Q. I am interested in herbal remedies for bipolar disease. There are no herbal remedies that have had even rudimentary testing in bipolar disorder, and no evidence that they can replace any of the mood stabilizers. Even for major depression, the evidence for St. John's Wort is meager. The first systematic, well-designed study of St. John's Wort, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, is underway, but does not include persons with bipolar disorder.
Some herbal remedies contain stimulant agents, such as ephedra.
These can destabilize bipolar disorder and should be avoided.