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Flax Seed Oil for Bipolar Disorder

5 star (1)		33%
1 star (1)		33%
(1)		33%

Jason (Wisconsin, US) on 03/12/2015:
0 out of 5 stars

I cannot tolerate Flaxseed. After taking it, I become extremely irritable. I suffer from seasonal depression and usually rely on alcohol to help during the rough times. For panic attacks I'll take a very small dose of Xanax .125mg - .25mg maybe 3-4 times a year. But I have never experienced the level of anger that results from taking flaxseed. It makes me feel frustrated and paranoid. There is nothing else in my 45 years that has made me feel so terrible and unable to control my emotions. I also have a sister and a brother who have the same reactions to flax as I do. My sister has suffered from occasional depression, however, my brother has never suffered any form of mental illness. Don't know if it is something we are allergic to or if it just creates some chemical imbalance. The disappointing thing for me is whenever you do an internet search for flaxseed, 99% of the results are praising the wonderful miracle cures that are possible but offer very little if any information on the possible negative side effects. I wouldn't wish the reaction I have on anyone. I just wanted to share in case anyone else out there has had the same experience.

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Magicgal (Cambridge, Ma) on 09/29/2013:
5 out of 5 stars

I have bipolar disorder. Being vegan, I diligently take my daily supplements. But on business trips, I don't bring flax oil which I store in fridge. I go without flax oil for 3-4 days and I become angry, paranoid, and a completely different person. As soon as I reach home and resume taking flax oil, my symptoms just vanish into thin air. So, I figure I should buy flax softgels to bring with me on business trips. As expected, my mood swings never ever come back and mess with my life.

In case you are curious, I weigh 50 kg, age 31. I take about 1-2 tablespoons of flax oil daily with my breakfast oatmeal. I also take niacin @100 mg after every meal, making around 300mg/day. I take it along with a B-complex. Both niacin & flax oil are indispensable to my normal functioning. Missing either one will set me in trouble. Hope this helps any of you.

Kira (Saratoga, NY) on 12/20/2008:
1 out of 5 stars

Warning

If you have bipolar tendencies (e.g. getting hypomanic when taking an SSRI anti-depressant) be careful when taking flax seed oil, a very small percentage get hypomanic (e.g. you feel like you have ants in your pants and can't sit still). When such a person continues to take the flax oil, it may trigger a manic episode.

I can tolerate Omega 3s in fish oil but not flax oil or flax mixed with cottage cheese. Not many people seem to know this side effect of flax that effects like 1% or so of users but somewhere online I came across it after already experiencing it myself. Most people aren't bothered.

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