I found lithium toxicity varies at certain times of the month. Because of severe water weight, I couldn't continue to do yoga, so I cut back my dosages to 2 pills a day. Then, for about a 8 days before my period (off and on) I start feeling I need to increase the dosage to 3 pills. I continue that for about 4 days after my period before returning to 2 pills a day. If I can't do yoga and have an active life, I have muscle pain.

I stopped drinking coffee and quit all caffeine, including chocolate, because the left side of my body would become immediately stiff and hard as rock.

My body cannot break down animal proteins correctly with lithium. Naturopaths have told me that lithium cannot conduct protein through the bladder. Specifically, animal proteins; at the time I was having pain in my knees and feet. As I began to research arthritis and food on the internet, I learned many of the animals we eat are diseased with viruses such as ecoli. Vitamin B is supposed to help us humans with bipolar and rheumatism, however some of these issues are hooked-up with the ecoli virus and herpes. We can get ecoli in our drinking water - it's better to boil it and keep it cool in the frig than drink it from the tap. As I learned all these things over the last four years, I decided to stop eating meat. I began to focus on eating more veggies and organic products - within a few short weeks the rheumatism was gone!

I am partially paralyzed on one side of my face. I'm currently in Tui Na treatment with a woman who is working on the meridians of my body, pushing the muscle tissue into correct position. After 3 years of paralysis, it's working! She also recommended that I stop eating meat, and especially sea food. Some doctors are recommending cod liver oil to help take the pressure that comes with bipolar off the brain; but a better alternative is flax seed oil.

I think being bipolar has much to do with learning how to live in harmony with one's environment, and to find peace. I am Buddhist, so it made sense to me to stop eating my fellow animal friends. They are here to provide wonderful alternatives; with a good vegetarian diet, we can still eat cheese and milk and eggs. We can get proteins from vegetable proteins... We can learn how to cook with delicious sauces made from fruits, herbs, etc. and not animal blood. It's important to stop and consider what we our putting in our mouths... If the animals we eat are not cared for properly, not given healthy environments and the correct nutrients they need, what does that say? I think anyone reading this could experience what I am saying and verify!