There appears to be a successful way of fighting Bipolar disorder.

Bipolar illness ran through Tony Stephan's family. His wife Debbie committed suicide. His son and daughter were also ill and on drugs that did not work.

"She had been taking medications for 4 1/2 years and she was going suicidal. It wasn't helping. My son was on 900 milligrams of lithium a day and he was out of control," Tony Stephan said.

Thenm he learned of mineral and vitamins given to PIGS with a nervous disorder. In desperation he gave a variation of the supplements to his son.

"Within 30 days he no longer had any symptoms of Bipolar disorder," Stephan said.

Both his children, he says, are still on the supplements and are well some four years later. Now doctors at the University of Calgary say they have intriguing early results from a group of ten bipolar patients on the same supplements. Most had less depression, fewer manic episodes and improved mental well being.

"The decrease in symptoms is of a magnitude that is very impressive. Any medication that had this effect would catch a lot of people's attention. Most patients in the study cut their standard drugs by 2/3ds," Bonnie Kaplan, from University of Calgary, said.

"This is an entirely different approach to standard medical therapies we sue now," Dr. Steven Simpson said.

Dr. McIntyre: "Is this a true signal..or a false one. Until that question is answered by more research, experts say it's too early for patients to abandon traditional medications."

"People should be careful and should not in an uncritical way simply start something because they heard that it might work."

Steve Morton who was part of the Calgary study says the nutrients helped put his life in order after his bipolar illness left him suicidal and in hospital.

Steve Morton: "This has brought me to recognize a new me and I can continue my life and move on."

The Alberta government is spending half a million dollars to fund more rigorous studies into these supplements. That is patients are being urged to wait for more evidence before turning to nutrients to help them find peace of mind.
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