience with fasting: One 3 week water fast per year for the past 4 years
Reason for the Fast: weight loss
Health Issues: Bipolar Disorder (included in this is severe depression), Anxiety
Pre-fast diet: fruits, veggies, fat free greek yogurt, whole grains, egg whites (I’m vegetarian)
This is not my first water fast for weight loss, but it is my first water fast on medications. I have Bipolar disorder and I am currently on two medications for it. My question is, is it ok to do a water fast while taking medications? I CAN NOT stop these medications or i WILL go into either a deep depression or high manic state, so would you suggest that I maybe take my meds with some juice? If so, how much? I do not want the juice to interfere with the weight loss I typically achieve when I water fast.
Thanks
Cindy Pa-ac 
Amy Seery 
Totes Boots 
Grace Fawoye 
Clay Lapre 
I have been diagnosed with Bi Polar. i was on Lexapro ( didnt work one bit) but i was on it for 2 years. I found something that MIGHT be an option for you. Personally i Hate the side effects of the meds, it affected my marraige my child so on and so forth, but i found a website that is called Vitaganic. It used to be called Mitamins. um it is completely herbal. if you go to the website on your right/middle of the screen you will see shop by conditions. CLICK IT. it will ask you what meds you are on and it will take out herbs that enteract with that med and replace it with a different herb. it also tells you what all is in the pills so you can look each herb up. I have used my formula ( cheaper than lexapro) to wean off of lexapro and am now off of it ( one month now) with no drops or to high of a high ( I like to shop when manic 😛 ) but for once in a long time i have feelings. plus i have regained my sex life ( TMI? ) and dont take naps all day and have lost some of the ‘depression’ fat. now i still have a little mood swing every once in a while but its managable, AND it makes me feel human, instead of a doped up zombie/robot thing.
I am about to start a juice fast while taking my ‘vitamins’ b/c my doc said it would be fine.
i hope this helps or at least gives you another possible option. It has been a godsend to me, and it has possibly safed my marraige.
Hi lynn
Thank you for your post on Bi Polar. Im sure that will help a lot of people who suffer the same thing.
Glad to hear you are much better now. Keep us posted on your juice fasting.
Blessings Keith.
I do not recommend water fasting for bipolar disorder as the toxins released can trigger an episode. I supervised a fast for schizophrenia and and there were incredible improvements until the 10 day when she cut down on the juice to almost water. She went from sane to insane in one day. So now I am very cautious about the detoxification rate. I would juice fast with at least 2 liters a day. Take4 table spoons of essential oils and 3 egg whites raw and blended with some juice. This will slow the detox. Yes you can take the meds on a juice fast but not water fasting. I would fast for health and metal stability rather than weightloss. Exercise you mind by filling it with positive uplifting thoughts on a regular basis. I believe that commonly bipolar disorder is triggered by emotions that triggered by what you think.
Hi Tom,
I am 64 and have developed a bi-polar disorder. Especially since two years ago I had a bowel prolapse repair and the Dr. took out the ovaries and uterus “because I was 62” Since then I have been a total mess. I am to the point that I dread having people come to my home or going to church and having to talk to people. I use Black cohosh, Blue cohosh and Damiana and Don Quai. for hormones. They help. But my mental state is slowly getting more intense and severe. I take no meds. I have developed osteoporosis. There is parkinsons and schitzophrenia among my brothers and sisters. I want to get well but I don’t know how. Can you help me?
My experiance with Lithium Carbonate for Bipolar 2. I tried a pure fast i.e. No water either — the Salt (lithium) levels were accelerated to dangerous levels as would be taking any salt. I have found that a water or juice fast is fine —if I maintain the hydration or fluid levels. That is only my experiance so check it out with others. Regards Evergreen.
What about medication for mild depression? I’m considering a relatively short juice/water/juice fast and I’m currently on medication (15mg Mirtin/Mirtazapin pr. day – not consumed with a meal)
Hi, I also have bipolar disorder.
Did you know that they cured 7,000 Schizophrenics in Russia by making them water fast for 25 days? They took them off meds within the first 5 days. You can do a Google search about this.
Anyways, what I am doing is ADF–alternate day fasting. What I do is I eat one large balanced vegetarian meal every 48 hours. And during those 48 hours I only consume water.
This way you lose some excess weight, preserve and even build muscle mass, as well as have a feast every other day. This method has in fact cured the constipation problem I faced for the past 8 years.
I am doing research on myself basically. Feasting and then fasting has allowed me to build a lot of inner strength and taken me out of the deep depression I faced for the past 6 months.
Essentially, for the past 6 months all I did was sleep all day long, like a typical bipolar. The goal in doing this should not be quick weight loss but rather getting healthy. When you feast, you naturally boost all of your neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin. And when you fast, your body detoxifies and has a chance to generate new nerve cells with greater immunity to depression (and mania) in the brain.
So instead of extended water fasting or juice fasting, I suggest alternate day fasting. This will clear up any imbalance in brain glucose metabolism so that your moods will not only become stable over time but you will feel happy when you eat as well as when you fast.
I would also add that it is crucial to take daily warm water enemas which will clear fermenting material from the colon. This also magically lifts depression.