Author: Sarasvati

Often a subset of sanguinarians will mention/complain about something in themselves, which is then agreed with by others and soon seems to gain recognition as a “symptom” of being a sanguin, when this is most likely not the case. The great variance in the susceptibility, severity, and even occasion of these ills leads me more to believe they are simply part of normal variation in a giving population rather then caused by or a result of blood drinking. The list that follows remains compiled because I feel you need to know that these non-symptoms can, and often do, have other causes that need to be checked out, especially if they arise suddenly and with no discernible cause. That having been checked out and possibly nothing found, then they are still most likely the result of normal population variation and does NOT mean you are a sanguin just because you poses a certain number of these grievances.

May I make two disclaimers here, however, I am not a human medical doctor nor knowledgeable in the human medical field. If you exhibit ANY of these problems I suggest you go to the doctor if you have not already. Also with each grievance are more “mundane” reasons, especially towards the aforementioned natural variation. Also, this list is NOT a list of diseases Sanguins have, but a list of diseases that exhibit the same signs many Sanguins complain about.

SENSORY SENSITIVITY

Increase in hearing, taste, sight, touch, and smell: Can be caused by self-sensitization (i.e.: wearing sunglasses when not necessary to protect from sun or light pain, sensitizes the eyes to adjust to darker lights, often a cycle forms of ever-darker glasses as the eyes adjust.) Migraine headaches, which are discussed later, can cause sensory sensitivity. Other than those, however are:

PORPHYRIA

There are at least eight different types of Porphyria. In each type of Porphyria there is a deficiency of a specific enzyme involved in the production of heme. Heme exists as hemoglobin in the red blood cells and bone marrow. Symptoms include neurological problems and cutaneous reactions to light. One of the acute types causes blisters and sores on the skin if exposed to sunlight. This is a fairly rare disease with various types being more rare than others. Other symptoms can include severe scaring, increased skin growth, and, in some cases anemia can result form the shortened life span of red blood cells.

LUPUS

A chronic inflammatory disease of unknown origin, affecting many systems of the body, often characterized by a rash on the face and other areas exposed to sunlight, involving the vascular and connective tissues of many organs, and accompanied by serologic abnormalities. Essentially an auto-immune disease where your body begins to call it’s own tissues foreign and attack them as it would a bacteria or virus. The reaction to sunlight is caused by the bodies inability to recover from UV induced genetic damage of skin cells in a normal manner.

XERODERMA PIGMENTOSUM

A severe and restrictive disease characterized by severe light sensitivity to the point of having to totally avoid light contact.

DRUGS WITH PHOTOSENSITIVITY EFFECTS

A variety of ingested drugs (e.g., sulfonamides, tetracyclines, thiazides, griseofulvin, psoralens) cause photosensitivity, although uncommonly. Application of or contact with various substances, including colognes and bergamot-containing perfumes, sulfonamides, coal tar, soaps containing halogenated salicylanilides, and certain plants (e.g., meadow grass, parsley), can also cause photosensitivity (see also Merck Manual) (Thanks to Sanguinarius for this information).

PHOTOPHOBIA

An abnormal sensitivity or intolerance to light. Occurs with some eye disorders like corneal abrasion and ulceration, acute keratitis (inflammation of the cornea), acute uveitis (inflammation of the cornea) and congenital glaucoma.

PHOTOSENSITIVITY

Abnormal reaction to sunlight–usually takes the form of a skin rash that occurs as a reaction to the effects of light on the skin. Can be caused by substances ingested or topically applied to the skin such as certain drugs, chemicals in perfumes and soaps, and some plants–(Thanks to J. Fowler for the info on this and Photophobia.) Other causes of Photosensitivity can be found here: Photosensitivity By SphynxCat.

DRUG SENSITIVITY

See Allergies

ENERGY FATIGUE

A feeling of having no energy, or can’t stimulate the muscles to move: Can be cause by lack of sleep (duh)
This can also be linked to depression. However it can also be a symptom of numerous other diseases.

CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME

This disease is categorized by fatigue that is greater than 6 months in length and is divided up into three groups:

Group 1 symptoms (mood-cognitive) included difficulty thinking or concentrating, depression, general weakness, forgetfulness, unusual fatigue post-exertion and difficulty sleeping;

Group 2 (flu-like) included symptoms of feverishness, chills, sore throat, tender lymph nodes and night sweats;

Group 3 (visual impairment) included visual disturbances, seeing spots, and light sensitivity.”
Through this one could also see how severe fatigue could also relate back to the sun/light sensitivity. If you think you may have this, don’t ask me go see your doctor!!!

The above information was gathered from The Center for Disease Control (CDC)

BACK PROBLEMS

I have heard many of the vamp on-line speak of back-problems. This could very well be because of the time we spend hunched over our keyboards 🙂 Can also be a symptom of more serious troubles such as certain kidney conditions and so should be checked out.

ALLERGIES

Allergies are a part of a great majority of the population of the world. Though rarely highly serious they can be a great annoyance. Caused by a hyperactivity of the immune response. I had taken allergy shots for four years and now I have very little trouble with them. I am no doctor, though, so go see your doctor before deciding that this is the proper course of action for you, as these shots are not from everyone and require a test once a year as well.

MESSED UP SLEEP/WAKE CYCLES

A circadian rhythm fluctuation is a normal in most people, however, his corresponds with the fatigue and energy loss, but can have other problems associated with it as well:

Insomnia:
Characterized by difficulty falling asleep, waking up frequently during the night with difficulty returning to sleep, waking up too early in the morning, and/or unrefreshing sleep. This can cause grogginess and fatigue during the day. There are three types: transient, persistent, and chronic. Such things as stress, alcohol intake and depression can cause transient and persistent insomnia, but there have been diseases such as arthritis, kidney disease, heart failure, asthma, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, and hyperthyroidism. (This information was obtained from The Doctor’s guide to insomnia

Diabetes:
Can cause extreme fatigue. The Diabetes Overview also lists several other symptoms to watch for if you think you may have Diabetes: increased thirst and urination, constant hunger, weight loss, blurred vision, feeling tired or ill, frequent infections, and slow healing of sores. They also make the distinction between two different types of diabetes: Insulin Dependent and Non-Insulin Dependent. The IDDM form is an autoimmune disease where the patient requires insulin injections. NIDDM usually begins later in life and can be controlled without insulin injections.

MIGRAINES

Intense pain in the head…can cause vision problems and interfere with life in general: In some can be sun triggered, allergy triggered, or even genetic links. This is not a one time deal, however and becomes debilitating because it is often frequent or at least repetitive. General headaches can be a symptom of other more serious diseases as well:

Meningitis:
An inflammation of the lining of the brain (meningie)

Arteritis:
An inflammation of the arteries in the brain. Mostly affects older people (50+) Symptoms include throbbing headache, fever, and loss of appetite. Some patients experience blurring or loss of vision. This is treatable with drugs.

Trigeminal Neuralgia:
A disorder of the Trigeminal nerve (serves the face and jaw). Also has sharp face pain as a symptom. Can be treated with drugs, but not all people respond in which case surgery is an option.

Brain Tumors:
Can cause a headache by pressing on arteries or nerves as it grows. This type can be periodic or consistent in nature and the pain is gone with the removal of the tumor

Stroke:
Though a headache is not an actual part of a stroke, it can accompany the precursors to one such has high blood pressure, heart disease, or arterioscleroses.

Headaches can also be caused by congestion in the sinuses or head trauma. Eye problems are also a common culprit.

TEMPERATURE REGULATION PROBLEMS

This means you have difficulty keeping warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Reynaud’s Syndrome:
Basically, when the body’s core temperature drops, the muscle cells around the capillaries constrict, reducing the blood flow. This can occur to varying degrees, and often results in a splotched appearance of the skin on the hands and feet, progressing slowly up the arms and legs as time goes on if the person does not warm up. Then the toes and fingers appear white, purple, or blue (it depends) due to restricted blood flow. However, Reynaud’s can also be a sign of other, more serious conditions. What I have is a mere inconvenience, but if it is only part of a larger whole, it can be very threatening. If someone suspects they might have it and show any of the signs, including an inability to warm up soon after being cold, I very strongly advise that they go to a doctor and get blood tests run, including but not limited to a karyotype. {Much thanks to Bjorn for this information!}

OTHER DISEASES THAT COULD POSSIBLY BE CONSIDERED RELATED

Renfield’s Syndrome:
It is a psychological illness, but is NOT recognized by the mental health profession. “Richard Noll, author of Vampires, Werewolves and Demons, proposed the name “Renfield’s Syndrome” for clinical vampirism. However, his views have not been accepted by the psychological mainstream..” Thanks to Duncan for this correction. It usually starts at a young age when the child discovers that drinking their own blood is exciting. This can progress to drinking the blood of animals, other people, and, in extreme, rare, cases, attacking others to get it. The one link that I have is The Renfield Syndrome, though this site gives a slightly different list of the progress of the disease than I had originally heard. (Thanks to Andromeda for this link). I really want more information on this, so if anyone knows a good book, pamphlet, article, or anything, please contact me at the e-mail address below.

I have also heard that it is possible that this was something created by a speaker that may not be a recognized disease…I need more input!

I am currently working on some research related to the medical background in sanguinarians, specifically related to the hypothalamus/pituitary and related proteins and hormones. Given the fact that this is a very broad plank to start from and I have other commitments I have to attend to in my life, it could be awhile before I get it finished 😛