Light Therapy & Schizoaffective Disorder

[peaceofmind888]

For about a week, I have used a SAD (seasonal affective disorder) therapeutic light on my desk while I work.  I am currently taking the usual dosage for wintertime, which is 16 mg. of Navane at bedtime.  I find that I am very, very calm and relaxed--almost as though I am taking too much antipsychotic medication.  The web does not address my question.  Do SAD lights help with the bipolar element of schizoaffective disorder?  Does anyone suspect, as I do, that I may be able to reduce to the spring and summer usual dosage of 12 to 14 mg. of Navane?

[elliesmithy]

my mother has a SAD therapeutic light for sad itself. and i thought all it did was give you natural daylight so your body wont try to hibernate.means your moods dont go down as much as they normally would in winter.it would mostlikely effect the schizoaffective disorder too coz if your mood is a bit better then it reduces the effects of the disorder? but i think you need to you the light for a few weeks  before you'll notice full benifits?

[ILADVOCATE]

  It would depend if some of the bipolar aspect is from seasonal affective disorder because with schizoaffective disorder the effects of an antipsychotic and mood stabilizer overlap. You could speak to your psychiatrist about all this and they could tell you whether the Navane could be reduced.