SAD Lamp bad with St.John's Wort????

Hi! am New here

Been battle feeling depressed and unmotivated every winter for years.

Finally thinking that a sad lamp may help was considering a Britebox as there on sale till end Jan (yes am leaving it a bit late!)

anyone got one or heard there good or bad?

Been On St.Johns Wort for 3 or 4 years about 400mgs
takeing to help with depression

Iam worried about some sites saying St>John's and sad boxes are not good togther:

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/special_reports/depression/stjwort.htm

Researchers have found that hypericin, the active ingredient in St John's wort, does react with sunlight. This is particularly significant for people who suffer from the 'winter blues' or seasonal affective disorder, who might be tempted to combine a course of St John's wort with light-box therapy - sitting for long periods bathed in bright light

http://depression.about.com/cs/altmedsjw/a/stjohnswort.htm2/22/01 - I have just learned of a study which indicates that St. John's Wort may predispose some individuals to developing cataracts. It appears that certain proteins in the eye are more easily damaged in those using St. John's Wort. Those who are using light therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder should not use St. John's Wort. Also, anyone who is frequently exposed to bright sunlight should wear a good pair of UV blocking sunglasses.

:shock:
This has got me worried about buying a sad lamp, is anyone on St.Johns wort and has a lamp?

I may find lamp does more for me than St.John's wort and come off it though been on a long time and feel like it does help me, I get low enough on it! what would I be like off it!

anyway your views would help
:D
Thanks

Jamski

Hi I used St John's Wort years ago and didn't find it helped much at all.

Bought a light box 4 years ago and it is my life line. Previous years I had to have weeks off work in Jan/Feb but since using the light box I can manage to get to work and have only had a couple of days here and there when I feel really bad.

I think it is worth giving it a go..... I am sure you won't be disappointed. You may find that you can come off the SJW and just use the lights.

I would also recommend the dawn simulator, it's amazing if you have problems getting up in the morning.

Keep smiling

Update

been using the lamp now for 4 or 5 days, has been nice sunny weather too.

I do feel like I've got a lot more energy, more alert and more motivated and getting on with things now.

also sleeping better and up early

This is all good :D

On the bad I still feel depressed and insecure reducing st.johns may not have help though I still felt like that when am on it.

Though I did feel like it helped in some way gone down to one 300 mg pill now

wonder if there's another herbal way dealing with depression which won't react to light ?

Does a sad lamp just help with energy and motivation or does it help with depression too?

any feed back I would be grateful for

maybe global warming aint too bad for us :P

Jamski

Hello,

from my own experience light helps with increasing motivation and does have an effect on mood but doesn't get rid of symptoms.

I have found the same as dz1 the light box helps with DSPS (which I get all year round) but not so much with the SAD. I have tried St Johns Wort this year but have only felt marginally better- not the whizzy cure I wanted it to be. Although the feelings dispair haven't kicked in until February which is alot later than usual.

I've also started taking Rhodiola Rosea beacuse I heard that was good. Apparently they give it to the cosmonauts - have to make sure you get the right strength tho else apparently its useless. Its been about a month now and I definately have more energy - just no motivation to do anything with it!!!!!! :roll:

yes i was wondering too

and google it:

check this....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_sleep_phase_syndrome

Hi all, hope it is ok to drag up an old thread! I have been taking sjw for a couple of years and have recently bought a light box.. I am concerned about the photosensitivity issue, and I am going to try 5htp instead of the wort...i hope it helps. Whenever I have come off the wort in the past i have tailed it down slowly. I am fair skinned and have blue eyes so think that i may be more prone to photosensitivity. What do others think?

SJW can make your eyes more sensitive to light, so be warned. The last thing you want to do is damage your eyes. To be honest I have part of my central vision now that is a little worse than it could have been. It might be due to the lamp, it might be wear and tear - Ill never know.

I took 5htp for a month to great effect, but doesnt suit everyone. Just careful with that too. Make sure you know what you are doing before taking it. It seemed to top up my serotonin levels and I felt great, then I felt a bit fuzzy headed (again cant be sure it was 5htp- just be aware). Am still hugely better now even though I dont take it so often. Sometimes you feel like you need to up the dose, when in actual fact it would have been best to reduce it - so be careful. My thinking is its best to keep at a lower dosage than A higher one.

Just talking from experience not medically.

Best thing for SAD (apart from the light box) is exercise, is works so very very very well, its just hard to see that when unmotivated.

Considering that our bodies are usually so expert at keeping surviving, why oh why, does it go into a spiralling downward circle when it comes to depression/SAD etc. We get so down and fed up we just dont have any motivation to do things about it (me included). The best thing to do is work hard at trying to stop this circle, dont accept it, get rid of it.

Ive had depression through SAD (not circumstance based) most years for 30+ years. It does work - honest. Itll be the hardest thing you have ever done, but you can do it.

For those of you who cant exercise, I understand and dont wish to upset you, but even if I can just get one person to do more exercise and they feel better-it'll be work it. Exercise can be as little as a stroll to what ever you want it to be. Just get your heart rate up alittle, and if you cant talk whilst exercising, youre working too hard. Its good to have a natter whilst walking.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do. You never know, perhaps a little of everything may work for you - just be aware of your body communicating to you.

Im starting to sound like a hippy now, Perhaps I was one in a former life!!!!!

Me x

Thanks for all the advice Me and Paulst. I bought a dawn simulator today and started 5htp. I so agree with you on the exercise point Me it is so important. The trouble is when you are feeling low you have no motivation to do exercise!! However today i have had a good day, done lots of walking in the sun and i feel so much better.

Thanks for the advice Me and paulst. If I start SJW before next winter, I'll speak to my doctor too and begin with caution. At the risk of going off-topic, I'd like to comment on exercise. I've been a very keen walker for years, and it's one thing that I've found very uplifting. The combination of fresh air, sunlight, exercise and great views (if you get out of town) can give you a real natural high. However, it's not a complete answer in my experience. It's just not as effective in the autumn and winter when the days are short, the sun's low in the sky or non-existent, things are dying and during spells of bad weather I'm less prepared to get out there! Even with lots of walking, I've still had my symptoms in Oct / Nov. I won't stop walking, but I can't praise the lamp highly enough.

hiya jamski,
I take st johns wort & find it helps better than antidepressants,I had heard it can cause problems with a lightbox too but I hav'nt had any problems at all ,I have a lumie desklamp which I use every morning & I hav'nt suffered any adverse effects at all with it,hope this helps x