Definitely agree with those articles
 

I have had Fibro for many, many years. It actually went into remission shortly after the surgery. I'm not sure why. But I was free of that miserable stuff until we got to Mayo. And I have had it ever since. The only thing I can think of for the return of the disease is the stress and lack of sleep. I have been told many many times by my old doctor that quality sleep is the only way you can get rid of or keep ahead of fibro pain and perhaps that pertains to all pain.

Billye

I am sooo near to ....
 

ordering one of your 'lights' I'm almost vibrating? Cautious me, tho, I'm gonna 'sleep on it' one more night. Then GO for IT!

Some stuff is touchy-feely or hocus-pocus, and it either works or not...For Some. Like meds, some things take a 'while' to work. I am soo glad you've stuck it out and am finding any sort of relief!

NO matter how strange, there are things out there that can help us...it's all a trial-and-error approach, but your documentation HERE is to me, AMAZING?

Those 'plateaus' tho, aren't they a bit well, frustrating? How do you assess/determine when you are at that 'point'?

Hugs good person! - j

don't feel bad ..j...
 

It took me weeks to take the plunge.

My biggest concern was tipping into mania...because light therapy can do that to people. But that takes time, so I felt I could catch myself before it was
"too late" :rolleyes:

My feelings are very much seasonal too. I can't really extrapolate to someone
who is really clinically depressed compared to SAD people.

In the end, the guarantee (30 day no questions asked) did it for me.

But just to reset sleeping patterns, so your body can take over and help with healing...that is something this light is good for. This was my biggest and very obvious problem!

To me it is a better solution than oral drugs.

I hit a sleep plateau after the first week or so. But the excess sleeping has really been improved now. I would guess that it takes time to biochemically
change things. Especially when systems are sluggish or not used to functioning. I also think B6 is very critical for it all to work, since B6 is required for serotonin manufacture.
Here is a LEF article:
http://www.lef.org/protocols/emotion...isorder_01.htm

I am not trying to "sell" the light therapy...but I think some people could
benefit. You sort of have to "feel" it is right for you.

I guess it is time for an update: <wink>
 

The light visor has been a wonderful success.

Now I am very stable day to day.. I have not increased the intensity of the light or duration. I am still at 8000 lux for 1/2 hr in the early morning.

I have skipped a few days, here and there but not many (maybe 5 altogether).

I am no longer sleeping excessively, and no longer taking long naps. Many days I have no nap at all now. My pain, esp head/neck is enormously better. And my stamina is improved. I don't feel "ill" or tired anymore. I am also not hyper either, which was a worry of mine. I am not consuming caffeine to stay awake anymore, and have dropped coffee altogether and just have tea once in the morning. I have one Green tea at work, with lunch.

I have changed my work schedule (with much difficulty) so that I do not
work past 8pm. This is helping too, I believe.

During the adjustment phase, there were subjective feelings..of being a bit hyper. But they have passed. Right now I am much calmer than I have felt in a long time. I am thinking now that I was depressed for a LONG time, and only felt somewhat normal in the summer. This problem seemed to increase with aging..this year being the bottom of the barrel, so to speak.

I am still taking my Formula 100 Bcomplex with other vits...4 times a week.
It seems to help level me out.

All in all, I'd rate this experiment with light therapy a resounding success!
I am now starting back into my art work...which I have not been able to do when tired. I now seem to be getting my creative self back! ;)

Thanks for the Update
 

I was wondering how this experiment of yours was doing! Glad to hear all is much better. I know all about the depression of winter/aging/not feeling well.

Spring had sprung here in Toledo, at least for a couple of days with highs in the upper 70's. Of course, it could not stay - today barely 50 and NO SUN.

Stay better, friend. :Good-Luck:

Wonderful news
 

Mrs D,
This is all such wonderful news. I was wondering also, how the experiment was going. Hated to bug you tho. :winky:

I'll be looking into one of these things in the future.

Billye

so i went to that site and the price is $199. is this how much u paid for it mrsD? I was wondering cuz it seems a bit expensive. another question is when did u use it? u said in the morning so im gonna assume thats when u used it since most people suggest using it when u first get up, to adjust ur sleep/wake cycle.

regarding your questions...
 

I did not think the price was too high. The Apollo lights which are less convenient are about the same. $199 is about 6 copays for me, if I were to have an antidepressant prescribed by a doctor. I wanted to avoid that at all costs, I don't think they would agree with me in general. That option is LAST in my book. I would be interested in the new NK family that is being developed, but they are at least 2 yrs away.

I used it daily for 1/2 hr first thing in the morning. In late May I started skipping days, and if I felt
"it" creeping back I used it for 1 hr every few days or so. For much of the spring it was still dark out in the early morning. I used to work 7am-3:30..so was up around 4:30am. There is a site by Apollo lights with a questionaire, to help you determine when and for how long to use light stimulation.
http://www.apollolight.com/apps/circ_assess_survey.html

I did not take it on vacation, since we sit outdoors except when it rains.
I never feel SAD on vacation.

I haven't started it up yet, but I think, I will in early Oct...that is when I started to go downhill last year.

This visor has a 30 day no questions asked guarantee...so I liked that. If it didn't work for me I was going to send it back.
It now came with a card, saying it is guaranteed for life, if the rechargable battery malfunctions, it will be replaced. Can't beat that.

Using light however, can put bipolars into mania..so anyone who thinks they might be an undiagnosed bipolar (has had mood swings) should be careful.

Question about the light visor
 

Hi Mrs. D.

Many years ago, Alan and I went to a health fair in New York City. This was about 15 years ago.
There were massage tables, pyramids to put on your head. There were organic food tables. And the whole place was all about green tea extracts, spirulina shakes, potions, green algae, etc. etc.

and then there was the light visor thing.

I will never forget it. I had never seen such a device (I am trying to ascertain as to whether this device is similar to your light visor thingee).

Okay, here's what happened. There was a booth at this health fair and the guy was holding some kind of visor thing that you put up to your eyes. There were red lights and green lights. He told me to put it up to my eyes for a bit and see how I felt. I DID NOT LIKE HOW I FELT while I was doing it.

It made me extremely uncomfortable and the lights bothered my eyes. I immediately took it off and told the guy "I do not like this". The guy seemed surprised and told me "but everybody else says they like it". I was turned off by the whole experience.

Now this is just ME we are talking about. I have no idea about anyone else's experience with this gadget because I didn't stick around.

It look like a big pair of goggles, it was black, you put it on and you wore it on your face.


Is this anything like your light visor thingee???

Thanks,
Melody

Nope....
 

Well, Mel, there are many greedy people who'd like to cash in on a new thing.

My visor is a visor cap (a baseball cap with an open top), with a tiny 2x4 inch attachable plastic thing...
go to the site to see it... that delivers light at certain LUX (strength) that is blue/green and UV removed...to stimulate just the melatonin receptors in the retina.

No color therapy. The wavelength is chosen for safety and response.
My husband however thinks it is "funny" and wants me to walk around the neighborhood with it and spook everyone! I choose to just work on the computer as usual, just wearing it. It tends to make white areas pink because of the blue/green wavelength but it is not for anything else.

The color people (some are chiropractors) make other "claims" about it.

If you google "light therapy depression" you will see that it is very different.

There are no goggles...it is just a regular visor cap. The lights are on the back of the thing that is inside the rim... Go to the website at the beginning of this thread and look at it. It is simple, small, etc. Just makes you look a bit green to observers! LOL
It looks like the simple visors people wear when they exercise...or play poker! LOL