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If you are happy with your current medications, try Vitamin D if you are in a cloudy area or do not get out often. If you're good on those things, try increasi

If you are happy with your current medications, try Vitamin D if you are in a cloudy area or do not get out often. If you're good on those things, try increasing your exercise level. Walk/run/sprint or lifting. You can do body weight exercise at home if you do not feel comfortable in a gym just yet. If you are happy with your exercise level, pick up a new hobby, tech or otherwise.

wigl 7y ago
Not a physician but have heard from others that Vitamin D supplements are not really helpful and just a routine insurance cash grab. In my experience, bright lighting indoors had more of an effect but YMMV.
- vsareto 7y ago
  The supplements are pretty cheap in grocery stores. If it doesn't work, you're not out much. You can always change the lighting or try other things if it doesn't work -- the key is to keep trying until something works for you. It seems to work for me as we can have 5-7 days straight of cloudy skies where I'm at. I spent the first two days without it and the next three with it and there was a difference.
  - wigl 7y ago
    The Rx concentrations are higher and generally cholecalciferol instead of ergocalciferol which is less absorbable and not as long-lasting. It’s fine to try it out. What I’m casting doubt upon is the blood test of Vitamin D levels and whether low levels are even an indicator of a problem. In my case I had very very low blood levels of D and was prescribed supplements and sun exposure. Years later, I found out I actually have a form of sun allergy. As mentioned, YMMV.
- texasbigdata 7y ago
  Conversely I supplement my PCP with a cash pay MD (in a hospital setting with a background from a reputable school) who believes in "wellness" which he views as the flaw in western medicine. Instead of going from sick to ok, he believes we should go from ok to wellness. And he sells mega Vitamin D doses and maybe I'm a sucker but I buy them. Since its cash pay and I absolutely love testing/scanning myself randomly (any blood/dexa/cortisol/ekg/heart test I can find and afford) we usually spend 20 minutes twice a year going through the science of whatever I'm testing at the time and (typically) shooting down the necessity of whatever crazy thing I want to try next. But low impact low benefit things like vitamins and a few no-cost hobby things are super under-rated. For example theres a handful of entries on this chart that are low cost with low behavioral change required medium impact that were unexpected for me: https://blog.23andme.com/health-traits/what-patients-say-works-for-depression/ https://blog.23andme.com/health-traits/what-patients-say-wor...
tvanantwerp 7y ago
I've become convinced that for anyone experiencing emotional or health problems, making sure you've got nutrition/activity/sleep nailed down should always be the first step. I won't claim one of these is the magic bullet to help OP, since I don't know the specifics of the case. But if one or more of them aren't what they should be, then it's likely that it should be addressed before anything more extreme/expensive.

wigl 7y ago

Not a physician but have heard from others that Vitamin D supplements are not really helpful and just a routine insurance cash grab. In my experience, bright lighting indoors had more of an effect but YMMV.

vsareto 7y ago
The supplements are pretty cheap in grocery stores. If it doesn't work, you're not out much. You can always change the lighting or try other things if it doesn't work -- the key is to keep trying until something works for you. It seems to work for me as we can have 5-7 days straight of cloudy skies where I'm at. I spent the first two days without it and the next three with it and there was a difference.
- wigl 7y ago
  The Rx concentrations are higher and generally cholecalciferol instead of ergocalciferol which is less absorbable and not as long-lasting. It’s fine to try it out. What I’m casting doubt upon is the blood test of Vitamin D levels and whether low levels are even an indicator of a problem. In my case I had very very low blood levels of D and was prescribed supplements and sun exposure. Years later, I found out I actually have a form of sun allergy. As mentioned, YMMV.
texasbigdata 7y ago
Conversely I supplement my PCP with a cash pay MD (in a hospital setting with a background from a reputable school) who believes in "wellness" which he views as the flaw in western medicine. Instead of going from sick to ok, he believes we should go from ok to wellness. And he sells mega Vitamin D doses and maybe I'm a sucker but I buy them. Since its cash pay and I absolutely love testing/scanning myself randomly (any blood/dexa/cortisol/ekg/heart test I can find and afford) we usually spend 20 minutes twice a year going through the science of whatever I'm testing at the time and (typically) shooting down the necessity of whatever crazy thing I want to try next. But low impact low benefit things like vitamins and a few no-cost hobby things are super under-rated. For example theres a handful of entries on this chart that are low cost with low behavioral change required medium impact that were unexpected for me: https://blog.23andme.com/health-traits/what-patients-say-works-for-depression/ https://blog.23andme.com/health-traits/what-patients-say-wor...

tvanantwerp 7y ago

I've become convinced that for anyone experiencing emotional or health problems, making sure you've got nutrition/activity/sleep nailed down should always be the first step. I won't claim one of these is the magic bullet to help OP, since I don't know the specifics of the case. But if one or more of them aren't what they should be, then it's likely that it should be addressed before anything more extreme/expensive.