Fluorescent Light
 

I have always been sensitive to sunlight. Blue eyes I thought was the reason. Last spring after my worst episode I started having problems with fluorescent lights.

We have the lights in our bathrooms and compact ones throughout the house. It hurts so much I sometimes wear sunglasses at home. But I do feel silly and my SO doesn't understand.

When I go shopping the lights make me confused and I get agitated and just want to run out. I have trouble concentrating and sometimes talking is difficult.

Anyone else eperience anything like this?

Me too! Blue/Green eyes and sensitive to the Sunlight and any bright lights. Florescents don't bother me, but mine are in the Kitchen and Bath, in the cieling and under plex ceiling tiles. That way, it's not direct and the glare is somewhat muted.

The thing that used to bother me about florescent lighting, at work, was the constant buzzing. It really drove me nuts. I didn't notice that at home.

I know flourescent lights are often a problem for migraine sufferers and since thats neurological I could see them being a problem.

I have what appears to be no pain occular migraines or ms they dont know and lights are a real problem then.

I want to switch to the compact new f' bulbs but Im afraid for that reason.

We have one and bought a second but we only liked the one that looked like usual indoor light the other one said daylight and it is so harsh it kills me.

I think f. bulbs have some degree of a blink or flashing factor which we maybe cant see but its there and can cause migraines so I think youre feeling that?

Well, you're not alone! I have a tendency to stay in the dark (no smart remarks please!).

I've turned off all my lights in the office and use a lamp and natural sunlight during the day.

I concur, the blinking and sometimes buzzing is part of the problem. I've not noticed that with the compact F. bulbs. They last a really really long time and are worth the xtra cost. Plus it is good for the planet. :D

I find yellow tinted glasses helpful for both outdoor and indoor use. A member of my MS support group had gotten UV coated glasses (creamy vanilla colored) from an eye doc even though he didn't have a Rx need. He has found it has made him more productive. I plan to mention it on my next eye doc visit.

I appreciate all the input from everyone. Thanks much.

Me too...
 

Most lights, other than sun light, unless it is directly in my eyes, are very harsh on me. I have migraines, which a migraine specialist is working on and over the last two months have not had ONE migraine, regardless of the lighting. I used to also have daily headaches, but they too are gone. However, one things that these lights do do to me is cause seizures. Especially the fluorescent ones. Regardless of whether someone else can see the flickering of the bulb, I can. Some with many of the other bulbs. So we use daylight to give us light during the day. T.V. watching also becomes difficult depending what is happening. Fast changing scenes with a lot of lighting is very difficult. Have seen a epileptic dr. and he feels my seizures are (pyschogenic, although my father just had brain surgery to help him with his seizures this past week). My neuro states "probable MS" but no clear dx.

So just sitting in limbo land, waiting for someone to tell me something while I have a lot of symptoms and no answers.

M

(Supplements taking - Multivitamin, B6, B12, B Compound, Vit D, Vit E, Folic Acid, Acidophilous, Ginko Bilboba, Migra-Ease

Medications taking - Cymbalta 90mg, Topamax 200mg, Seroquil 50mg, Lamictal 100mg, Varapmil, 480mg

Yup...I get them from the lights too.....and I get the floaters showing up worse and the blurry vision and twitchy eye when exposed to the sun as well....I contribute it to the "ON" sometimes it doesnt bother me at all and others eyes are so sensitive and tears just run down whole time I am out in the light....

Wow. I've never been dxd with ON, but maybe that is my problem. For over a year everytime I go outside my eyes water continuously. I just attributed it to new allergies from moving from OH to CO. I'll have to run it by the doc.

Thanks FlyFishin Momma for the info.
Beth

NP Beth,
I had double vision, and very very sore eye sockets.
The squinting to protect my eyes from the sunshine or bright lights gave me a major headache. I went to the eye dr because of the double vision and thats when I was told about Optic Neurititus......He sent me to my PCP who sent me to neuro and the test all started....Had a Dx in no time due to o bands in the LP and many leisions on the Mri's in brain, and spine.
The vision this is misserable......really puts a cramp in life and driving and carrying on with normal activities.....

Hope you find the help you need Beth,
Keep us posted!!!!

HI CAROLYN!!!!! I didn't know that you're in the house! Welcome, this place is great, there is just a ton of info and I'm learning a lot about things I've only heard of.

I'm so glad to see you!:)

Hi Carolyn!!! Well, well, well.... I am so happy to see you...

Gosh.... I'm glad you came back and checked in..... :) :)

i don;t have ms, but this happens to me. i HATE to go shopping.

if i have to suffer through a long day of it ( i am married to a man who LOVES to shop...go figure? :rolleyes: ) i end up with a doozy of a migraine.

the difficutly talking is a sx of my migraines. i mix up words and can actually say a sentence backwards. pretty talented monkey huh? :D

As I think on it, that's true for me too. Certain stores have some kind of lights that make my eyes water uncontrollably. I feel lucky not to get massive headaches from it, but the crying eyes drive me crazy.

I just installed those 7-year spiral bulbs in the garage and noticed it slightly when I was out there for more than a few minutes. Hm. I wonder what specific thing about them does this.

I am really glad that I got back to reading a board like this. I learn so much
and you have all had experiences that help me make sense of the strange
things I experience. It's like learning about a disease the way the blind men
discovered the shape of an elephant!:D

I had some MS related problems due to a runaway infection, mostly familiar
ones, pain, spasms, etc, but never related my occasional problems with
fluorescent light

The clinic where I went for IV antibiotic infusions
treated us in a small room full of Lazy Boy type recliners and extremely bright
fluorescent lights. The first day my eyes went crazy! They ran tears,
hurt, couldn't keep them open. Terrific headache. I guess they must have
figured I was a nut, but I wore a visor hat every day after that, and life was
a lot better.

Now I have a clue about why it bothered me so much and not most of the
other patients or staff. One day while I was there another woman had on
tinted/sunglasses. I should have asked her about what was troubling her!

Finally
 

Hi Everyone,

I'm new here. It's sure comforting to know that the flourescent lights aren't my imagination. I'm never quite sure whether some of the things that I experience are a result of the MS or of getting older. Thanks for the information and another thank you to Snoopy for introducing me to this site. I think it might help me in dealing with this. I have many questions since I was diagnosed just over 1 1/2 years ago.

Have a great day.
G

Hi Geetz! Welcome!:Wave-Hello:

It is strange how many different things can at least be associated with this confounding disease. The lights thing was one of those that I kept thinking was all in my head. It's very affirming to learn that things like this are authentic issues for a lot of people with MS.

Gad you joined us, and I hope you'll stick around.:)

Waving! Count me in on the light thing! Sunlight...inside lights....can't stand any of them!

Did anyone else dim the light on their computer?

I have terrible problems when I am assisting in the OR. I always thought it was because of the heat from the large OR light, but perhaps it is the light.

I know that the lighting in places like Costco and Home Depot (where we seem to be spending a lot of time these days) is very annoying to me. I also find the large array of items in both these stores very annoying and I often feel dazed and confused when I am in there for longer than 10 minutes. Does anyone else experience this too?

That is exactly what caused me to start this thread. I thought it was just the dingy blond thing. So glad it is real, hate it though. SO loves to shop in the middle of the night. So restocking leaves boxes down every aisle make an obstacle course adds to my confusion. I sometimes have to stop and put my head down for a bit and clear out the confusion.

Last night SO had the two TV's on, one with music videos, and the other with closed captioning. I was so overwhelmed with sound and trying to read, I went to take a shower and clear the mind. It seemed to help alot plus I decided to do some sudoku which I find very calming and didn't look ad the tv's.

I feel your pain. Wish I knew of something to help. I sure can't give up shopping.
Beth