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Old 11-27-2011, 04:38 PM
 
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Just wondering, as someone with hypothyroid, just a little bit on the heavy side and having many years of definite SAD symptoms, I was suprised to be diagnosed with Celiac d/o. My doc was also said how unexpected this was. One in 133 people have is and the large majority don't know it. One big clue is low thyroid, because the autoimmune or inflammatory nature of active Celiacs often attacks the thyroid. Another clue is low energy and depression, at least in part, because having Celiacs doesn't permit all the nutrition (such as vitamin D & definitely feel good vitamins b12 & folic acid) get out into your bloodstream. It is good to have this checked, if you haven't. You would have to have some digestive issues. Some gastric or abdominal troubles and either be off and on loose or blocked up. If this sounds at all like you and if you aren't eating gluten-free and do have some wheat, rye & barley molecules dancing around in your bloodstream, a simple tTG bloodtest will tell you if your body is on the rampage against gluten and making you feel low. It may not apply at all to you, but possibly to someone who is feeling low and has some of these other symptoms. Good luck staying in the "half-full" cup of life. JS
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Old 11-30-2011, 11:33 AM
 
Location: CT
323 posts, read 632,074 times
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Jill,

Actually my wife went gluten-free 3 months ago and feels great. We live in NC now, so I'm sure this is helping! But, she used to get a feverish/hot sensation after gluten-heavy meals. Now, even her thyroid does not swell up as much. We have read a lot about gluten and autoimmune diseases, so she stays away from it, as does her mother, who was diagnosed with Lupus last year. Her mothers symptoms have been under control with her gluten-free diet.

Good luck.
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Old 12-03-2011, 08:42 AM
 
Location: Elsewhere
88,042 posts, read 83,879,518 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hat456 View Post
Jill,

Actually my wife went gluten-free 3 months ago and feels great. We live in NC now, so I'm sure this is helping! But, she used to get a feverish/hot sensation after gluten-heavy meals. Now, even her thyroid does not swell up as much. We have read a lot about gluten and autoimmune diseases, so she stays away from it, as does her mother, who was diagnosed with Lupus last year. Her mothers symptoms have been under control with her gluten-free diet.

Good luck.
hat,

My daughter is gluten-intolerant. Because of her, I've learned to eat a lot of gluten-free meals, and I definitely feel a difference in energy, plus I am losing weight without going on any strict diet. There is something to that. I think that the American diet is very wheat-centered--lots of bread products, and wheat is used as a filler in so many things. We may just eat way too much of it and our auto-immune systems react.

Re the winter blues, I read something in Prevention magazine a few years ago that made a lot of sense. It said that in days of less sunlight we can go into what they called a body depression, which may or may not include mental depression. They suggested that along with a healthy diet and regular exercise, people go outside for a period of time every day during the daylight hours, even if it's cold. Just dress appropriately for the weather and get out into the light for at least fifteen minutes every day. It does seem to help.
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Old 12-03-2011, 12:02 PM
 
Location: Earth Wanderer, longing for the stars.
12,406 posts, read 18,905,983 times
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Originally Posted by hat456 View Post
My wife had her D levels checked, and they seem to be within normal range. I'm going to tell her to look into the light box again. Someone had told her you need to sit in front of it for long periods of time, and with our baby walking around, she didn't think it was doable. I think a bit of a tanning salon might do her good, without overdoing it. She does exercise, takes omega 3's....trying everything but the funk still sets in.
What's this? She cannot do light therapy because she has a young child, yet she can find the time to go to a tanning salon?

Frankly, I would not go to a tanning salon for two reasons. The first, as people age, if they have spent lots of time in the sun (or tanning salons) their skin creases like leather. It's thick and chunky looking, not something women who are concerned with their appearances would want. Second, why would a person flirt with an increased risk of cancer? Sounds really strange to me.
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Old 12-03-2011, 12:29 PM
 
Location: Wherever I want to be... ;)
2,536 posts, read 9,902,801 times
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I've used SAM-E in the past with great success (for general depression, not SAD). It took quite some time for it to "kick in" for me though. Ended up phasing myself off it with no adverse effects as well.
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Old 12-03-2011, 01:11 PM
 
Location: Elsewhere
88,042 posts, read 83,879,518 times
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Originally Posted by goldengrain View Post
What's this? She cannot do light therapy because she has a young child, yet she can find the time to go to a tanning salon?

Frankly, I would not go to a tanning salon for two reasons. The first, as people age, if they have spent lots of time in the sun (or tanning salons) their skin creases like leather. It's thick and chunky looking, not something women who are concerned with their appearances would want. Second, why would a person flirt with an increased risk of cancer? Sounds really strange to me.
Going to a tanning salon, you're in and out in 20 minutes. The light therapy takes three or four hours, I believe.

But I'm with you on the tanning salon idea anyway. I went three times with a friend who went all the time in preparation for a trip to Puerto Rico. It was creepy and unnatural. I won't ever go again.

And my friend is four years younger than I and now looks ten years older.
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Old 12-03-2011, 02:56 PM
 
Location: CT
323 posts, read 632,074 times
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To sit in front of a box for hours at a time is not the best use of time. Better to go outside.

I agree the tanning salon is not the ultimate solution, but every once in a while it does the trick. As I posted earlier, we moved south and this has been a huge help.

Also, I read recently that scientists are experimenting with a light that goes inside your ear so the brain is exposed to light. They say the brain absorbs that light more readily than the eyes, and they got very good results from this therapy versus the light box. It looks light an "Itty Bitty Book Light".
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Old 12-04-2011, 05:34 PM
 
Location: Earth Wanderer, longing for the stars.
12,406 posts, read 18,905,983 times
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Originally Posted by hat456 View Post
My wife suffers from SAD (blues in winter), and started using the supplement SAM-E. After the first two weeks, she thought she felt better but now says she is not sure its doing anything. She doesn't feel better until the warm weather kicks in and everything is green. We are working on moving (for other reasons as well), but it might take awhile. Anyone have any luck with this or any other supplement? Thanks.
Ok. I did not realize that light therapy took so long.
What you do need is full spectrum (mimics the full spectrum of natural sunlight) light.
Fluorescent lighting is a fuller spectrum than incandescent.
There are 'grow lights'. They are even a fuller spectrum than fluorescent. There may be some that are a broader spectrum than others.
I would, perhaps, go to a good gardening center and ask them about lighting that best mimics sunlight.
Maybe, if she spends a lot of time in one area or two, she can place those lights in that area and try spending just an hour a day with the seasonal affective disorder light box?
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Old 12-04-2011, 05:37 PM
 
Location: Earth Wanderer, longing for the stars.
12,406 posts, read 18,905,983 times
Reputation: 8910
Quote:
Originally Posted by hat456 View Post
To sit in front of a box for hours at a time is not the best use of time. Better to go outside.

I agree the tanning salon is not the ultimate solution, but every once in a while it does the trick. As I posted earlier, we moved south and this has been a huge help.

Also, I read recently that scientists are experimenting with a light that goes inside your ear so the brain is exposed to light. They say the brain absorbs that light more readily than the eyes, and they got very good results from this therapy versus the light box. It looks light an "Itty Bitty Book Light".
I thought this light was most affective when exposed to the eyes once. I wonder if this is not true.

Have you tried to find a doctor/researcher to discuss this with? Maybe she can be part of a study?
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Old 12-04-2011, 05:43 PM
 
Location: Southern Illinois
10,364 posts, read 20,721,344 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by goldengrain View Post
Ok. I did not realize that light therapy took so long.
What you do need is full spectrum (mimics the full spectrum of natural sunlight) light.
Fluorescent lighting is a fuller spectrum than incandescent.
There are 'grow lights'. They are even a fuller spectrum than fluorescent. There may be some that are a broader spectrum than others.
I would, perhaps, go to a good gardening center and ask them about lighting that best mimics sunlight.
Maybe, if she spends a lot of time in one area or two, she can place those lights in that area and try spending just an hour a day with the seasonal affective disorder light box?
I've heard that the best way to mimic natural light with F bulbs is to get one pink spectrum one and one blue one and the mix of the two will do the trick. I don't know though if these are enough to help SAD. Still, I think your idea is a good one--just put the light in the area you spend the most time in anyway--makes sense.
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