Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get Started
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Alternative medicine
By Mayo Clinic staffSome people with cyclothymia turn to complementary and alternative medicine treatments to help manage symptoms, improve mood and reduce stress. In particular, they may include:
- St. John's wort. Known scientifically as Hypericum perforatum, this is an herb that's been used for centuries to treat a variety of ills, including depression. It's not approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat depression in the United States. Rather, it's classified as a dietary supplement. However, it's a popular depression treatment in Europe. Some studies show it may be helpful if you have mild or moderate depression.
- SAM-e. Pronounced "sammy," this is a synthetic form of a chemical that occurs naturally in the body. The name is short for S-adenosyl-methionine. It's not approved by the FDA to treat depression in the United States. Rather, it's classified as a dietary supplement. However, it's used in Europe as a prescription drug to treat depression.
- Omega-3 fatty acids. These are polyunsaturated fats found mostly in seafood. Good sources of omega-3s include fatty, cold-water fish, such as salmon, mackerel and herring. Flaxseed, flax oil and walnuts also contain omega-3 fatty acids, and small amounts are found in soybean and canola oils. Omega-3 fatty acids may help relieve feelings of depression and anxiety.
Alternative medicine precautions
Although some complementary treatments can be a good addition to your regular cyclothymia treatment, take some precautions first:
- Don't stop taking your prescribed cyclothymia medications or skip therapy sessions. Complementary medicine is not a substitute for regular medical care.
- Be honest with your doctors and mental health providers. Tell them exactly which complementary and alternative treatments you practice or would like to explore.
- Be aware that some complementary treatments can interfere with your regular treatment. Even over-the-counter or so-called natural supplements can interfere with your prescribed medications.
