Winter is SAD time
 

Insomnia, depression, lethargy, aches, pains and general malaise. I'd take the #$%~ pills, but they make me feel worse.

Sunshine, sunshine, where art thou sunshine?

More to the point, does anyone have any tips for coping with SAD - in the middle of nowhere Illinois, with a complete inability to tolerate cold?

I also live in Nowhere, IL. Maybe we're neighbors. :D

I use a lightbox for 15 minutes in the a.m., exercise regularly, and take vitamin D, krill oil, and magnesium, all of which I believe are helpful for combatting depression, combined with LC, of course. This is the first year I haven't been devestated by SAD, so far (knock on wood).

I believe my brother didn't get a handle on his SAD until he started low carbing and taking vitamin D.

Now I've started supplementing with 6k units a day, and feel so much better! While I never had the level of difficulties he did, I realize now I had tendencies, too.

Get the facts at The Vitamin D council

I can see an increase in symptoms when I don't supplement and stay on plan strictly, but on the flip side I don't see any relief from them when doing everything "right." I was taking b-complex for a little while, but it seemed to wreak havoc on my tummy. The only other thing I can think of is iron deficiency, but supplementing doesn't seem to help at all.

Exercise helps when I can do it outdoors. When it's indoors, I'm just tired AND sad. Guess it's time to pack the bags and move south of the Mason-Dixon...

I started eating raw liver in addition to supplementing with D and B12. I think it made a big difference in how I could absorb those two things (I was low in both). You freeze good quality liver, slice off a teaspoon amount once a day and take it like a pill, chased with water. I had a really rough last winter due to a lot of factors but especially D deficiency. This year has had its moments, but it's much, much better.

Tanning booths are controversial, but I know some people who SWEAR by them for avoiding SAD. A friend uses a booth once a week, for only 5 minutes at a time, and says it has reversed her symptoms. She also says it is the only time she feels completely warm! (We're in Saskatchewan....freaky cold today!) I sincerely wish you well, I hope you find a method that works for you.

There was an Olympics controversy awhile ago that my husband always talks about where some athletes were using tanning beds and it was considered someting akin to doping because it helped their performance so much. I would do it.

I've noticed a great improvement since I started taking 50,00 IUs of vitamin D once a week.

I'm still struggling with this, mainly what to attribute to SAD, what to be worried about and how much grieving, constant sleep deprivation and a possible adrenal overload contributed. I'm going in for a full check-up in February, but until then, I'm a little mystified. There's very little "official" documentation online about what physical symptoms SAD causes, and I'm finding a whole lot of overlap between SAD, CFS and clinical depression.

Being outside more did help, until the weather turned sour again and the sun went away. I may look into some kind of light therapy, but tanning booths aren't an option - they make me highly claustrophobic.

I'm there with you. :)

No solutions, unfortunately, but lots of support. :)

Have you checked out this thread http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=401590 ? This is a thread where several of us SAD sufferers discuss how we are coping and what we do/use to combat it.

I also swear by them as they have certainly helped me int he past.

Take 6,000 IU of Vitamin D3 daily. Faithfully. Every day. Don't forget. Okay? :)

Are you taking a good multi? Add a caclium supplement, extra magnesium (even if the calcium supplement has magnesium, take a magnesium tablet -- do your calcium and magnesium at bedtime), in addition, take extra vitamin B's -- take a B complex in addition to whatever is in your multi, and Norwegian Cod Liver Oil capsules. Every day.

My SAD seems to be improving with some changes (exercise, tolerating the cold to go outside and totally cleaning up my diet). I haven't had the $$$ to pick up any supplements yet, but have been popping a prenatal vit whenever I think about it (rarely).

One big problem is I'm still having trouble removing my symptoms from each other. I've had terrible hypochondria lately (at the moment, I'm extremely concerned I have esophageal cancer although know the likelihood of that is about as great as a meteor hitting me when I walk out the front door). Is this a normal SAD symptom or is it something I should chaulk up to the lasting effects of spending too much time in the hospital while my grandmother died?