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Anticipation of a Seasonal Relapse

Misfit Toy

Senior Member
Messages
4,178
Location
USA
Every year, come winter, I crumble physically and mentally. It's been like this for 5 years now. Winter was my favorite time of year. I loved it. Now, I can't stand it.

I know that as soon as January roles around, I can expect to get a respiratory infection and then have a full on crash.

Therapists have said that I need to go away in the winter. I need to go to where it's warm. Well, I just tried that and I was so sick, I couldn't do it.

This winter, severe insomnia has taken place and my fibromyalgia is like a moving train not wanting to stop. I am so sick. I spend my days propped up in bed. Maybe I will brush my teeth at 5 pm when I seem to have a little energy.

Does anyone else have seasonal relapses and how do you deal with it? i know to expect it. I know to, but no matter how much I try to do that, it always happens and crushes me and I have severe anxiety and depression comes on in full bloom. Every winter I have suicidal thoughts. SAD. Also, Vitamin D scares me. I feel like it could make my sleep worse.

How does one deal with knowing they will crash for months? Are you able to put perspective on it? How do you make it through, because I am never used to this. I anticipate it, but when it happens and really gets worse, I come undone.
 

maddietod

Senior Member
Messages
2,859
I had SAD for a few years, and used a light box. It was a great help.

I keep a stockpile of remedies that have worked in the past, or that are recommended here. This year I added ViraStop 2 to my arsenal, and it stopped a flu in 3 doses spread out over one day. I usually use oil of oregano, but wanted to give this a try.

I guess I mostly go for prevention. The lightbox prevented seasonal emotional crashing. I use anti-bacterials before getting into my car after being in a store. I wash produce I can't peel/don't boil. And I almost never eat out.

I also watch my pacing very carefully in winter. I don't like the cold, the dark, the gray, so it's pretty easy to keep my activities low. I've learned to stockpile good jigsaw puzzles for wintertime, and I'll bring home any book from the library that has a prayer of holding my interest.

Sometimes old Looney Tunes on you tube hit the spot.
 

Misfit Toy

Senior Member
Messages
4,178
Location
USA
Lightbox did nothing for me. Yes, the SAD is bad. I get really macabre. I have been reading a lot. People don't understand it (friends) and people pull away from me because they think I am isolating. I am. I can't keep up and no one gets it. Everyone just keeps telling me to go to the doctor. So sick of it.
 

*GG*

senior member
Messages
6,389
Location
Concord, NH
Every year, come winter, I crumble physically and mentally. It's been like this for 5 years now. Winter was my favorite time of year. I loved it. Now, I can't stand it.

I know that as soon as January roles around, I can expect to get a respiratory infection and then have a full on crash.

Therapists have said that I need to go away in the winter. I need to go to where it's warm. Well, I just tried that and I was so sick, I couldn't do it.

This winter, severe insomnia has taken place and my fibromyalgia is like a moving train not wanting to stop. I am so sick. I spend my days propped up in bed. Maybe I will brush my teeth at 5 pm when I seem to have a little energy.

Does anyone else have seasonal relapses and how do you deal with it? i know to expect it. I know to, but no matter how much I try to do that, it always happens and crushes me and I have severe anxiety and depression comes on in full bloom. Every winter I have suicidal thoughts. SAD. Also, Vitamin D scares me. I feel like it could make my sleep worse.

How does one deal with knowing they will crash for months? Are you able to put perspective on it? How do you make it through, because I am never used to this. I anticipate it, but when it happens and really gets worse, I come undone.

Why does Vitamin D scare you? I have been taking a good amount for the last 3 years, was only sick a day or so last winter due to some bug, not at all yet this year!

GG
 
Messages
2,565
Location
US
Vitamin D helps my mood. Take it in the morning so it affects your sleep less. It does not make my insomnia worse. I have bad insomnia. You could try starting with a low amount like 100-400 IU so you aren't worried. Almost everyone has lower than ideal levels if you don't live in the south and 400 IU would not be enough for them.
 

Misfit Toy

Senior Member
Messages
4,178
Location
USA
My doctor wants me on 5,000 IU. This concerns me because it's a hormone...I have heard. I have insomnia like you say SickOfSickness, so it worries me. ggingues, that's why. i have read that some people have a hard time with Vitamin D who have CFS. I have had such bad insomnia...3 hours a night a few weeks ago, that I just can't afford to have it any worse.
 

*GG*

senior member
Messages
6,389
Location
Concord, NH
Huh, never heard that it can increase insomnia. There is one guy in a support group that I go to, who gets major stiffness from it.

GG
 
Messages
2,565
Location
US
Well try a small daily dose in the morning. My insomnia is really bad too and I usually can't take anything to do with hormones. Some people take 20,000-25,000 IU once a week. I think you are better off spreading it out, a little each day, but start small. I have taken 8,000-12,000 IU daily so sometimes I am at 50,000 in a week.
 

Little Bluestem

All Good Things Must Come to an End
Messages
4,930
I do not get SAD, I just have less energy in the winter. I have read that people have an annual, as well as a daily, circadian rhythm. It said that winter is the slow time of year because for most of human history people tried to keep warm and conserve energy in the winter. I wonder if that isn't true.
 
Messages
445
Location
Georgia
Every year, come winter, I crumble physically and mentally. It's been like this for 5 years now. Winter was my favorite time of year. I loved it. Now, I can't stand it.

I know that as soon as January roles around, I can expect to get a respiratory infection and then have a full on crash.

Therapists have said that I need to go away in the winter. I need to go to where it's warm. Well, I just tried that and I was so sick, I couldn't do it.

This winter, severe insomnia has taken place and my fibromyalgia is like a moving train not wanting to stop. I am so sick. I spend my days propped up in bed. Maybe I will brush my teeth at 5 pm when I seem to have a little energy.

Does anyone else have seasonal relapses and how do you deal with it? i know to expect it. I know to, but no matter how much I try to do that, it always happens and crushes me and I have severe anxiety and depression comes on in full bloom. Every winter I have suicidal thoughts. SAD. Also, Vitamin D scares me. I feel like it could make my sleep worse.

How does one deal with knowing they will crash for months? Are you able to put perspective on it? How do you make it through, because I am never used to this. I anticipate it, but when it happens and really gets worse, I come undone.

Spitfire,
One of the reasons I think that CFS/FM is a disease that originates very high up in the brain center is because not only do I react to mold and dust coming out the heat registers during the winters; but I'm pretty sure the shortening of the days causes my already jacked up body cycles to become totally unwound. My HPA axis dosn't like the change in daylight. I know I'll be feeling worse when I start seeing that "sideways sun" beaming into your car. Uggh, it's that time of year again.

But of course, if you have allergies, then tree pollen in the May and June is a curse, folllowed by grass. For me, the ragweed makes me miserably sick during August and September. Ragweed to me, is like a chemical weapon. It makes all my symptoms worse. I never open the car window. Or the window to the house. Also, it seems like a week after a storm, when the air pressures goes back up, I have a little relief. This includes storms in summer and winter. I'm going to be sick a week later if that barometer drops. Another reason I think the higher, inner brain is involved.
 

Plum

Senior Member
Messages
512
Location
UK
My experience with vitamin D has been positive. I suffered from sleeping problems already and it didn't make it worse. It takes a few days to get used to. I take 1000 iu daily. It helped a lot with my pain.

I do feel very depressed when the dark days set it and it's dark by 3pm. I have been trying light therapy when I have my Perrin sessions and it seems to make me a bit more cheerful.

I did have a complete crash in Oct as soon as winter started (which was early for us this year). We still have snow but at least it's lighter now which helps. For me this has been the first year I've actually noticed that my ME gets worse in winter. Previous year's I just thought it was SAD and I was too ill to notice anything else anyway. I know a lot of ME people say they crash in the winter.

I have found trying to keep busy indoors and trying to ignore outside has helped. I liked someone else's idea of having jigsaws and a good book. On the odd day the sun does shine I do find it important to go outside and be in the sun for a little bit - it helps me feel better.
 

maddietod

Senior Member
Messages
2,859
I'm just now starting an indoor herb 'garden.' I'm starting the seeds in muffin tins, and I'm going to grow them in lying-down soymilk boxes [I've got the kids saving them for me]. I've got a good south-facing window, I already had the potting soil, and I'm sharing the seeds with a daughter.

This is cheering me up immensely. I expect by next winter this will be well established and I'll have deliciousness scenting up my favorite room.
 

Misfit Toy

Senior Member
Messages
4,178
Location
USA
oh-happy-day


Ok, so....trying to put an image in here...why is it so hard? PR has never made it easy for photos. Link below....now that makes me happy. Just made it. SUNSHINE...Vitamin D. I am so happy spring is here although it has yet to truly arrive, sunshine is around the corner and then oppressive heat...yuk. I'd like to skip over that. I would love to do a time share. Go stay with someone or rent out to get out of here during July or August and February and March.

http://www.spitfiredesignsjewelry.com/jewelry/oh-happy-day/
 

Little Bluestem

All Good Things Must Come to an End
Messages
4,930
Several years ago I read a book that was primarily about staying healthy. One chapter was non-pharmaceutical ways of treating different disorders. I look up my parents' heath conditions as well as my own, so looked up several. CFS was the only one that said "stay warm". Perhaps using body energy to create warmth leaves us less energy for other things.
 

Misfit Toy

Senior Member
Messages
4,178
Location
USA
Yes to warmth, flip flops and low maintenance dressing during the warmer temps. I love it! So, just took some vitamin D. Hopefully because it's early, I will sleep tonight.
 

adreno

PR activist
Messages
4,841
My doctor wants me on 5,000 IU. This concerns me because it's a hormone...I have heard. I have insomnia like you say SickOfSickness, so it worries me. ggingues, that's why. i have read that some people have a hard time with Vitamin D who have CFS. I have had such bad insomnia...3 hours a night a few weeks ago, that I just can't afford to have it any worse.
Vitamin D is unlikely to cause insomnia. There is no need to be scared of moderate doses. As suggested here already, just start with 400IU and work your way up. 2000IU is a good target for most people. Be sure to take with co-factors, especially vitamin K2 and magnesium. Take it in the morning, with breakfast.
 

Misfit Toy

Senior Member
Messages
4,178
Location
USA
At night I take a Magnesium with Calcium and Vitamin D is in it. IT has 300IU of D. I take it off and on for sleep actually and constipation. I take 2 tablespoons, so about 600IU. Just realized this. By the brand KAL. I have never had a problem. Man, if I could find Vitamin D helps me, I would be so happy.
 

adreno

PR activist
Messages
4,841
Okay. You might want to separate the vit D from the minerals, so that you can individualize doses. If you can tolerate 600IU, I would increase to 1000IU but move it to the morning. If that goes well, add another 1000IU after a week or so. And remember the K2, it's very important to take with vit D.