Bipolar Disorder and the South Beach Diet - Why?

by Marcia Purse

A reader wrote to me saying: "Hi! I'm wondering what difference the South Beach Diet makes in bipolar disorder? I've suspected for some time that my diet is killing me ... what have you found? I'm really needing to hear - thanks."

This is a good question, though one I can't answer completely. I don't know whether maintaining this healthy diet will have a direct effect on moods and mood swings. Too little research has been done on the effects of diet and blood sugar levels on neutransmitters and receptors.

We do know that many depression and bipolar medications cause weight gain - sometimes massive weight gain. Elavil caused me to gain 30 pounds earlier in my life - weight I lost completely when I stopped taking this drug. Then I was put on Prozac, and by the time I switched to other antidepressants I had gained 61 pounds. Many people gain much more than this on their meds. Other medications that induce weight gain include:

• Lithium
• Depakote
• All the SSRIs including Paxil, Luvoxx and Celexa
• All the tricyclics such as Amitriptyline (Elavil), Protriptyline and Nortriptyline
• Many antipsychotic medications, especially Zyprexa and Seroquel

We also know that weight gained because of some medications such as SSRI antidepressants is harder to lose even if one stops taking the drug - and if one needs to continue taking it for therapy, losing weight is harder still.

So first of all I am looking to the South Beach Diet to help with this side effect of bipolar medications. And it is not just weight gain, it's everything associated with weight gain:

• elevated cholesterol
• elevated blood pressure
• elevated blood sugar
• lowered self-esteem
• depression over appearance
• danger of noncompliance with medications because of desire to lose weight

The first three points above are critical physical health issues. The next two are critical mood issues. The last has the potential to be very dangerous for a person suffering from depressive, bipolar or schizoaffective disorders.

I am definitely affected by the first five points I listed - not to mention the additional wear and tear on my joints from overweight - and there are times when I think about flushing everything except Trazodone, which I must have to be able to sleep. I do need my medications - but if they give me a new reason to be depressed, is that a good thing?

So my best answer now is, if the South Beach Diet helps me to lose weight, it will reduce or eliminate several health hazards AND a big cause of depression from my life. And that will be a good thing.