Wouldn’t it be great if we could all scrap our medications and take vitamins instead? It’s a pipe dream. Or is it?
There’s a new clinical trial that is aiming to treat individuals with bipolar and addiction, and it’s not what you would expect. Over-the-counter pills are being used to see if they can alleviate symptoms of bipolar while curbing drinking.
Professors at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, and the University of Miami are conducting the clinical trials.
The first substance is phosphatidylcholine — available at your local vitamin store — which is used for enhancing energy, for Alzheimer’s patients, and increasing memory.
The chemical occurs naturally in the brain, and is said to improve brain function. It is used for depression and also can be beneficial for skin disorders like psoriasis as well as symptoms of menopause in women.
The other is citicoline. It’s also a dietary supplement, like your daily vitamin. It’s frequently used for Alzheimer’s patients, brain injury, dementia, Parkinson’s, and ADHD. It is taken in pill form, intravenously, or as a shot.
The doctors performed two randomized trials, and the result was that the pregnenolone was better than a placebo for treating bipolar depression. There are other studies that have found that the chemical has the ability to decrease alcohol use among animals.
For citicoline, it had been tried in Europe for mood disorders, and the doctors from Texas and Miami carried out two clinical trials of people who live with bipolar disorder as well as cocaine addiction. The citicoline showed improvements compared to placebo.
Your local vitamin store is a wealth of supplements that can benefit your body. This WebMD page lists a bona fide bible of drug alternatives. Please keep in mind that I am not a doctor, and that you should check with your doctor about ingesting anything.
It’s an alphabet soup out there. Ask your doctor. And choose wisely.
