My SAD article (SAD and M.E.) (23 Apr 02) 2messages

My SAD article

posted by Clare on 2002-04-19 20:44:27


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This is an article i have just written for an ME web site, thought you all might like a look, and tell me what you think.

SAD and ME

My Doctor has just diagnosed me with CFS/ M.E. and SAD, however I believe I have had these two conditions for most of my life. Both of these are highly misunderstood illnesses, and it's taken four very frustrating years to receive a diagnosis.


I first became ill in November of 1998, a few months after having my second child. I'd been very tired and weak since the birth, but just put it down to being a new mum again. It started with a 'flu like' feeling and I just packed myself off to bed for a few days. After a week I called the Doctor, he gave me antibiotics. They didn't help. I called the Doctor again to be told I had a virus, and to rest, (hard with 2 children to look after!)

The weeks passed and I was still ill. I had a fever, swollen neck glands, sore throat, and feeling very weak and sick. I was so fed up by now, and thinking the problem was my tonsils and the root cause of my illness, I saw a private ENT Doctor. He said I needed a tonsillectomy, and booked it for a few weeks later.

The tonsillectomy is a whole story in itself, but basically the tonsillectomy was done, and I had a really bad reaction to the anaesthetic, and took a long time to recover from the operation (I later found out that I probably didn't need to have the opp after all!). When I did recover it was about May time, and I thought my problems were over, and to celebrate I went on holiday with my hubby Paul, and 2 children.


I was then fine for about 5 months, and then in December of 1999 the same symptoms started again, sore throat, nausea, aches and pains. Again, I was told I had a virus. After a few weeks I saw a new GP, by this time I was very weepy, and getting depressed. I thought I had a terminal illness, and was going to die. My oldest child also picked up on this and was very distressed and crying a lot at school, which obviously upset the whole family. The GP said he didn't know what was wrong with me, but to help the depression he prescribed 20mg of Prozac a day, and sleeping pills. We just struggled on.


By February 2000 I was up and about, but still very weak. Again come spring I put it all behind me and got on with my life. My two children, Ashley then 6, and Freya then 2, took up all my time and energy. Plus Freya had just been diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis, (a neurological condition causing paralysis). My problems took a back seat for a while.

All summer I was fine, I would sneak in a quick nap most afternoons, and go to bed early, but I could look after the children, and that’s all that mattered to me at the time.

Winter drew in, and the same symptoms started again, but slightly less severe. I was still taking the Prozac, and managed to enjoy my fist well Christmas since having my daughter.
My mum and step-dad had booked a short holiday in Cumbria for us all; it was a treat for my birthday. As we were packing for the holiday I started coughing, and when we came back a few days later I had a pain in my chest that I knew was serious - I had pleurisy. I would joke with Paul, my hubby, that pleurisy wasn't half as bad as the mystery virus I had the 2 years pervious. And yes, you guessed it!, come spring I was fine again.


I sailed through summer 2001. I loved the warm days and long nights. We would have parties and BBQ's almost every weekend and I tried to block the illness out of my mind, and enjoy my life.

But, as the clocks went back, the nights drew in and I felt the dread of winter creeping up on me. My energy ebbed away with each passing day. The 'mystery virus' started again. This was my forth winter of the same symptoms, and by this time I had lost all hope in the doctor helping me. I turned to the Internet for help as a last resort. A few hours of searching and chatting with other people I came across the illnesses SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder and M.E.



SAD is a disorder in which sufferers show seasonal changes in mood and/ or behaviour. SAD was only clinically described recently, so doctors still know very little about it. SAD usually starts between the age of 20 and 40, and women are slightly more vulnerable. However, men, children and elderly people suffer too. I know no one likes cold, grey winter days, but about 5% of the population get the living nightmare of full-blown SAD. SAD is not a mental illness but depression is a major symptom of SAD. The exact causes of SAD are still unclear but SAD sufferers seem to have something wrong with their internal body clock. SAD sufferers may become hypomanic in Spring or after periods of very sunny weather.

Symptom are very varied, sufferers may experience some or all of the following:


MIND:

Depression - irritability, guilt, loss of self-esteem, despair, weeping, poor concentration, loss of confidence, anxiety, inability to tolerate stress and avoidance of human contact, loss of memory.


BODY:

Sleep problems - sleeping all the time, or insomnia including erratic sleep patterns leading to continual fatigue, headaches, muscle and joint aches and pains, eating disorders, lower resistance to illness, lethargy and low body temperature.


SAD symptoms disappear in spring, either suddenly, within a few weeks (of which I experience) or gradually.


I also had loads of the symptoms of M.E; sore throat, swollen glands, muscle and joint pain, headaches, fever and / or chills and the ‘brain fog’ that I found out most M.E. suffers get.

I got in touch with my local M.E. group, and they gave me the confidence to challenge my GP, and ask for a firm diagnosis, and a referral to an M.E. specialist. Armed with my new knowledge I put the information to my GP, who then reluctantly admitted that 'yes I did have severe SAD and CFS'. He said he didn't like the term M.E. and didn't like to diagnose CFS because when most people hear they have M.E/ CFS they just give up. Well, not me! He said the only way I would feel any better was to move to southern Spain, which of course I couldn't do, so he suggested I try a small dose of Prozac, which can help SAD in the winter months. I had also heard about a light therapy on the Internet, but he was doubtful that this would help. He then said he would refer me to an M.E. consultant in Leeds, and that was all he could do.

I agreed to the Prozac, just in the wintertime, and got myself a light box - a treatment that seems to help over 75% of SAD sufferers. Light treatment involves exposure to a very bright, full spectrum light up to 10,000 lux. Treatment involves sitting exposed to the light for circa 1 hour per day. The light is the size of an average T.V. and quite expensive at circa £200.00 but I felt that I just had to try something. The light should really be used at the onset of symptoms in early Autumn. I bought mine in December when I was already in a bad relapse, so I don't really know if I felt any benefit from it but I will definitely try it again next Winter



It is now March 2002 and I am back to my old self again (moaning, groaning and shouting at the kids) and Paul wishes I were back in bed again!!!! But seriously, I now know that I cannot be 'Super-mum' and I rest more - without feeling guilty!! I pace myself and try to overlook the toys and mess the children leave on the floor. I know that next Winter I will probably be ill again to some degree but I am now prepared and armed to fight it.

I have given up hope of the Doctor's helping me or finding a miracle cure so I have turned to alternative medicine; namely, acupuncture. I have had a consultation with the acupuncturist and will undergo treatment within the next few weeks and will, therefore, keep you up to date on the outcome.

At the moment I just want to forget all about M.E. and SAD and enjoy my life whilst I am able.



There is not enough space to bore you with all the emotions, ups and downs, and, sometimes, desperation that I have felt during the last few years. Some people have asked how I coped and the only reason is because of my wonderful family.

I would highly recommend that you visit the site of the SADAssociation, where you will be able to obtain further information on this underrated condition. You can link there from the Recommended Websites page.


I hope that this information has been useful to some of you and would love to hear your comments.

Should anybody out there have similar experiences of SAD and M.E, or would like further information on how SAD affects my M.E, then please do not hesitate to contact me, Clare Lloyd, at drabs@btinternet.com .















Paula

Topic: Re: My SAD article

posted by Paula on 2002-04-23 02:48:14


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Hello Clare,

Great article, there are some bits that I felt you could be writing about me.

I sounds like you are managing to strike a balance in your life with your illness(es). Very inspiring, well done.

Best wishes to you.
Paula :-)

It is also symptomatic of Hypothyroidism and with SAD it is related to brain hormones melatonin and so when light comes on it switches on the brain hormone and stimulates the pineal gland. I take Armouirthyroid by Forest from internationalpharmacy.com and now take magnascent iodine magnascent.com and transdermal magnesium therapy as i had a special blood test done via a private doctor at Bolton called the Energy Conversion test it tests for magnesium intracelllularly, most people are deficient in this macro mineral-colloidal minerals great too.