Abilify, the trade name for aripiprazole, is a newer-generation antipsychotic agent (also called atypical antipsychotic) that is used to treat schizophrenia, mania and bipolar conditions and--at times--major depressive disorder. Abilify may be...
Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble B-complex vitamin that is mainly found in animal products such as meat, poultry, eggs, shellfish, milk and dairy products. Vitamin B12 is important for metabolism, production of red blood cells, DNA synthesis and...
The National Institute of Mental Health reports that 26.2 percent of adults suffer from a mental illness each year. Mental illness is a broad term that encompasses neuroses such as anxiety, psychoses such as schizophrenia, and personality...
An ergogenic aid is a substance that helps the body perform better. Food and stress-reduction techniques are considered to be ergogenic aids, as are certain chemicals such as caffeine. Substances marketed as athletic-performance enhancers are...
Bipolar disorder often exists on a continuum of mood disturbance. In some types of bipolar disorder, psychotic features are prominent during a mood episode. One form of psychosis is paranoia, in which people think they are being watched, targeted...
Alopecia, or hair loss, is common among both men and women and typically affects the sufferers' social and emotional, rather than physical, well-being. While there are a number of reasons for hair loss, the pattern of the missing hair follicles,...
Vitamin B12 is an essential water-soluble vitamin that is found in fish, meat and dairy products. Although water soluble, the body can store several years' worth of the vitamin, so nutritional deficiencies are rate. However, according to the...
Doctors prescribe the generically named risperidone in the treatment of several types of psychoses. The medication can help people suffering from bipolar disorder as well as schizophrenia and mania. MayoClinic.com states the medication also may...
Vitamin B12 is an essential, water-soluble vitamin that is frequently combined with other B vitamins to form a vitamin B complex. Commonly found in fish, meat and dairy products, vitamin B12 is bound to the protein in food. When released by...
Nitrazepam is a prescription medication indicated for the treatment of insomnia, which is the inability to fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night. Nitrazepam in small to moderate doses acts as a hypnotic and sedative drug, while at...
If you're pregnant or have recently given birth, you have a hormone circulating in your bloodstream called prolactin. It's important for two major functions, but your prolactin level can be decreased by a small but powerful molecule.
Folate and B12 are both water-soluble B vitamins that are essential to our daily function. These vitamins provide a protective service to our bodies. They break down the amino acid homocysteine, which is toxic to our nerve cells, as stated in Help...
Ephedra is the common name of the shrub ephedra sinica, and it contains the compounds ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. The Chinese refer to the plant as ma huang and have long used it for the short-term treatment of upper respiratory problems such...
Ephedra sinica is a shrub that grows in the deserts of Asia, Europe and Africa. The Chinese have long used the woody stems of ephedra sinica for medicinal uses, such as the treatment of upper respiratory problems. Herbal ephedra diet pills contain...
Marijuana, commonly known as weed, pot, grass, Mary Jane and reefer, is a commonly smoked drug that is derived from the Cannabis sativa plant. THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, has been found to pose risks to your health and smoking...
Mental illnesses often strike without warning, altering the lives of victims in ways they could not have imagined. Effective treatments are available and commonly include psychotherapy, behavioral therapy, medication and group therapy. The...
Vitamin B-12 is essential for keeping your nervous system and nerve cells healthy. If you become deficient in this vitamin, you can experience many adverse effects, including tremors, numbness or muscle weakness. Certain people are at greater risk...
A rapid heartbeat is known as tachycardia, or a resting heart rate of 60 to 100 beats per minute. This can have many causes, but a vitamin B-12 deficiency is not typically one of them. However, being deficient in B-12 carries its own risks, and...
The vitamin B-12 and vegans myth can be an emotional issue. Many people make the decision to become vegan for personal and ethical reasons, and this may be largely emotional in nature. In turn, omnivores may become defensive about their dietary...
Vitamin B-12 is an essential B family vitamin that is important in neuromotor function as well as red blood cell production and the synthesis of DNA. Most people are able to obtain sufficient amounts of vitamin B-12 from dietary sources but...
Ephedra (ma huang), caffeine, guarana and other stimulants may help lessen those hunger pangs, but they may also raise your heart rate and blood pressure, cause insomnia, headaches and dizziness, especially when taken in large amounts. Some...
Corticosteroids are a group of drugs that simulate the action of the naturally occurring hormone cortisol. These drugs, including prednisone, methylprednisolone and hydrocortisone, are used to treat a variety of disorders, such as rheumatoid...
In many respects, a vegan diet is more of a lifestyle than a diet. Making a decision to become a vegan involves personal, environmental and ethical considerations because when one becomes a vegan, she eliminates all animal products from her life....
The teenage years are a time of turbulent change in a person's life. Between the ages of 13 and 19, young people undergo many physical, emotional, psychological and social transformations. As teens struggle to establish identities independent from...
Yohimbe is the common name of Pausinystalia yohimbe, an evergreen tree that is found in the West African countries of Zaire, Cameroon and Gabon. It is the bark of the yohimbe tree that is used to make medicine because it contains a chemical called...
Vitamin B-12 is considered safe and nontoxic and does not typically cause adverse symptoms like anxiety; however, unless you are at risk for being deficient in this vitamin or have pernicious anemia, you do not need to get B-12 shots and can meet...
Bipolar disorder is a psychiatric condition, sometimes called "manic depression" that affects approximately 5.7 million Americans, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Bipolar disorder generally appears during the late...
Like all chemicals, potassium bromide can be irritating to various parts of your body if you are exposed to it repeatedly, or for prolonged periods of time. It can be toxic when ingested or inhaled. However, potassium bromide can also be...
Mental health problems in teens can be all over the map, from depression and excessive anxiety to eating disorders and psychoses. If you notice disturbing symptoms, make an appointment with your child's doctor to explore possible physical causes....
