Anyone try SAM-E for winter blues? (seizure, memory, weather, take)
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Thanks for the suggestions. We are going to look into all of the light bulbs out there. Even though its better here in NC, we do have a winter with shorter days, and you do feel the change. My wife is just starting to feel some effects of SAD, but she knows its so much shorter and gentler here than in New England. We are taking a drive south to FL very soon for some much needed beach time!
I find that the D3 as mentioned and B12 help me. I like the liquid type as it seems to metabolize better. A North Carolina professor who did a study on Seasonal Affective Disorder told me that moving to NC would not be south enough because my SAD is severe.
Going to Florida will definitely help with her SAD, it does help me. We live in Southwest Florida and I am so grateful everyday that I live here. Believe it or not I still have to be sure to go out for enough sunshine everyday because if I am indoors too much I feel the nasty symptoms again.
Amazingly I don't have SAD, but I've read a few things. One is that Sam-e doesn't help everyone but for those it does help, it's great. 5-htp may be more reliable and much cheaper. Another is that she should do her light therapy as early in the day as possible and taper off thru the day so that she can sleep at night--something about the melatonin and sleep cycle. She should be sleeping in complete darkness so that melatonin will be produced and then when she gets up in the morning the lights should go on and be bright so that melatonin will be suppressed.
I started out using my light box for about 15 minutes and worked my way up to 1 hour per day, first thing in the morning. I heard some even recommend 2 hours per day. You can put your light by your computer too. I wish I would have known about the medically approved light therapy product before I moved.
I took 5HTP combination of other natural ingredients too for a short time. I took the dose a friend at the vitamin store recommended, I believe it was 100 mg, wow, way too much for me. I became jittery and very nervous. If you do try it, start out really small to see how you react.
I would recommend an integrative Medical doctor if you can find one. Mine was awesome in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. PM if you would like her name.
I think trying out a gluten free diet is a good idea for various issue. It helped me lose 20 pounds to boot. Gluten Free breads have come along way. We are getting a Trader Joes here in southwest Florida in the near future. I love Trader Joes.
I have gone gluten free myself and find I feel much better, not so foggy headed as I used to feel at times. Walmart actually has some great gluten free pasta. You can hardly tell the difference. We have started to give our kids a lot less gluten, without telling them.
Yes. Food allergies and sensitivities can contribute to the winter blues, so sometimes it is not so much adding something (SamE) to the diet, as much as eliminating some things. Wheat(gluton), dairy, and peanuts are the most common food sensitivities, but people can be allergic to almost anything.
About 60% of adult humans have a probem with dairy. Some just cannot digest nutrients out of it and have no realization that they are having a problem, but others can have all sorts of symptoms, blues being one of them.
I tried SAM E once back in the 90s (pretty sure). Don't think I had taken it for more than a few days when I had a couple episodes of white hot anger. Just sort of a zoom from an inrritating comment/something happened to oh I'm so mad - my inner voice was immediately clammering this isn't right!.
Have no idea if it actually was the SAM E but I immediately quit taking it.
I tried SAM E once back in the 90s (pretty sure). Don't think I had taken it for more than a few days when I had a couple episodes of white hot anger. Just sort of a zoom from an inrritating comment/something happened to oh I'm so mad - my inner voice was immediately clammering this isn't right!.
Have no idea if it actually was the SAM E but I immediately quit taking it.
Funny - I think some people can have that bad reaction from Prozac and similar drugs.
If this is your experience, then it's not for you. My husband and I first took 200mg daily of SamE. We definitely argued more when we stopped it. Then we took 400mg daily. We are happy with that. Maybe it should be increased gradually. It without a doubt is helpful to us.
By the way, thanks pinda! I made sure to let my wife read your post!
Just got back from Florida and damn, that sun was nice! I know eventually we will slide further down south because we both just feel so good under those blue skies.
What is it that makes some people immune to gloomy weather?? I know in the Northeast, a lot of people were just sucking it up.
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