Yep tried all kinds of home remedies, the efficacy of which ranged from in the best case scenario totally worthless to downright dangerous to my mental and physical health.
Tried CBD oil, helped with anxiety, didn't help mood swings one bit. Tried cardio exercise, helped relieve depression for a few hours but didn't help in the long run (although exercise is an excellent adjunctive for mental health). Tried St. johns wort, which made me manic and nearly drove me off the deep end. And I'm not proud to say I did go through a period of self-medicating with cannabis, which totally destabilised my mental health.
If you are struggling with any type of mental illness, my advice is simple and to the point, go and see a psychiatrist, get professional help, that is the only way. If you are unhappy with the medication they are prescribing you, do your research and consult with your doctor about finding the drug that is right for you. Yes, Quitiapine, whilst effective for bipolar, can cause heavy sedation and it is the reason why I refused to take it when my doctor offered it to me. After listening to my concerns about possible weight gain, sedation and side effects, we decided to settle on Aripiprazole (Abilify), which unlike most antipsychotics, causes no sedation past the first 2 weeks, and has very mild side effects and is very effective for Bipolar mania prevention. I also take lamotrigine (Lamictal) which is great and very effective for bipolar depression, and almost without any side effects whatsoever.
I would highly recommend both drugs, but everybody's system is different so really you have to consult your doctor and find the right drug for you. I would suggest for now stay away from self-cures and try a different drug. Don't resort to trying to fix your mental health problems 'your way', there is a reason why psychiatrists spend 5-7 years in medical school, because medicine isn't easy. You wouldn't try and fix your own car if you weren't a mechanic, so why would you try and treat your mental health if you are not a doctor?
Hope this helps.
-H