SADD that time of the year

[Velobambina]

I suffer from SADD, too. This year, I bought a "happy light" that I use every morning at work. It seems to be helping. You can find them at www.verilux.com (I think that's the manufacturer). I bought mine from Giaim but later found out that verilux sells them directly.

I also started taking 1000 iu/day of vitamin D.

Only 12 more days until we start adding minutes of sunlight to the day.

[eclectic]

I don't suffer from SAD per se but I HATE getting up in the dark every morning so I purchased a "dawn simulator"

http://www.fullspectrumsolutions.com...tor_17_ctg.htm

(scroll down to see it)

I LOVE it ! ! ! ! It is a much more gentle way to wake up and I wake up ready to go instead of groggy.

I also try to swim 3 or 4 days per week in the AM - for some reason the bright lights and water of the pool work as therapy for me (I hardly ever swim in the summer.) It makes going out in -20 F weather much more bearable.
I swim in the pool where I work so it isn't too much of a stretch.

[Tokie]

I tried the full spectrum light - it gave me freckling and my opthamologist was not happy that I was using it - he could not endorse that it was not harmful to my eyes -- something to consider!!!! I tried Wellbutrin for 2 winters, if it helped it seemed like the placebo effect (not much help) this summer my MD put me on Vitamin D (Ergoclaciferol 50,000 units one capsule per week). He put me on it after testing my blood vitamin D level which was low normal. I am on it for my osteoporosis, but doc says this type of vitamin D therapy is now linked to prevention of colon cancer and other chronic illnesses. All I can say is that my SAD has never been better! It is fabulous. My doctor was puzzled, but I am a believer! Tokie

[michelem]

Hi Tokie,

Thanks for that information. I checked with my opthamologist, as well as my dermatologist, and both agreed that the type of light I purchased will not harm my eyes or skin. Whew!

As for the vitamin d, I was tested with a severe deficiency myself. My last test showed I am nearing normal. I believe it is improving my mood as well.

[salsabike]

The vitamin D thing seems to be the new piece of knowledge of the day for me. I got an email from a close friend about it two days ago--same thing, severe deficiency, prescribed the once-a-week megadose. Saw my rheumatologist today and she raised it and we had blood drawn to test it. There's a great Johns Hopkins article about its role in arthritis and pain. I had no idea till I got that email two days ago.

http://www.hopkins-arthritis.org/art...arthritis.html

And, PS, I got an alarm clock for my other close friend back east that does the dawn simulator thing and she says it's a huge help. She's an ICU nurse that does 12 hour shifts, and has to get up at 5:30 am--hard in those NY winters.