Lamps for S.A.D. problem

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drawpoker
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Lamps for S.A.D. problem

Post by drawpoker »

Decided am not going to go thru another winter without one of the special lamps to treat seasonal affective disorder. Will only need it on the days we don't get sunshine, my house faces southeast and I have lots of windows. But a day with no sun, or going 2-3 days, is really bad.
Can anyone make recommendations on which one to buy? There are so many choices, so much price difference. The only things I am fairly sure about:
I want a floor lamp, not a table model.
I want the white-light kind, not the blue kind.
Probably would like to have one with 2 settings, in case the highest setting is really too much, can dial down.
Other than that, I'm not sure whether incandescent, fluorescent, or LED bulb would be best. I don't want to use a lot of kilowatts, but could be the energy-efficient ones aren't as good as far as quality output. (?) But I also don't want to constantly hassle with replacing burned out bulbs quickly if I use the lamp a lot.
Any suggestions? I see them priced everywhere from $49 to $399. I don't think the $49 would be a very good selection, but I don't want to overpay either.
Help!
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drawpoker
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Re: Lamps for S.A.D. problem

Post by drawpoker »

B U M P **

Got no traction on 1st effort here - but now that we are actually in the day (season) for my problem - Will try again for help from fellow bogleheads.

Any ideas, guidance, greatly appreciated
Atilla
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Re: Lamps for S.A.D. problem

Post by Atilla »

If you are capable - get your keester out the door after the sun rises for at least an hour long walk. It does wonders no matter what the weather or temperature. Make it a daily practice and you won't need a lightbulb.
DTSC
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Re: Lamps for S.A.D. problem

Post by DTSC »

I assume you live in the U.S.

Here is a list I got from a medical resource for doctors called UpToDate. I have no personal experience with these companies. If you want to PM me your email address, I can send you the full article


Hughes Lighting Technologies
34 Yacht Club Drive
Lake Hopatcong, NJ 07849
800-544-4825
973-663-1214


The SunBox Company
19217 Orbit Drive
Gaithersburg, MD 20879-4149
800-548-3968
301-869-5980
http://www.sunbox.com


Apollo BriteLite
376 South Commerce Loop
Orem, UT 84057
800-545-9667
801-226-237
http://www.apollolight.com


Enviro-Med Bio-Light
1600 SE 141st Ave
Vancouver, WA 98683
800-222-3296
360-256-6989
http://www.bio-light.com
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drawpoker
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Re: Lamps for S.A.D. problem

Post by drawpoker »

Atilla wrote:If you are capable - get your keester out the door after the sun rises for at least an hour long walk. It does wonders no matter what the weather or temperature. Make it a daily practice and you won't need a lightbulb.
Duh.

Er, I mean, thanks a bunch, Atilla. Do that already. Getting in an early morning walk, that is.

Um, even though the sun rises, er, um, what about when the cloud cover is so heavy there is No Sunshine ?

Ya know, jes like the song, "Aint;t No Sunshine When You're Gone"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIdIqbv7SPo

Like I wrote, I can do okay on the days when there is sufficient sunshine.
Last edited by drawpoker on Mon Nov 24, 2014 9:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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drawpoker
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Re: Lamps for S.A.D. problem

Post by drawpoker »

DTSC wrote:I assume you live in the U.S.

Here is a list I got from a medical resource for doctors called UpToDate. I have no personal experience with these companies.
Thanks, but I think I already have that same list of M.D. endorsed manufacturers. I just wanted to get some real time, actual testimonies from people who have bought these lamps, i.e., personal experiences
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Blue
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Lamps for S.A.D. problem

Post by Blue »

I bought one a few years ago. Marginal improvement for me but my compliance was probably suboptimal.

Couple years ago I had a "mid-life crisis" and hired a personal trainer who comes to my house. I aim to get 300 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per week to maximize health benefits....my seasonal dysthymia completely abated. As an aside, hiring a personal trainer was one of the best non-financial decisions that I've made for myself.

Anecdotal experience of this one poster, FWIW. Good luck and I hope you find something that helps you.
letsgobobby
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Re: Lamps for S.A.D. problem

Post by letsgobobby »

This is a medical condition and any advice offered would be against forum policy.
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gardemanger
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Re: Lamps for S.A.D. problem

Post by gardemanger »

Agreed. There is no shortage of forums on the Internet where people can share their anecdotal experience and their opinions about medical treatments, but this is not an appropriate place for that.

I have no personal, anecdotal experience to relate one way or another. I would point out, strictly as consumer advice, that no light box device is FDA approved for treating any disease. That doesn't mean they do work or they don't work -- there are reasons why FDA approval for medical devices is difficult to obtain -- but it's one reason why there's such a mishmash of devices available on the market, at such a range of specifications and price points.

If I were facing this decision, I would try hard to find a legitimate clinic associated with a research group, such as at a major university, and get and follow their recommendations as to the specifications for the device and when and how to use it. I wouldn't look on the Internet for groups of people all anecdotizing and group-thinking themselves in or out of speculative opinions.

Here's an interesting article I saw recently. I believe the potential for this form of therapy is very good; but as with so many things, we are at an early point in the development of clinical applications, which makes current consumer choices very unclear.

http://nautil.us/issue/19/illusions/tak ... t-drugs-hd
hicabob
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Re: Lamps for S.A.D. problem

Post by hicabob »

The used "grow lights" that are all over craigslist (at least around here) have a very similar spectrum to the sun, which is why they are good for growing plants, so might be a workable cheap solution for someone wanting to experiment with "artificial sun". I have one in my garage for fine work and amusement. It consists of a few hundred watt halide bulb and the high voltage generator box(ballast) . Incredibly bright - but it takes a few minutes to warm up.
Last edited by hicabob on Tue Nov 25, 2014 10:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
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drawpoker
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Re: Lamps for S.A.D. problem

Post by drawpoker »

letsgobobby wrote:This is a medical condition and any advice offered would be against forum policy.
Wasn't asking for any medical advice. Just recommendations/experience on a personal consumer product.

No different than discussing cars, garden hoses, or socks.
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drawpoker
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Re: Lamps for S.A.D. problem

Post by drawpoker »

gardemanger, thanks for the link. The Canadian model mentioned in the article sounds promising, it is $109 and claims to have a five year warranty. It is a tabletop, though. Apparently it has a swivel base and the customer has to position it exactly for optimal benefit.
letsgobobby
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Re: Lamps for S.A.D. problem

Post by letsgobobby »

drawpoker wrote:
letsgobobby wrote:This is a medical condition and any advice offered would be against forum policy.
Wasn't asking for any medical advice. Just recommendations/experience on a personal consumer product.

No different than discussing cars, garden hoses, or socks.
Your title says for "SAD" referring to seasonal affective disorder, which is a diagnosable medical condition (major depression, recurrent, with seasonal pattern) in the DSM V. Page 187 in the paperback copy.
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carorun
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Re: Lamps for S.A.D. problem

Post by carorun »

I have a tabletop Verilux that I picked up for ~$20 at Walgreens. I live in Chicago, where the sun is only out from 8am-4pm in the winter, and I developed SAD my first winter here.

I don't use mine everyday, but I try to turn it on while I do my hair in the morning, and after work if I'm trying to develop energy for the gym. Working out is also a winter must- keeps the endorphins high, and while I eat more and walk less in the winter, the gym cancels that out.

I know you said you want a floor model, but I know those are more expensive and some people don't like or respond to light boxes. Maybe check out a cheaper version before investing in a floor lamp?
Viking65
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Re: Lamps for S.A.D. problem

Post by Viking65 »

drawpoker wrote:
DTSC wrote:I assume you live in the U.S.

Here is a list I got from a medical resource for doctors called UpToDate. I have no personal experience with these companies.
Thanks, but I think I already have that same list of M.D. endorsed manufacturers. I just wanted to get some real time, actual testimonies from people who have bought these lamps, i.e., personal experiences
OK, I'll bite. I can highly recommend the aforementioned SunBox Company in Maryland. I have 2 of their Sun Ray II lamps. One is actually shining on my face at this moment. About 20-30 minutes while reading the newspaper in the morning helps keep my daily rhythm set and helps my energy level during the period known locally as the "dark time". My situation is probably rather extreme as I have NO chance of any sunlight for over 2 months due to "latitudinal challenges" (the sun set a week ago and won't rise again until late January).
Key variables for these lamps are light intensity and spectrum. Any you need to be close enough to the source to benefit. That is why I think the desktop models are best.
Good luck.
harmony
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Re: Lamps for S.A.D. problem

Post by harmony »

Try to find a company that offers a 60-day money back guarantee (Northern Light Technologies is one). There is a happy medium where the light is bright enough to do some good, but not so close to the eyes that the intensity or glare may become annoying; which could then have a negative effect on compliance. By testing a lamp for 2 months on yourself, you won't have to depend on the anecdotal experiences of others. I encourage you to keep notes of the time of day and how long you used the light each day. Also rate your mood every day. What is the most instructive is to compare one's own mood fluctuations to past cloudy days in your zip code. Over 60 days some patterns may appear. Did your mood stay up even through those 10-day strings of cloudy weather?

If you are otherwise a person with light sensitivity, you should for sure give a lamp a good long test run. I wouldn't worry about being energy efficient. Reduce your energy consumption other ways, but buy the lamp that works for you. The lamp a family member used was http://northernlighttechnologies.com/li ... -desk-lamp, bought more than 15 years ago, so it's a bit dated. This is a table lamp and to get the full benefit of the light output, one has to be 20 inches from the light. This was way too intense for our loved one. When compliance was 100%, the results were remarkable. Sadly, the person's sensitivity to light reduced compliance.

Another issue to control for, if you want, is what happens with the change to daylight savings time in early March? When Congress switched the start of DST from April to March this had a positive effect, providing longer, sunnier March afternoons. This prompted our family member to take long afternoon outdoor walks, giving relief before cloudy spring weather set in. If compliance is still good, lamps can be used even into April, when winter is already over, but stormy, cloudy spring days don't provide consistent sunlight yet. This year is a crazy one again. We've had one of the sunnier Octobers on record, followed by one of the more wintery Novembers on record. DST ended just at a time which can easily amplify mood issues for anyone sensitive to all of this. I wish you all the best.
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drawpoker
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Re: Lamps for S.A.D. problem

Post by drawpoker »

Thanks to all for the great info

I had a, er, hazy idea that I should get a floor model as that would most closely replicate sitting outdoors in the midday sun. Now I see that isn't really the idea at all.

Company that offers the 60-day return period lists a 7 year warranty (Northernlights) while the Sunbox people offer a 45-day return period, yet a lifetime warranty. So need to look further into that angle, lifetime sounds good. Both around the same price, although Sunbox seems to say they have a "regular" price and an "internet price", which is about a $50 difference.

Maybe they have started their Black Friday sales activity early..... :happy
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Re: Lamps for S.A.D. problem

Post by bungalow10 »

I'm a former SAD sufferer. Vitamin D. Changed my life. I take about 2000 UI/day, sometimes up to 5000 UI/day.

Research - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10888476
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Re: Lamps for S.A.D. problem

Post by LadyGeek »

The OP's intent is to mitigate S.A.D, a medical condition, which is off-topic in this forum.

This thread has run its course and is locked (medical advice). See: Forum Policy

Medical Issues

Questions on medical issues are beyond the scope of the forum. If you are looking for medical information online, I'd like to suggest you start with the Medical Library Association's User's Guide to Finding and Evaluating Health Information on the Web which, in addition to providing guidance on evaluating health information, includes lists of their top recommended sites in the following categories: consumer health, cancer, diabetes and heart disease. They also provide a larger, but less frequently updated, list called Top 100 List: Health Websites You Can Trust.
[note from admin alex - LadyGeek had removed three posts from this thread for giving medical advice before locking it. Since the thread is now locked and they don't really differ from other remaining posts I put them back in.]
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