B vitamins reduce schizophrenia symptoms, study finds

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A review of worldwide studies has found that add-on treatment with high-dose b-vitamins - including B6, B8 and B12 - can significantly reduce symptoms of schizophrenia more than standard treatments alone.

The research - on the effect of vitamin and mineral supplements on symptoms of schizophrenia - is funded by The Medical Research Council and University of Manchester, and is published in Psychological Medicine, one of the world’s leading psychology journals

Lead author Joseph Firth, based at the University’s Division of Psychology and Mental Health, said: "Looking at all of the data from clinical trials of vitamin and mineral supplements for schizophrenia to date, we can see that B vitamins effectively improve outcomes for some patients.

“This could be an important advance, given that new treatments for this condition are so desperately needed.”

Schizophrenia affects around 1% of the population and is among the most disabling and costly long term conditions worldwide.

Currently, treatment is based around the administration of antipsychotic drugs.

Although patients typically experience remission of symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions within the first few months of treatment, long-term outcomes are poor; 80% of patients relapse within five years.

The researchers reviewed all randomized clinical trials reporting effects of vitamin or mineral supplements on psychiatric symptoms in people with schizophrenia.

In what is the first meta-analysis carried out on this topic, they identified 18 clinical trials with a combined total of 832 patients receiving antipsychotic treatment for schizophrenia.

B-vitamin interventions which used higher dosages or combined several vitamins were consistently effective for reducing psychiatric symptoms, whereas those which used lower doses were ineffective.

Also, the available evidence also suggests that B-vitamin supplements may be most beneficial when implemented early on, as b-vitamins were most likely to reduce symptoms when used in studies of patients with shorter illness durations.

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I personally supposedly have lower levels of B6,higher levels of B12,folate- You have an inefficient folate metabolism and likely high homocysteine levels.

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We should do a blood test. Perhaps we are lacking in some vitamins or minerals.
Anyway thank you for the topic firemonkey its very interesting and relevant.

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What are the recommended doses of B12 to make a difference? I have been taking B12 for about a year at 250ug a day? Is that enough?

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I take a low dose of b-vitamins. A higher dose interacts with abilify to give me chest tightness. The lower dose curbs abilify induced increased appetite.

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I always take very high strength of b12. It’s hard to tell if it does anything because of the antipsychotics I also take.

Chicken, lamb and beef liver are a very good source of B vitamins.

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I menthol folate b vitamin 12 special report from psychic to solve equation of how to last longer with partner. Synaps says that oxygen atoms biters fuse
Together In solvent gel to prevent the overfly aging if Johannesburg

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I have been taking vitamin B , things have been fine

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Do you feel that the B vitamins are good for you?
Did things change for the better when you started taking them?
There are people here(including me) who are desperate for an improvement in functioning.
(To raghu)

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Actually in my genetic testing results it says I probably have abnormally high levels of vitamin B12 in particular. Was due to some sort of genetic mutation.

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The b vitamin you want is called deplin. It’s a prescription superfood.
It helps with mood is all I know I don’t know if it helped me with psychotic symptoms because I’m not always psychotic.

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taking vitamins have no harm on your body. i take antipsychotic (abilify) which is recomended to me by the doctor.along with that i take multivitamin and fish oil.things have been good in the sence as there has been no relapse since then.also i do exercise . you do all these things things will be fine :slight_smile: also i do not smoke and i am a teetotaler .this will also help

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Thank you for the kind response, raghu.

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Erez. How are you going to get cured if you’re running around shirtless?

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Which B Vitamin interacts with Abilify? Is this a known interaction or one that you have discovered yourself? Did you discuss with your doctor?

Was it B6, B12 or another B vitamin?

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I just took a bcomplex, so I don’t know if it’s just one b vitamin or the combination. But my experience is that a high dose of a bcomplex does indeed interact with abilify.

It’s something I discovered myself.

Also, I have to take my "low powered " bcomplex about 6 hours after taking abilify otherwise I get a little chest tightness too if I take them at the same time.

When I took abilify at night and my "high powered " bcomplex the following day I didn’t have any issues .

So it’s related to the strength of the bcomplex and how long after taking abilify you take it.

Edit : the only thing I discussed with my doctor was that it curbed abilify induced hunger pangs.

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Can you share the amounts in the “high powered B Complex” vitamin you took and also the amounts of Vitamins in the low strength B vitamins you take?

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The low powered bcomplex only has 100% of the RDA (recommended daily allowance) of b vitamins.

http://eu.iherb.com/pr/rexall-sundown-naturals-b-complex-100-tablets/32621

The higher powered one has between 1,000 and 6,000 of the RDA of vitamins

http://eu.iherb.com/pr/solgar-b-complex-100-100-veggie-caps/19437

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Thanks! interesting for all of us, I’m sure.

Has anyone else had any issues with B vitamins and their medications?

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When I’m doing what I should be doing, I take: B complex, Green tea extract, Fish oil, and probiotics. (Acidophilus)
When I was taking all of these regularly and exercising regularly I was stronger and felt more balanced.

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