Hello all,
I have just been investigating some light boxes. These seem to be priced at between £50 and £250. I know that these boxes are intended on treating people with SAD, but they might also be useful for MS as we are meant to have our daily quota of sunlight. Does anyone know if these boxes might be a help, or whether we are better off getting a sun bed.
Thanks to all to reply - or even just the loitering readers lol.
Best Wishes,
Moira
Hi Moira,
Sorry, don’t think it will do anything at all for MS, so save your money.
The reason we are supposed to get plenty of natural sunlight, if poss, is to boost vitamin D levels.
As far as I know, the and frequency and intensity of light emitted by the SAD boxes isn’t the right type to trigger vitamin D production in the skin. Basically, if it can’t give you a tan, it won’t make any vitamin D either.
I’m pretty wary of sunbeds, because of the skin cancer risk. Natural is better, and you don’t need hours of exposure - just a few minutes a day in Summer.
In Winter is harder, because the sunlight is too weak to promote much vitamin D production. Hence a lot of people increase their Vitamin D supplements during the Winter months.
Tina
Hello Moira,
The boxes you mention are for infra red, it is in sunlight and enters the body through the iris.
The Vitamin D that MSers need can be obtained using Vitamin D3 pills or just by exposing yourself to sunlight, as much as possible. Also make sure you do not buy makeup etc with Sun Blocking factor.
Please do not spend money on these boxes. If in doubt go to blog of Prog G at Barts and do a search on Vitamin D. Website address is http://multiple-sclerosis-research.blogspot.co.uk/l.
Hope this helps. Also take a look at my site, www.aid4disabled.com. Intended for people who want independence and better quality of life
Patrick
Hello Tina,
Thank you for your reply. I will now no longer read up on light boxes. I just want to do ALL that I can to improve my chances of dodging the MS relapses. I already take 5 000iu of Vit D3 a day, so hopefully that is enough. I also try to do the right exercises, and I have already lost weight. So ultimately, the only thing left for me to do is marry David Ike ! LOL.
Best Wishes,
Moira
Thanks for your reply Patrick,
Your & Tina’s replies make perfect sense. And I will take a peek at your website this afternoon once my friend has left this afternoon.
Best Wishes,
Moira
LoL! Good luck with the “marrying David Ike” plan.
I honestly think I’d rather stick with the MS - seriously!
Tina
Moira,
Enjoy reading the website. Please click on the Facebook logos where applicable + I do updates thru Facebook
MS or David Ike, thats a no brainer
Talk soon,
Patrick
There MAY be a route by which the use of lightboxes and SADLIGHT therapy MAY improve the prognosis of those with MS.
Those who have suggested that the bright light from Sadlights does not (cannot) improve Vitamin D satus are quite correct. For more vitamin D3 you need UVB and if anyone tried to stare at a UVB light (or look directly at the sun in summer) they would damage their eyes. You need UVB to act on the 7 dehydrocholesterol molecules in your skin and that requires idealy sun but tanning beds with UVB output tubes could be an alternative. You ideally need to exposure skin other than hands/face/arms as skin that is normally covered will allow time for newly made Vitamin D to be absorbed while vit d made on face and hands gets exposed to more UVA which processes it into suprasterols the body cannot use, hence it gets degraded.
However vitamin D3 works in MS be being an anti-inflammatory agent. We know for every 10ng/ml 25nmol/l increase in Vitamin d levels the rate of lesions is lower and the scores relating to extent of disability are also lower. So higher Vitamin D levels (ideally at or above 50ng/ml 125nmol/l where Vit d’s antiinflammatory potential highest) means less disability, less pain and few new lesions (also less colds and flu)
However back to Sadlights.
While our skin is set to produce anti-inflammatory Vitamin D from dawn to dusk our pineal gland is set to produce anti-inflammatory MELATONIN from dusk to dawn. While we need hot UVB rich sunlight to create vitamin d simple BRIGHT LIGHT exposure during the day ideally first thing in morning or midday, particularly if associated with outdoor exercise, resets circadian rhythm. It switches off melatonin secretion during the day, so in the evening and through the night you produce more melatonin. Melatonin is helpful not only because it is anti inflammatory but also because it acts as an iron chelator (helps detoxify the brain of iron deposits) So it’s possible improving melatonin secretion could have some benefit to help protect from the effects of ageing (either with MS or not) I’m not in the business of promoting light box sales. As far as I can see any LED light will stop melatonin production so the cheapo lights you see in places like B&Q or Screwfix that are used by workmen as task/site lights would be just a good. You could also use the free download FLUX that automatically dims your monitor screen at dusk and resets it in the morning, enabling melatonin secretetion to start before bedtime. Melatonin tends to reduce urine output and also relaxs bladder wall muscles so reducing output and increasing capacity hence I no longer need to pee at 3am.
Definitely vitamin d . But I have to say I love my light box. I didn’t get one of the really expensive ones- probably cost me £50. I accept it will most likely do nothing for ms. BUT it makes me happy. And I don’t care if it’s a placebo affect. I grab every bit of happiness so long as no harm Hugs Min xx