Yahoo! Sees the (Fluorescent) Light

Did you try the newer bulbs then? Any problem with headaches? We recently partially switched to fluorescent bulbs...they are really great...amazing difference.

Aha! Fluorescent bulbs give me headaches and other issues (a sort of tunnel vision, spaciness). Is there any research out there about this? I work under them all day and it has affected my effectiveness (negatively). I'm looking for some findings. Any clue?

There are PLENTY of us that have a reaction to Fluorescent lighting! We will be using candles! How big will that go over? You are stupid to promote Fluorescent lighting....in many ways there is NO savings! ....a BIG MISTAKE! My health is MORE important! But then...more doctor bills to fill their pockets! What a farce!!! Don't you have anything better to do than to promote such nonsense!!?? Fluorescent equals fluoride...and Mercury and health problems!

D.C.

Health Hazards of Fluorescent Lighting

Known effects and their likely causes

The following is a list of symptoms and diseases known to be linked to exposure to fluorescent lighting:

Headache, eyestrain, eye irritation, fatigue, difficulty in concentration, increased rate of ‘misjudgments’ and accidents, malaise and irritability can be caused by noise, glare and flicker from fluorescent lighting.

Increased stress (which may in turn lead to heart disease) can arise from increasing the intensity of artificial light with fluorescent tubes. It has been shown that increased use of artificial light (rather than natural light) affects the levels of hormones in the body, particularly the hormones associated with stress, such as cortisol.

Variation in brightness, as provided by daylight, is necessary for the normal functioning of the body’s rhythms. The monotonous illumination of fluorescent lighting may also add to the changes in hormone production.

Allergic skin reactions and dermatitis can be caused by exposure to fluorescent lights. An unknown number of people suffer from ‘cutaneous light sensitivity’ due to fluorescent lights. This means that not only can they become allergic to fluorescent lighting but they can become more sensitive to ordinary sunlight.

Certain long-term, mild skin diseases can become worse if the sufferer is exposed to fluorescent light. Some medical drugs (including some tranquilizers, antibiotics, heart drugs and diuretics) can make you particularly sensitive to UV radiation (photosensitivity). Skin eruptions then occur even with the small doses of UV (in the 300-320nm wavelength range) emitted by white fluorescent lights.

Hyperactivity has been linked to the flickering produced by fluorescent lighting. Microwave emissions from fluorescent lighting are also suspected of contributing to these behavioral disorders. Other mild behavioral disorders in children may be made worse by working at school under fluorescent lighting.

Suspected effects

There is also some evidence that the following effects may be caused by exposure to fluorescent lights:

Increased risk of seizure in epilepsy sufferers

Higher incidence of miscarriage

Speeding up the aging of the retina. More health problems to fill their pockets.

I am sensitive to fluorescent lights, especially when the ceiling is lower. I recently attended a quilting workshop and found that after an hour under these lights my eyesight became very blurred. Fifteen minutes outside in natural light helped but I was unable to keep up with the work because of the constant eye strain. I notice that my eyes become blurry when I am reading for any length of time under fluorescent lighting. I am concerned about the effects of a total ban on incandescent bulbs in the near future. I do have a slight pink tint on my glasses to help with this.

If you have problems with Fluorescent lights and headaches and the what not, you should ensure that your lights are running on an electronic ballast. The frequency of an electronic ballast is much greater than that of an old magnetic ballast.

Flourescent lighting is one of the greatest technologies ever.

Pedro has no problem with fluorescent lights (and I assume CFL's) because he is fortunate enough to not have sustained an injury which compromised his vestibular system. And I sincerely hope that he never does.

For ten years I had to walk with a walking stick, as a positional reference, as I have lost my vestibular system in an accident.

Through Neuro-Optometric Rehab, I am being taught/trained to use my vision to compensate for that loss. The therapy is coming along to where I walk unaided and am starting to resume a semblance of a "normal" life.

However, CFL's completely and instantly take away my ability to walk and I become disoriented and even fall.

The folks that make a profit selling CFL's need to figure out how to solve that problem.

Also, autistic children are unable to function in a room with fluorescent lighting.

This is not a new problem.

However it appears that the CFL has some property which triggers off the horrific unintended consequences.

Please help.

A study of perceived eyestrain from fluorescent lighting performed in the UK about 15 years ago found it's not just in the minds of the people who complain about it. It turns out that the 120 Hz flicker (100 Hz in Europe), while not perceptible in our central, or "foveal" vision, is detected in our peripheral vision. It affects the ability to track lines of printed text, causing more strain on the muscles that steer our eyeballs. This is typically not a problem with compact fluorescent lamps, since their electronic ballasts switch at around 10 kHz, 100 times faster than fluorescent tubes driven directly from the power mains. Unless they are defective, they produce no perceptible flicker at all. However, fluorescent light tubes, as found in office and school environments, put out a uniform, nearly shadow-free light. It fools the eye into thinking that the lighting level is adequate. In fact, I've made light meter measurements in various places where I've worked during the 1980s and 1990s, and the lighting level has invariably been between 1/10th and 1/100th as bright as recommended in the Westinghouse Lighting Handbook, a standard reference for lighting engineers. That will not only quickly result in eyestrain, it WILL eventually cause permanent eye damage for folks that need to read a lot on the job. It's not the fluorescent light, per se, but the low light level that's the problem.

I too am concerned about the phasing out of incandescent light bulbs. Fluorescent light bulbs are known to drain vitamin A from our eyes. That loss may well be the result of eye damage, skin damage, nerve damage and allergies; not to mention all that a vitamin A deficiency can result in. Fluorescent lighting has always bothered me. Surely, there are other ways to save energy and protect our health.

Question: what is in a non-PCB electronic ballast? One malfunctioned in my work area and emitted an irritating fume, smelling like stink bombs. Two light fixtures (each with two 3'foot fluorescent bulbs) are no longer functioning and the plastic shield lamp fixture has black soot.

I have what they call scotopic sensitivity, which means fluorescent lighting really hurts my eyes, head, and entire nervous system. My vision also gets distorted under these lights. I had some specially tinted glasses made, which help with the vision part but not with the pain. All I can do is avoid those horrible lights, which is difficult as a grad student. I've registered with the disability office so that I can be sure to have at least some of the lights switched off in the classrooms.

Go to www.irlen.com

They're the people that diagnosed me and made the glasses. I write about this in my linked blog, by the way.

I became aware of my inability to function normally after being under florescent lights for any length of time. The compact flourescent lights recently marketed to not seem to bother me. I have one at home in my lamp and I can function quite nicely. What I seem to be bothered by are the long light tubes, especially when the ballast they are mounted on has metal reflectors. I was at a training yesterday and after about 30 minutes I started noticing having eye discomfort and difficulty listening to the speaker. I start feeling like there is sand in my eyes and as it goes on I start feeling like I can't breathe and I start feeling anxious, with a feeling of impending doom, almost like I'm having a drawn out panic attack. I moved my seat as soon as I noticed this, but even though I was no longer directly under the lights, I still seemed to feel the effects, and for several hours after leaving the setting I experienced drowsiness, fatigue and feeling shaky on the inside. It almost felt like I was having a seizure. Has anyone else noticed this? I've tried to find information on this and have found nothing that approaches what I experience.

I have been complainng about these lights for years. Everyone thinks I'm nuts. I get really red and my vision is blurred. As soon as I leave the doctor's office it goes away. What the heck is going on?

I have noticed for some time that in shops with bright lights that I feel light headed and dizzy e.g. Next, Gap. My eyes seem not to focus easily. When I go out into natural light I feel a lot better. Like Monica 11/5/07 this week on a training course I was under a fluorescent light and within half an hour felt dizzy, light-headed, hot, anxious just like a panic attack. I did not feel better for hours later. What can be done to remedy this? Does anyone know?

I have noticed for YEARS certain places just wash me out after an hour or so. I work in an emergency dept at 3 different hospitals. One that I work at 2 days a month ALWAYS makes me feel sluggish, have difficulty concentrating, jittery, and my eyes squint and strain the entire shift. Is it the particular fluorescent bulbs they use? lack of enough lighting? low ceiling? who knows? I just told a physician colleague of mine yesterday about it and he thinks I am nuts! Well, I have felt this way each and every time I work there. There is a mall that I used to go to that got new lighting, neon type, and I would get so wiped out there that I knew that it must be the lighting. There is very little data on this. No wonder people balk at this.

Certainly the old fluorescents (T-12s) which are ubiquitous caused many problems: cold light, flickering, slow starts -- thus, the T-12s are being phased out.

The new T-8s are far different. They use electronic ballasts, instant-starts, no flickering, and come in a variety of "warm" to "cold" lights.

The old T12 lamps use Magnetic ballasts, which use a "core & coil" assembly to transform electrical current to start and operate the lamps. Magnetic ballasts are less efficient, noisier, and heavier than the electronic ballasts in T8 fixtures.

But the T8's electronic ballasts start and operate quieter, with no flickering and increased efficiency in light output with less energy consumption than traditional ballasts. T8 electronic fixtures have now become the standard in new construction and retrofit applications.

And remember how you heard the hum and saw the flicker of the old T12 startups? T8s are typically equipped with rapid-start or instant-start ballasts.

For T-8s, louvers, shields, lenses, filters, or baffles are used to prevent the direct viewing of lamps within the fixture at normal viewing angles and also to diffuse the light coming out of the fixture.

Where T-12s come in one shade of "white", standard T8 lamps for offices are around 4,100K. This is more towards the cool side and creates a cool feeling, which is typically suggested for work environments.

T-8s with warm color temperatures of 3,000K or less create a desirable lighting environment for residences, restaurants, and other “hospitality” spaces.

Studies from 15 years ago using the old T12s can't tell you how T8s perform.

BTW, T-8s are much cheaper to run (about 75%) compared to T-12s.

I've had the same issues as Monica for over 9 years. I started noticing it around 17. It's ruined my life in short and I've found some things that have helped. Anyone that wants to talk please email me. Let's beat this together!!!

I don't feel good when I have to be under fluorescent lights for any length of time. They give me a headache, drain me and aggravate my skin condition (rosacea). My dermo says they omit UVA rays. Fluorescent lighting is everywhere and hard to avoid. At work I have them turn them off over my cube area and that has helped. Fluorescent lighting is aggravating and it isn't your imagination. I don't know of any remedies except avoiding them. If anyone knows of something please let us know.

Lately i too have noticed these unhealthy feelings while working under fluorescent lights. I just came back from a 2 week outdoor vacation and noticed a dizzy light headedness feeling while working in my studio under these lights. In the past, I did not feel this way but recently i have begun to feel unfocused with a slight headache and a strange feeling that something is not right in my head under these lights.

My alternative doctor says wearing aluminum foil on the head under a hat (so that no one sees it) may help block the rays from the lights that affect the brain. She says to do thing when flying on an airplane to block the rays from the sun that penetrate the airplane. I may have to try it.

I have had problems getting the medical people to believe me over the lighting problems.I get eye strain, feel dizzy & sickly. I suffer from heart problems which I feel are made worse, I get the feeling that my heart has a weight on it dragging down wards, the longer I'm in the fluorescent lighting the worse I get, in fact i've been admitted to hospital over it, but the consultants put it down to my heart disease.the site where the problem occures is in my sons shop, within 15mins my problems start but turn the lights off no problem.I am being fitted later this month with a 24hr heart monitor to see if it records any change.I am printing off the above comments to hand over to my consultant, he says he's never heard of this problem.

I too am very dismayed about the lack of education to the public, before they ban incandescent bulbs. The hazards of fluorescents either perceived or not does not negate our right to choose. I have never heard anyone complain about the light from aa incandescent bulb. What on earth could we be gaining with all this dissatisfaction with flourescents surely our homes should be a sanctuary. Don't let this ban pass it is not in our best interest.

I think most of these problems are much simpler than suggested and I'd bet most of the stated problems are from old-school fluorescent bulbs, not COMPACT fluorescent bulbs (CFLs). Your headaches and dizzyness are much more likely due to the phase and spectrum of light than from UV rays penetrating the skull. The hum of magnetic ballasts can also act similarly to white noise and have a hypnotic effect.

I changed my long-sighted specs 5mths ago and seemed to be doing quite fine. But since a wk ago, I felt frequent blurry eyes, slight headache and giddiness. I think, its likely due to this new job I've been with for 3 wks now. I have my own office working under glaring neon lights making my eyes uneasy that almost all the time I've to wear my specs to read, write and type. My office can't change to flourescent lights which I am used to because they have to be same with the entire office. Can anyone advise what shall I do? Quit? But I am working with very senior people. Thanks.

I have lupus and and very sensitive to both sunlight and fluorescent lighting. Long exposure (as in a couple of hours) will set off a lupus flare. This can be a matter of life and death for me.
Guess I won't plan on visiting California.

I'm very sensitive to fluorescent lights and never go anywhere anymore without carrying a baseball cap and yellow-tinted sunglasses. I have a great pair of Vuarnet sunglasses made for skiers; they filter out the harsh rays fairly well. But sunglasses only help you see ahead. The problem with fluorescent lights is most of the time, they're on the ceiling -- which is why I wear a cap or hat with a brim, or at least a visor.

I find I can tolerate fluorescent lighting best if it's countered by natural daylight. When I eat, for example, in a diner with overhead fluorescent lights, I sit by a window. Of course, this only works during the day!

It's very important to have your eyes checked by a retina specialist, not just a regular opthalmologist.

SO what do you recommend we do? Those who work retail for example who can not wear a hat etc? My neck and back of my eyes hurt. My 1st day on the job yesterday under 100% fluorescent lighting.??? Anti glare glasses?? any ideas?

I've just moved to a house where lighting is at a premium and the kitchen has a fluorescent ceiling fixture. I heard somewhere that full spectrum daylight f. lamps didn't have the bad effects of the "cool" standard lamps (and are about double the price of the cool). I have always felt the regular f. lights affect my nervous system in some way, seem to drain my energy. Does anyone have any information on the difference between full spectrum daylight vs. cool lamps?

I am relieved to see that I am apparently not imagining things! I have been working in fluorescent lighting for almost 14 years. Over that time I have developed several health problems,including migraine disease. I have been diagnosed with painful and silent migraines and have had several TIAs (mini-strokes), 95% of which have all taken place while I was at work.The last 'episode' was on Aug. 15 2007 and I have not worked since Aug.16 2007. One of my doctors feels I had another TIA and one feels I had a hemiplegic migraine. Whatever it was, the immediate effects lasted 4 days with staggered, unsteady gait, confusion,slurred&slow speech trouble thinking/remembering,vision problems,severe headaches,spaciness,etc. I am still not back to being me and am awaiting an appointment with one of the top neurologists in the southeast. Since I've been off, we went into a store and were looking at lighting for a new barn,and when I got near the fluorescent lights, it set off, what I can only describe as, an EXPLOSION in the very front of my head, causing immediate confusion and spaciness and headache and irritability that lasted for the rest of the day.I have also noticed that I cannot deal with stress as well as I used to anymore. Stress will also cause the headaches, confusion and spaciness.
There is a great deal of stress on my job as I work with the public and our mgmt team is very difficult. Add the fluorescent lighting, all over the store,and directly overhead, and it spells disaster for me, and trying to function on my job.
There is NO WAY these people will turn off any lights and if they did I couldn't see to work in my area, as I work 2nd shift. I do work right next to a very large plate glass window,but the natural daylight does not seem to overcome the effects of the fluorscent lighting and when it gets dark outside, without the fluorescent lighting overhead I would not be able to see to do my job. It's a double-edged sword! I am a 51 yr old female, and don't know what's going to happen. I have to help my husband pay bills, somehow.

I'm glad I'm not the only one. I thought this was my imagination. I recently bought some of those energy saver bulbs and I started feeling anxiety. and headaches at the back of my eyes, not long after I put them in. I took them out and it all went away. I feel like that in stores and always wandered what it was, but never felt that way at home. I guess I know what it is now. How do you all cope at work with this problem? Since most places away from home use these.

I work in a very busy 911 center. My supervisor now wants to keep the light wide open. I work 12 hour shift with a high level of stress. Light or too much of it pisses me off. Don't know why but I am much more relaxed with lower lights.

It took some time to realize it, but I recently discovered that I am afflicted by a similar "fluorescent sickness" when I am in large stores such as Home Depot, Target, etc.

After just a few minutes of exposure, I begin to experience fatigue, nausea, headache,and my eyes feel weary and look bloodshot. It is a relief to see that I am no the only one this happens to and there doesn't appear to be much research on the subject.

Compact fluorescent bulbs do not seem to have the same effect, interestingly enough...

"describe as, an EXPLOSION in the very front of my head, causing immediate confusion and spaciness and headache and irritability that lasted for the rest of the day.I have also noticed that I cannot deal with stress as well as I used to anymore. Stress will also cause the headaches, confusion and spaciness."

April, this sounds like a petite mal seizure / Aura. I started to have epileptic auras after I had converted my house entirely over to CF's. Your description is exactly the way my experience felt. The subsequent EEG confirmed light epileptic wave forms with particular sensitivity to flashing lights at differing frequencies. Never had issues previously, 37 now and am rebuilding my life to ensure I never cross the seizure threshold again.

Florescent tubes definitely trigger my seizure activity. However, I am often told that my ADA requests for non-florescent lighting are unreasonable. I have to take an incandescent clip lamp to the doctor's office and accommodate myself, even though he provided a letter stating that I should avoid them!

When I talk to people about being sensitive to florescent lights, about 15% of them voice their own complaints, including headache, fatigue, and confusion. I have a cousin that says there is research about the effects on kids with learning disabilities also. This is not in our imaginations! Florescent lighting should be banned under the ADA.

I have a real problem with Fluorescent lighting. If I am anywhere near it my skin gets a burning feeling (back, feet and hands) then I get what feels like electrical shocks. I now wear long sleeve shirts, long pants and a hat (which helps) in all building with fluorescent lighting. It really is a problem as more and more business are putting in fluorescent lighting.

I have worked a my job for almost 4 yrs. I recently have noticed my body feeling really strange. I have had blurred vision, confusion, Fatigue, and to be honest, my skin sometimes feels a little numbness.When I would leave the store to go outside for awhile I would feel better, in the natural light.I thought I was going crazy. SO, I made a doctors appointment, had some test run, they are going to check my blood for different things. But the more I sit at work and read these comments, I am sure that it is the fluorescent lights.I have 35 sets of lights in this store...just 5 min. ago I put on sunglasses and instantly started to feel better.SO..I don't know what the answer is. I can't wear glasses at work............

Well I was both happy an sad to find this site. I have been suffering from the flourescents for a while now, about 4 years but it is a lot worse now. i thought I was nuts but I feel like I am poisoned by exposure to the lights especially on a very low ceiling. Some super markets are murder as well. If there is natural light it helps but lately underthe lights i am so fuzzy, get blurred vision, dizzness, bad migrane headaches which have effects for several days, and nausea. I worked under the loghts all my life but now I can't, a hat helps as do dark glasses but can't wear them all the time as a teacher. What the heck can I do????????

Marc above has taken the words right out of my mouth. I am a teacher and have been off work since September. My school is filled with fluorescent light that is only about 3-4 ft. above my head. I have feelings of being off balance, in dis-equilibrium, top heavy, dizzy and an overall sense of malaise. I cannot go into Staples, Wal-Mart or any supermarket that contains mass quantities of fluorescent light. This "visual confusion" is too much for my system. Noone has been able to help. I am doing vestibular exercises, but feel that they will be irrelevant to solving my problem Would love some insight.

I went everwhere to find help and every doctor told me that they never heard of it! I felt dizzy, confused, sick you name it when i go to places with Fluorescent lights... Finally someone told me to go see an eye doctor and they told me it was very common. So ive been wearing sunglasses day and night for 4 years now but it has restricted me from many many locations! It has really changed my life....

Kim,

Could you expand on what the eye doctor told you? Was it simply an optomotrist or an optho-neurologist? Did they expand on what they meant by "very common"? Have the sunglasses helped? They did not help me. Thanks!

Well when I started experiencing the effects of Fluorescent lights, I went to many doctors and they just looked at me like I was crazy. They said they never heard of it. Someone suggested that I check my eyes. So I made an appointment to an eye doctor, a regular optomotrist. I explain to her how I was feeling when I went to department stores and anywhere there was flourescent lights. The dizziness, headaches, the feeling that I'm going to passout. She told me that it was Fluorescent lights that was the cause of it and it is actually more common than I thought. She told me to wear sunglasses where ever there was Fluorescent lights. It helps most places but some places I avoid all together. I wish there was a way for us to get this information out there. Many ppl dont know about this , not even doctors. There should be a way for ppl to save energy without affecting ppls health that way. I'm so happy I found this site.

Wow! Okay, I feel so vindicated and grateful to know that there I am not alone in this. However, I am sorry we are all suffering. The anxiety and inability to focus on tasks or to think clearly are the worst for me. It bugs my eyes, and I get ocular migraines fairly often, but the other issues are even more negatively affecting me. I had noticed for years the "spaciness" after being in stores with fluorescent lighting for any amount of time, but since January 2000 I've been working under them (whereas before I worked at home) and I've experienced such difficulty concentrating, remembering, and generally, just not feeling well. I have brought it up to my former boss, Human Resources and one of the VPs (who usually works out of his own home in another state) is the only one who really understands because the fluorescent lights give him headaches. However, he has the freedom to get out from under them and I don't, as I'm an administrative assistant. We need to pray for a solution, for wisdom, and for a way to overcome. Thank you all for sharing! I feel encouraged.

Fluorescent can not replace incandescent light in places like bath room or patio. I had a friend who went all fluorescent at his apartment. The problem is the fluorescent bulbs in his bath room takes 3 minutes to reach acceptable brightness. In 99% of the time, people are done using bathroom in less time. And the constant on/off is killing the bulbs quickly.

Another friend put fluorescent bulb in a floor lamp that has a three position switch. The drop in voltage surely killed half dozen bulbs in less than a month.

I feel like I am getting sun burned by the lights at work, or by my computer. My cheeks and nose will get bright red. The strange part about this is that it often bad in the morning, but then the redness calms down later in the day. This also happens at home when I am working on the computer at night. I don't always get red, but often do. I can't seem to make the connection of why it only happens sometimes.

I am sensitive to those types of lights as well. I go in large grocery stores and I feel dizzy. At work I am in a supply room all day working on filing and the light bounces off the white papers causing eye strain and I feel sick. I think I just recently put it together because it just seems that my eyes bother me more as well with these lights.

I figured out that fluorescent lighting bothered me a long time ago but thought I was weird. It's good to know that I am not imagining it even though there isn't much I can do about it except avoid them when I can.
I will get confused and use the wrong words in sentences a lot, or can't think of a word, get blurry vision, eyes get tired and red, and feel just sickly.

I have been noticing lately that there are certain stores that I need to avoid. This is due to the Fluorescent lights used in them. I feel disoriented and cannot think properly. It takes HOURS for me to return to normal after being exposed to fluorescent bulbs. Honestly, though most of the time they do not bother me. I have noticed this only at a few establishments. I recently accepted a job position with a company.... after being in the building for only about 1 hour, I did notice that I was feeling strangely and that the fluorescent lights there were bothering my eyes. When I got home, it was a long time before I felt right again. I think I am going to reconsider taking the job offer...no need to make myself sick because of this. I do not think I could deal with those lights on an everyday basis. I wonder if some folks are just more sensitive to rays emitted from the bulbs?

Welcome to my world, Michelle. I have a career where fluorescent lights are prevalent all day long. They cause me to be extremely disoriented and I can't think properly. This seems to be a familiar thing to many people. I have been searching for years to find information as to what this malady actually is, but have not been successful. I would give anything to find an answer to this problem.

This is the first time I decided to "research" this. I first had difficulty over 40 years ago - an opthalmologist prescribed tinted lenses which did help some in school (at least I was able to graduate).
I can't tolerate strobes (explains my dislike for disco?), "carnival" type flashing lights and the bright (fluorescent)lighting in many commercial establishments - all create anxiety, chest pressure, nausea, confusion and that "feeling of impending doom" - all of which are relieved in short order if I leave.
I have actually experimented with supplementing extra calcium, magnesium and B-vitamins to see if it would reduce the sensitivity - it has seemed to help at times. (If I can find any scientific validation for this I'll come back and post again but would not recommend "overdoing" any of these, just seeing if your diet meets or slightly exceeds recommended levels). Nutritional factors and evaluation is often overlooked by doctors - many (if not most) of us don't eat an "optimal" diet (based on "real" food with minimal additives) that is more or less mineral balanced. Interestingly, opthalmologists are the doctors probably most aware of nutrition, as are most nurse practioners. Good place to begin is with a certified/registered nutritionist - probably would have to check with local hospital to find one.
(FYI - my background is as an RN and intensive study of equine nutrition. Most horse diets are magnesium deficient and adding it - as well as balancing other minerals - often makes a difference in their reactivity.)

I am so glad that I read all these e-mails. I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Fibromyalgia. I have a terrible problem with Flourescent lighting at work. I work for the School Districts here in Southern California and have worked many jobs in the past that I either got fired at or left, due to being ill from the lights. I get headaches, tension, disorientation, goopy eyes, problems concentrating, upset stomach. I tried to work 2 6hr days at 1 of the schools and after the 2nd day I was sick for 2 days in bed. It almost feels like something is firing off in my brain when I get under any type of Tube lighting. My ex says I have had this for years! I feel bad for our kids in school, they complain of headaches too! What do I do? I have to work, I am a single mom and I just don't know what to do. I wanted to go back to school, how can I? I am 46 years old not much time left to really work.

not to mention all the mercury they put in the environment.

Well,I'm back again, and still not working. I haven't worked since August 16 & it's Nov.18. My doctors told me to wear sunglasses too, and they do not help.Like some of the rest of the sufferers
here, having to go to Walmart, Lowe's, or anyplace
where there are fluorescent lights is not a good thing. Even my doctor's offices. I know it means an awful time ahead, for me. All of my doctors have seen what these lights do to me. One of the nurses was kind enough to turn them out! It was such a relief, until the doctor came in and turned them back on.Then, the pain and confusion, and fuzziness, and weird visual disturbance,etc. came back with a vengence.Like Kathleen, I have fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue syndrome. I also have obstructive sleep apnea,a history of TIAs,
widespread arthritis which includes the c-spine and lumbar spine,degenerative disc disease, and have recently been found to have an enlarged heart
among other things.But, this problem with fluorescent lights, to me, is harder to deal with
than any of the rest!Now, I have started to have ringing in the ears,dizziness most of the time,
darkening of my vision,shadows and dark shadowy patches in my field of vision,seeing things(at night)in the road that are not there, or seeing things in the pasture that are not there, and if approaching a curve with a guardrail it looks to me as if the guardrail is out in the road! I know it isn't, but it sure looks like it. I haven't driven but one time since the 'episode' on August 15. I am not comfortable driving. I feel fuzzy and confused when I drive.My doctor has had me off on short term disability. On Nov.5 he told me to go apply for my social security disability. Ten days later, on Nov. 15, he told me he had nothing concrete to keep me off work anymore so I might as well go back to work. I was so stunned, I
didn't know what to say. I was already under the influence of the fluorescent lights and not in good shape. Had he said this to me on Nov 5, I could have gone back to work. But, on Nov 7, my job let me go, after almost 14 years, due to medical disabilities. I have no job!I don't know what we are going to do now.TIM,thank you for your input.Perhaps I should ask my neurologist about an EEG.My doctors have mentioned an EEG, they have been concerned about Multiple Sclerosis
they have said I have had a hemiplegic migraine
which is a rare and can be a dangerous migraine,
but they never go any further than mentioning or being concerned.This has advanced to a point that
I really don't think there is any way I CAN go back to work and be around fluorescent lights. I cannot function around them. I don't even go anyplace where they are without a companion to help me when the effects hit me. I have to be caught when I stumble and sometimes physically led
around. You know, maybe we need to band together and get a petition or something out there so that our voice, our problems are heard, and try to STOP
this total conversion over to fluorescent! If they had to see through our eyes and suffer what we do, they'd change their minds. Sorry so long!

This will be a long entry. I've read this whole page, and am amazed at how similar most of the posts are... I also see that there are almost no real solutions, but that's not a surprise to me.

For 30-odd years, I abused my body. Not with drugs or alcohol (I'm pretty clean, outside of a couple of years of normal college drinking), but with tons of stress, very little sleep, and lots of staring at monitors. I've always worked around computers, either in IT or as a writer. And since 15, I've worked like a dog, sleeping an average of maybe 4 hours per night. There was a stint in Silicon Valley where I worked 100 hours per week, sleeping 2 hours per night, usually staying up all night at least a couple of times a week.

At one point, over three years ago, I worked in an all-fluorescent environment, and my life fell apart. I developed debilitating headaches, and although my job was patient with me, I eventually lost the job, my other consulting work, my relationship and finally my apartment and belongings.

What happened? It started with just headaches, which I immediately suspected were caused by the fluorescents -- and that was a quick target for doctors, telling me that it was too easy to blame that. But see, I knew my eyes were sensitive, and I knew a good deal about lights, since I had sold lighting fixtures earlier.

I had always had eagle-eyes... able to read not only the bottom line on an eye chart, but the copywrite at the bottom. I had also been tested for frequency and color spectrum, and found that I was an outlier, able to see far more than normal. I could pick up more than 30fps and see in extremely low light. I had discovered a problem in my first computer job, that a low refresh rate on my monitor would get my eyes twitching. If it were set under 85Hz (most are, by default), it hurt my eyes.

So while working at this job with all the fluorescent lighting (a university), I had both the overhead lights, and a computer screen, blinking at a different rate than the lights. I should mention that these lights were tubes as well as CFL's, which were housed in multifaceted reflectors. In fact, the CFL's were much worse for me, reflecting out in different directions at different blink rates.

I started to get tension headaches that felt like having a drill plunged into the base of my skull. That's a guess, because this, of course, hasn't happened to me, but I've dealt with a lot of pain, and this was about as bad as you can have. Once the tension headache was in full swing, it would trigger a migraine, which if allowed to go unabated, would put me on the floor, holding my head, completely unable to do anything but breathe.

And for the first time in my life, I was affected by things like stress, lack of sleep, alcohol, caffeine, etc etc etc. All of these things could bring on a migraine.

I saw specialists all over. All the scans. Tumor? No, nothing structurally wrong. In fact, no signs of anything, aside from the fact that I was in mortal pain most of the time. I was prescribed all kinds of medications while I fought through it, still going to work. But after a few months of that, the meds were making things worse, to the point where one morning I couldn't muster the strength to even rise from bed or eat, so obviously that was the last of that.

I tried more meds later, milder stuff... it seemed to help a little, but not much. I wore shades to work, and figured they helped 10-20%, but that was it. Wearing a hat helped a bit as well.

I changed my life around. New diet, more exercise, more sleep, no stress. After two years, lots of money borrowed and the loss of the aforementioned things, I got back to work full-time early this year, and of course, I'm working around fluorescent lights. They've asked me not to wear a hat inside, so I stopped that, but I still wear shades every day, and I've been told that it alienates me from the others. What can I do??

The effects continue, although in my extremely-vanilla lifestyle, the migraines are mostly under control. Still, I am exhausted after a day of working, especially now in the winter, when it gets dark outside, and the natural lights is gone. I try and spend some time in the rooms that have halogens, but that's limited. I also make sure that my monitor is top-notch, the refresh rate is 100Hz, and it's eye-level.

What can be done? Aside from controlling your own environment (at home), there doesn't seem to be a lot. This is what I know: fluorescent lighting is false to the eye, and the blink of it can be harmful, and a trigger for many things. If you can, get halogen lights, which are the closest thing to sunlight. I have zero problems with them, as long as they're not giving off glare. Make sure your ergonomics are good, if you're sitting. As far as Wal-Mart and the like, have a quick in-and-out strategy before you go in there. Know what you want and where it is, and get out fast. For me, it's usually 15 minutes before I start to feel the headache (my tolerance for pain is pretty high now).

My next step is with glasses. I've spent a couple of years studying this, and I believe that it should be possible to construct a good pair to block out the bad effects. Just simple shades start to do the work in terms of the blink, but you also need to work on the color spectrum, and two very important factors: the peripherals, and uniformity. This means if there are overhead fluorescents, make sure the lenses are polarized, and also make sure they aren't letting in light on the sides or underneath or something. They need to cover your eyes completely.

I haven't found someplace that specializes in this yet... I have a theory that there is a certain hue of lens that will help me, but I need to test this out with a professional. I have a feeling that if you suffer from eye problems from fluo's, then a full-cover, polarized, colored lens might make a substantial difference, perhaps allowing for a full workday under the lights.

It's also worth mentioning that halogens are low-voltage lights, and use less voltage than CF's, and although their heat/light ratio isn't as good, they're not far off from fluo's. And we need more resarch on the effects of Xenon lights, I can't find nearly enough!

If anyone has questions, you can contact me... of if you know of the aforementioned professional in the UK, please let me know. Good luck!

I dread shopping in the supermarkets that have fluorescent lighting's a nightmare walking in there knowing full well i will come out with a migraine. Its ok in the winter time i can wear a peaked fronted hat to keep the light out of my eyes as even my prescription shades dont work in there.

My wife has been diagnosed with an auto-immune disease, seems atypically sensitive in many ways and has noticed that when she enters big box stores (florescent light) she immediately needs to use the restroom. Anyone else ever experience this? Thanks

Thank god, I'm not going crazy. I have had this problem with walking into large stores with fluorescents for a couple years now, I get dizzy and a feeling like the open space is over whelming. Then I started to notice that when I would sit in our family room at night(fluorescent lighting) I was getting similar symptoms, but if I sat in the living room (no fluorescents) at the same time at night, no symptoms. I am seeing my doctor this week and going to ask him about it. And then I'm going shoping for new light fixtures. Boy am I glad I found this sight.

Big stores kill my eyes also. Neck starts to ache, head starts to hurt then the sand in my eyes. I have seen 5 different eye doctors who all find my eyes to be perfectly normal. I had CAT scans and MRI's done. All normal. But the light and air blowing on my eyes in any department store kills me. I have tried every eyedrop known to man. Every pain reliever ever manufactured and nothing is helping. Mike what are some of your ideas?

I do realize that this article had originally intended discussion to go in a different direction, but I just want to say thanks to whomever continues to post these responses. You can't begin to imagine how cathartic they have been. Thank you.

Hi guys i also suffer from fluro light symptems Just like you im so glad i found this sight becouse it doesnt make me feel crazy anymore especially with people with identical symptoms like monica and a few others.
Im from australia.
I have suffered for many years from (anxiety as my doctor told me)i told them it seems to be where theres bright lighting mainly fluros, they told me it was all in my head and a part of my anxiety disorder.
The scary thing is no doctor ive seen belives me and even some of my friends think im mad.
I also suffer simmilar reactions to lcd monitors and tvs (becouse they have a fluro inside)for the lighting .
I seem to even get the effects after 10mins and then after not exposed it takes a few hours to go away.
I would love for anyone who suffers from the same problems as me to email me as a pen pal to talk about these problems and maybe talk about what we have found to make things better so i dont feel like im the only one.
If you would like to chat on this matter please contact me on shane76@aapt.net.au
Thanks Again and to businessweek websight for keeping this forum.

I also suffer problems with fluros. I get dizzy, feel sick and my head starts to ache. There are other symptoms to. I also feel like this if I am looking at certain computer screens or Microfiches plus much more. I have to go to sleep to help shift some of the horrible feelings. I have to wear glasses and have found that when I go to the shops if I wear my Sunnies inside it helps a lot. Get a few wierd looks from people but figure my health is more of a concern to me than there stares or comments. Would love to know how I am going to cope when we can no longer use normal lighting as I do not want to be sitting at home wearing sunnies all day and night.

Hi guys thanks to craig for finding another useful forum about dizzyness and headaches its at http://dizzytimes.com/ if we could all post there we may get more people with the same problems and might be able to get help from others with there ideas.
This site also has lots of other ilnesses and people with other problems too.
Thanks

ALARM - We must do something about the florescents now. The energy bill before House of Representatives soon to be signed by President has a obscure provision in it requiring mandatory transition to florescents in US beginning in 4 years through 12 years complete. If we do not massively bombard our congressmen, senators and the White House switchboard in the next several days we may lose our accessibility to even our own homes, and our civil rights to equal access, disability accommodations all b/c of a misguided effort by the green movement which I otherwise support. This is a crisis. I was diagnosed with complex partial seizures with photosensitive component after a chemical injury. The injured brain gives the very symptoms that you all speak about. It also happens with the CFLs. Irlen lenses are a partial solution, but only temporary b/c the light flicker still gets in around edges of glasses. Some of the naked florescents burn through even the polarizing lenses (double coated) that Duke Eye center neuropthalmologist made for me. Dr. Henry Greene, optometrist in Durham, NC, helped me with these, and with some prosthetic contacts with center an opaque polarized tent to cover pupils. This was not a total answer either, but helped. The answer is CHOICE in lighting. I am a new disabled lawyer who cannot even go in the courtroom b/c of this mess. Now the passage of this bill would mean I no longer even have the house as my sanctuary. We must use our voices now. Please pass this message and call to action along to all of the support groups, independent living centers and advocacy groups you know. It is urgent.

I have to agree with all of those against fluorescents. "The death of the culture" according to Norman Mailer. They have always bothered me and I just had to drop everything and leave a drug store because I thought I was going to have a seizure- eyes were really blinking and felt dizzy and faint- and I'm not epileptic as far as I know! I do have fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue as of August, however, and dread going to work under those lights again or shopping in places with the awful tubes.

What can we do as a group to stop the omnipresence of fluoros?? Is there a petition anywhere. I think they should all be banned until they are perfected for all humans to function normally under.

Wow...I never realized how many other people were affected by fluorescent lighting. I have had problems with the lighting for years but have noticed that since I had lesions on my retina caused by Cat Scratch Disease, it makes my eyes feel even more strained. I will be in Walmart and I have to wear sunglasses. I am fine in natural light and incandescent bulb lighting. Is there any truth to what they say about lower Kelvin temperature bulbs? I read that if you use the ones with lower temperature, they will be more like natural light and incandescent lighting. I hope businesses, offices, schools, hospitals, etc., do their research on the bulbs. If they don't, they are going to see the negative effects of of the lighting.

It's me again. Well, it's the New Year, and I'm still not back to work. As far as my doctors can tell, I'm having complicated migraines, most likely hemiplegic migraines, and it's fluorescent lights that trigger them. But, I have just recently discovered one interesting thing...we went into a restaurant to eat and I didn't even pay any attention to the lighting. After about 20 minutes I felt that familiar magnetic-like pull on my brain. I looked up and saw the fluorescent lights and wondered why it had taken so long for me to feel the 'pull'? But, I also noticed the ceiling was painted black. The next effect, the feeling of my eyes crossing, followed immediately by blurring and doubling of my vision and ringing in my ears and dizziness, didn't happen until we had eaten and were paying and getting ready to leave. I was actually amazed! Because I was able to get out of the lights as soon as the fuller effects started setting in, I was able to get over the effects a lot sooner and easier. I kinda feel it had to do with the black ceiling absorbing the glare and not bouncing it back at me. The fluorescents still got me, but not as quickly as usual. This time I didn't look like a bumbling drunk by the time we left. My neurologist has changed my meds around, again. He said he was trying to "switch [my] neuro-transmitters". I am scheduled for an EEG on Feb 13, 2008. I may be crazy, but I actually hope something shows up! My short term/long term group disability hasn't paid one red cent since October 4, 2007 and is over $2500.00 behind. Now, they have denied my claim and it has gone into appeals. I go to apply for my social security disability on January 10, 2008.
If I don't get some money in here, my husband and I are going to lose our home and everything else we have worked so hard for. I have all of these painful and disabling health conditions,
but the ones that are the most disabling,including these blasted migraines triggered by fluorescent lights, don't have any medical tests to prove them. They do not show up on any medical imaging studies, etc., and if they don't, the group disability doesn't want to accept it as real. I have searched around til I have finally found some criteria set forth by the National Headache Foundation, and I am
going to send this to my neurologist and then on to my disability company.
Margaret, you are the lawyer. What can we do? The fluorescent lights are the lights that need to be outlawed! Here we are, we can't work, even though we'd like to. Some of us can't get our disability because we can walk and talk and make sense,as long as we aren't in, around, or near those blame things, but
anywhere there is a job, those blame lights are most likely present! I have already contacted my Senator and my Representative. Of course, I haven't heard a word back. We need a MONDO petition, pronto. Margaret, how's about being our advocate in this fight? YOU know where we are all coming from, first hand. What say you all?

Like others here, I feel relieved to read that many other people seem to experience similar symptoms to me with fluorescent lights (in my case, feelings of fatigue, vagueness, stress and sometimes depression. I also find after prolonged exposure, my fingers become swollen, tingling and 'blotchy' (uneven colour with patchy redness).

In Australia, where I live, the sale of all incandescent light bulbs will be banned from 2009, to force a change to compact fluorescent lights. I'm very concerned about this and am wondering what can be done about it (if we can't get exemptions from the ban on health grounds, then I might have to buy a lifetime's supply of incandescent bulbs in 2008....)

Hi Everybody! I am a little excited right now! We have all been looking for a voice for the 'fight' in getting our disability noticed. Well, go to www.cnn.com and scroll down to where it says something about Dr. Gupta and eco bulbs cause migraines, and click on it. It is a video of today's (01/04/2008) broadcast of Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a well known Neurosurgeon on the subject of migraine triggers, with fluorescent lights being one of them. He, himself is a migraine sufferer. THEN, you can go to your search bar and type in "Contact Dr. Sanjay Gupta" or "Contact CNN" and it will bring up an option to email CNN. I found an option to email CNN and it is supposed to go directly to Dr. Gupta's email. Heck, it can't hurt! The more of us that email CNN or Dr. Gupta, the more notice will be taken. We've been looking for a way to get our voices out there, now is the time to do it! I have already sent mine. I told him to look for this group of people also. So, we do have some hope, at least. Now, we know, it was on National television today! I just have to figure out how to get a copy of the broadcast to my short term/long term group disability and take one with me when I apply for my social security disability! Go for it, y'all! Dr. Gupta has gotten it started, don't sit on your laurels, do something about it! It sure can't hurt!

Back again. I've just been re-reading some of the comments here on this group of co-sufferers. The compact fluorescents don't offer any more comfort for me than standard fluorescents. I thought I had changed all the bulbs in our house....wrong! I turned the living room ceiling fan light on one evening and made the mistake of looking directly into the light. Gee-Wilikers! There were 3 compact fluorescent bulbs in there and when the light hit me, it immediately set off flashing lights and designs in my head, and drew me up into a painful 'knot'. I was in PAIN! All over my body. It was like a very strong electric jolt! I was frozen in one spot for just a brief few seconds. But, when I could straighten up, I was sore all over and was tingling all over. Believe me, I snatched that little chain and turned those lights off, quickly! My head and body hurt for over an hour, just for that few seconds of exposure. Also, it doesn't seem to matter whether it is the new fluorescent lights or the old ones. Sunglasses don't help. Like others here, fluorescent lights are up, over the top of my glasses/sunglasses. I am not a cap-type person, but even if I were, there aren't any jobs that are going to allow one to wear a cap and sunglasses on the job, in/on a public job. For those of us with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, it is very possible that the pain and stress from the pain and effects we go through with the migraines that are triggered by fluorescent lights is causing flares of the fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. I know that the confusion I feel while under the fluorescent lights and the after effects is quite similar to the fibro-fog I go through with the fibromyalgia. One could be triggering the other. On the subject of the Irlene lenses. I have heard a lot about these.
I live in south central Ky. Where does one have to go to check into these Irlene lenses and, not trying to be nosey, about how much do they cost? I wear bifocals.

I want to echo what "Jack's Complete Lack of Surprise" said up there, that there's a big difference between old fluorescent lights and new CFLs.

Also, Francesca, CFLs actually put *less* mercury into the environment, because power plants spew mercury into the air.

Just in case anyone is interested and didn't find Dr. Gupta's broadcast or transcript from the January 4, 2008 CNN airing, I did find the transcript:
Good for the environment but those ugly new light bulbs could be a health hazard. Dr. Sanjay Gupta sheds some light.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Good for the environment but maybe not so good for you. New energy-efficient light bulbs are generating some health concerns this morning. Our chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, is here now to talk more about this.

So, Sanjay, an advocacy group says the bulbs can actually trigger migraines. Is that possible?

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: There is no scientific evidence to say this for sure but you're absolutely right. A lot of people buzzing about this, if you will, talking about the relationship between lights and migraines. It's a well-established relationship, Heidi, I'll tell you. I actually suffer from migraines in full disclosure and if you have a migraine headache, looking at the light can be awful. It can make your symptoms much, much worse -- called photophobia.

At issue here, though, is this question: could the light be inducing or causing the migraines in the first place? Again, no scientific evidence to suggest that for sure but the specific concern is what is known as a flicker rate. These lights flicker at a certain rate and low energy lights flicker at a slower rate and that is how they save some energy but, they are also a little bit dimmer and could that possibly be a problem when it comes to overall migraines. Not sure. A lot of people complaining about it. You can't ignore that. When someone says these lights cause me to have headaches, that is what they are telling you.

COLLINS: Wow. I know this report also talks about these same types of bulbs maybe triggering seizures in people that have epilepsy.

GUPTA: Lighting and seizures are actually a more well-defined relationship. We know that strobe lights, for example, can induce seizures in someone who has epilepsy and those relationships between migraines and epilepsy, as well. People who have migraines are more likely to have seizures in the long run. You can see there about a third report light as a trigger, specifically. Is there interplay between all these -- between migraines, seizures, and lights? There seems to be. There is not again a specific link between lights and migraines but I think that may be forthcoming.

COLLINS: Because, I know when I have migraines, light hurts definitely me when I'm having one but I can't say -- I don't recall it actually causing one. What does cause a migraine? Isn't it different for everybody?

GUPTA: It is. I think, that is the heart of all this. Because, for some people, apparently it can be light. For a lot of people, stress -- about 80 percent -- and women, it's hormonal changes, certain foods like wine, chocolate, cheeses...

COLLINS: All the good stuff.

I share all the same symptoms as the rest of you. I have found that buying an inexpensive 1" thick sheet of styrofoam insulation and cutting it to fit over my computer monitors helps to screen the fluorescent light from directly above. Since my headaches are a medical condition, the company I work for allows me to rest it on top of my cubicle walls. Also, I was fortunate enough to have a desk by a window on the east side of the building which provided direct natural sunlight to help diffuse the effects of the fluorescent lights. I work for a very big company and am required to move to a different area of the building quite frequently. About 6 weeks ago I moved to an area on the north side of the building and have had a headache since day one. The natural sunlight is not direct which I believe is the cause of the constant headache. In the past I saw a neurologist who prescribed medications for me which kept me from having headaches but I was so dopey I could not function at work and nearly lost my jojb because of my lack of performance. I'm curious to know what types of prescription medications some of you have tried just to compare notes, although this website may not allow that. Additionally, an acquantance of mine said he had headaches for years and has not had ANY since he was recently prescribed ACE inhibitors for his slightly elevated blood pressure. Since I don't have high blood pressure but actually have low blood pressure (generally 100/60) I was wondering if any of you share this similarity. I'm wondering if it could be a common component especially between us women. Please share your thoughts.

My wife has many of these same symptoms, but the lights seem to magnify versus trigger. She can be away from lights for 24 hours and still not feel quite well. Then, once she is in the lights, she feels very dizzy and loopy. She has only had this condition for 2 months now. She is trying to get in with her family doctor again, but any advice on a specialist? Would a Neurologist be next, or a Endroconologist? Any input appreciated.

Joe, most people I've talked to who have had this condition have seen a neurologist. I have talked to several who have received treatment from anti-seizure medications which worked for me although I could not tolerate the side effects and had to stop treatment. A nurse at my general practitioner's office said it took her about 4 weeks to get used to the meds, but does well with them now and does not notice the side effects at all anymore.

Heart palpatations, nausea, nervousness, muscle weakness, headache, and an overall "ill feeling." Depending on the amount of natural light and/or intensity of fluorencent lights depends on the severity of my symptoms. I have a rhuemetology appointment later this month (possible Lupus, my mother and maternal cousin have it) and I have been having these symptoms for years. People think I'm either crazy or a hypochondriac. Wish it were that simple. I am so glad I finally found this page. I have searched for it before, but never found anything close to this. I went to the Irlen site, but I want these lights gone! I am a teacher too, and a little bit nervous (vain) about wearing a visor or sun glasses in class. It just seems so over dramatic! But, even a make-shift visor of bent paper helps in a pinch. Is there a forum for us?????

The U.S. Energy Bill WAS PASSED that will make incandescent bulb ILLEGAL by 2012!!! So, what can ANYONE do about that?
BTW, though coal plants do spew some mercury, CFLs put the mercury into the hands and homes of every fool that ever breathed. At least we could work towards cleaner coal plants without risking being poisoned by our neighbor's stupidity or apathy when it comes to recycling safely, and safely cleaning up broken bulbs. HOW ABOUT TORNADO or HURRICANE damage? They're going to be even MORE toxic to clean up.
PLUS, "safe" disposal of regular bulbs calls for using double plastic bags routinely. What, we want more plastic in the environment??? How about the money spent and the poisoning of people through groundwater contamination of improper dumping , which is BOUND to happen (look at California, folks, where the majority of consumers throw 'em in the regular garbage)
I've got lots more reasons/facts that make this an assinine idea. I plan to blog on it soon. A premiere blog topic! It's really got me burning!
S. Reed

April, Susan and others,
The Energy Bill was passed, and now I am collecting research, information and personal stories at request of Congressman Howard Coble. It got me really burning too, at Christmastime nonetheless, and that's when I called the Congressman's office. Everyone call their own Congressman's office, if you are having adverse medical effects from florescents. Request that they reconsider that one Energy Bill provision because of effects on some members of medical populations with photosensitive epilepsy, lupus and other autoimmune disorders, XP, autism spectrum disorders, migraines, roseacea, ADHD/LD. The new as well as old florescents and CFLs cause these disabling effects to me, and I did lose my home, job, etc. I also am almost a prisoner in my own home, except for when I engage in the battle over requesting accommodations. If anyone does request accommodations, refer the employer to www.jan.wv.edu. This the government funded website for disability accommodations. Florescent sensitivity is mentioned under migraines, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, MCS, CFS, brain injury, cognitive dysfunction. Complaints about disability discrimination may be filed with the Dept. of Justice, Office of Civil Rights, Disability Rights in Washington. There is a website. I am approaching my disability accommodation as an ADA issue. This is only general information, and the process I have taken to try and resolve my own difficulties. Questions I asked: Does the legislation violate the Americans with Disabilites Act, by denying us access, etc. Some legal information on www.bazelon.org (mental health advocacy website but good practical ADA info/links) on specifics of ADA. Is this legislation taking away our own self-accommodation in the home, as well as keeping inaccessible most public places? Call your congressperson, will probably speak to their aide, and tell them your sotry, and ask the congressman to check into it as part of your constituent services. As patients in the CFS Support group we learned to be nice, but firm, intelligent, and make your case wisely, have points jotted down b/f speaking. Show the financial impact on our country by not being able to access the workplace. Write letters to media, and get some publicity. If anyone acna find algore's address, I am environmentalist as well, but this is not part of the solution - tell him of our difficulties. However i would not hold my breath there, b/c environmental defense network has ignored all my emails to alert them to this. Mind set - made up? They messed up on the tire reef solution in Florida too, now it is all breaking up and millions of dollars in clean up. I was also horrified by you tube multiple postings I just saw on teenagers breaking florescent tube lights on one another s backs, with the fumes releasing on them. We must each do something, with our one voice, call to raise the light on the issue. There are millinons of us all over the world - I have seen many US posts in my research, and there is a UK org, www.spectrumalliance.org I think that is tackling the issue in UK. BTW April, my first diagnosis was CFS/FMS then MCS as well, and chronic lyme on top of chronic migraines. They didn't find out what was causing my non-clonic seizures like many you describe here until they did an EEG with photic stimulation. It found subtle seizure disorder in right and left temporal lobes. Strobe light, computer monitor with low refresh rate, florescents, visual fire alarms with strobes are what cause it. When I go out at all we have to seek few restaurants with non-florescents, then wear dark polarizing lenses (coating on both sides) on the few times per month I am in these lights. They wouldn't think of taking away curb cuts for the mobility impaired, nor taking away other accommodations - we need to be bold on this. It is not a psychiatric condition. The best evidence for me was the EEG w/photic stimulation, and the testimony in writing of my caregivers and husband and people who know me. Also my doctors (I prayed to find the right ones) would note this in my records, including my eye doctor who thought up the glasses partial solution. Hope this helps. I can't participate regularly, but if any medical links, cites you send to your congressperson, please cc them to me at MaryLillie80@aol.com. The only ones I have found so far are epilepsy, except for the government Job Accommodation Network accommodations site. I think there are a lot of patient reports, but not a lot of studies in certain areas.
For legal advice in a severe situation,you may want to call a Legal Aid lawyer in your area if your income is low to find out your rights, or your state's Lawyer Referral Service, or perhaps ask Pre-Paid legal to write a letter, or call your state bar for pro bono representation, or ACLU to give you advice/and if they think you have a case, to represent your legal disability rights free or reduced rate in these matters.

What a great forum! I've felt "ill" working in an office environment for ages now. At first I thought it was due to lack of air conditioning etc., but eventually came to the conclusion that it's triggered by the flourescent lights. I had the same "ill" feelings when in certain shops and realised that they too had the same lighting above.

My symptoms are; headaches, nausea and "dizziness" which some people think is made up as they don't suffer the same thing in the same place.

I recently got in touch with my regional "Irlen" specialist (www.irlen.com) who arranged for me to get some tinted glasses. I've been wearing them for a month now and they definitely help to some extent.

I tend to get bad days and good days. I went on holiday for 2 weeks over Christmas and as soon as I came back into the office the symptoms returned with a vengeance. I tend to find that as the week goes on thing's get a little better; Monday is always the most harsh day.

It's great to know that many others have the same symptoms as me and that I've not been making it up. It is frustrating however knowing that I'm going to feel like this every working day until I retire, or until somebody actually realises how many people are affected by them!

OK...that last post (by Philip) is as if I wrote it myself!

I have commented on how flourescent lights make me feel for years. I thought I was crazy myself. My hubby has been penny pinching and putting those flourescent bulbs into every sing fixture in our house! I recently MADE him put incandenscents back in my kitchen. What a difference! I feel like a new person. WAY more energy, lessened eye strain and eye pain. I feel great! This site gives me some validation for my symptoms. Remember, you can buy halogen too! Those have always emitted a light I can handle very well.

I have been reading a lot of the responses in this forum and I have read, several times, about sunglasses helping some people to improve their symptoms. One of the problems preventing considerable improvement of the symptoms with sunglasses is coverage (i.e. unfiltered flickering light can enter the eye through peripheral areas uncovered by the sunglasses). One potential solution may be to get contact lenses that provide the necessary light filtration. Has anyone tried this?

Also, one thing I'm looking into right now is Cerium precision tinted lenses. They don't offer contact lenses, but for individuals looking to get the most advanced professionally built glasses available, there seem to be the best I've researched (I haven't tried them yet; however, I have an appointment in two weeks).

I just want to add that I think this problem with florescent lights is caused by a magnesium deficiency. I don't have a lot of conviction that this is this case, but with the little material that's available on the subject, that's one hypothesis I've put together.

Furthermore, I am curious if anyone who has this problem also has a sleep disorder or a circadian rhythm problem. I wouldn't be surprised to find that many people develop Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSPS) because of this problem (the reasons why I think this are a bit complicated).

If I find a specialist who knows a lot about our problem with florescent lights, I'll post his/her name and contact information on this forum.

Until I post again, take care everyone. Most people don't know how difficult it is to deal with this problem; however, as this forum shows, there are other people like you who do know. Whatever difficulties this disorder may have caused you in the past, you will come out on top in the end. There are too many people suffering from this problem for it to go unnoticed and unaddressed. Doctors are always looking to get published in a medical journal, and this is a significant topic.

wow... I did a quick search on google and am so glad to find out that I'm not alone. Like many people posting here, I never liked going to Wal-mart, but yesterday I had the worst case of fluorescent lights intolerance ever! 2 mins into the store I was dizzy, holding onto the racks for balance and cannot stay in between the aisles at all. I was so nauseated and had to keep taking these deep breaths to clear my head. Cannot look up any of the aisles, must keep my eyes down... and seriously hoping for a pair of sunglasses!

I thought I looked like a LUNATIC with one hand over my mouth and another holding onto the 24 rolls of toilet paper I got for balance and looking around for open spaces like I was claustrophobic! Seriously I fought so hard not to pass out right there underneath those lights. I was much better as soon as I got out of the store. When I told my sister, to my surprise she told me she never liked Wal-mart because of those lights. Get a big headache and all.

I work 8 hours at my office with fluorescent lights everyday and I changed most of my light bulbs at home to energy saving fluorescent bulbs, but never feel even mildly sick under them.
I suspect the difference is due to the quality of the lights. I once heard about something like a blink rate or something with fluorescent lights and the cheap ones doesn't have as high a rate as the good ones. Therefore people can feel them blinking subconciously but not conciously.

I am so glad to have found this website. I am a part-time teacher and finally realized that my migraine headaches were only happening when I was at school teaching or in a place that had fluorescent lighting. I talked to my chiropractor about it and he mentioned polarized contact lenses since I wear contacts. He did mention to me that this is a big issue for many people. Has anyone heard of polarized contact lenses. I did a google search on it but couldn't find anything. He asked to let him know if I find anything so he can tell his other patients with the same problem.

It's been cloudy here for a few days and the lack of natural light to off balance the flourescents has given me eye strain, fatigue, headaches and an inability to concentrate. I have the bulbs directly overhead unscrewed/off, but the glare from the rest of the ceiling is obviously still effecting my symptoms. I know that if I were to wear sunglasses and a hat that I, too, would be told or perceived to be off-putting or distancing to my coworkers. It does take me a long time to fall asleep, and I've been using zolpidem for the past year for that. I've installed CFLs at home and have not noted any symptoms while there. I'd love to not feel so drained after a full day in front of the computer monitor and below a ceiling full of flourescents, so I'll keep checking back on this thread to see what other solutions are offered to this obviously common and serious problem.

I have had problems with these lights for years. I did have to quit my job when they went to the newer flourescents overhead 5 years ago. They did try to accommadate me by letting me use lamps in my area but I didn't just work in my area. I have migraines and partial complex epilispy (temporal lobe epilipsy) that only shows up around flourescents. EEG's do not show anything in me or my son and the neurologist is not suprised. She said my brain fires fast and sees the refresh rate of the faster lights which then appears like a strobe and the strobe part of the eeg can't memick that rate. It doesn't matter what kind of balast and the cf's don't make a difference. I take Lamictal and that increased my time in grocery, walmart, etc from 15 minutes to 45 minutes. I did learn that computer monitors also have a refresh rate and most of them can be set to a rate that feels more comfortable and decreases migraines and seizures. My son and I both have tinting in our glasses his is a bluish purple and my is grey that helps. He is also sensitive to halogen's. I found this site trying to research xenogen lights to see if I could put one in my all incandescent lightbulb house. I work from home now. My seizures sound like many of the complaints. dizzy feeling, disoriented, anxiety, heavy feeling then very hot with me the reds always look redder, I use the wrong words, write the wrong words, then I start throwing up. Fortunetly I figured out it was the lighting and was able to adapt, I feel bad for my son though. I went to an old school with no flourescents but he is surrounded. I would like to see these laws reversed to keep the light that I feel good in. I really don't want to resort to candles either.

oops...I meant xenon lights. xenogen is something totally different.

I've suffered with fibro for over 11 years now. I never knew why some stores were so much worse than others. I had actually suspected (after years of wondering) that it must be the very noisy air conditioning systems those stores used, until I realized it was the lights. Recently a new SuperTarget opened in our area. Within five minutes, I was extremely nauseous, horrible headache, dizzy, disoriented, replacing words with "nonsense" words, completely off balance, unable to form sentences, and, something I have not seen anyone here post yet-a VERY metallic feeling in my mouth. (does anyone else get that???) When I am under those lights, I feel like my body is literally melting. I feel like I could literally drop on the floor and never get up. Sometimes I really do have to sit on the floor in the middle of the aisle until I'm able to walk out of there. It takes me hours, if not days to feel normal again. The horrible metal feeling in my mouth WILL take days to go away! I hate those lights with a passion!!! Also, when I am under those lights, the pain of the fibro comes on with a vengeance, almost immediately. Deep, aching, and throbbing muscle pain. I have other symptoms too, but those are the most pronounced. I think people must think I am drunk, acting and staggering like I do. How much more are we going to be prisoners if this law is not reversed?!

Hi folks.

While I'm continuing to do research and consult various 'experts', I'm starting a Yahoo group, so we can have a more central place to discuss.

Please join, and please spread the word to anyone that might be suffering as we are.

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/photophobia/

Hi folks.

While I'm continuing to do research and consult various 'experts', I'm starting a Yahoo group, so we can have a more central place to discuss.

Please join, and please spread the word to anyone that might be suffering as we are.

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/photophobia/

I was on Prozac for 20 years for depression. Was taken off because of side effects. Then started menopause. One year later in Walmart had my first experience with fluorescent light reaction-mild at first. Got progressively worse. First I get a migraine then confusion then dizzy and my blood pressure rises. Then a feeling like electric shock going through me and then exhaustion. This can all happen in a matter of minutes. No answers from any specialists. I wear Noir sunglasses and a hat with aluminum foil in it for a short trip in a Dr.s office. They put me in a room and turn out the lights. Some Dr.s won't do this and I can not go there. Would love some answers from researchers who are working on this problem. Have not found any info. as of this date. If anybody has let me know. Am praying for an answer and believe it will arrive.

I read these comments and I have the same symptoms. I work at home most of the time and I am fine but when I do go into the office my eyes start to hurt after about an hour, I become disoriented and have a hard time functioning. The next day I wake up and my eyes are matted shut and extremly red and irritated. Who out there can offer help for this?

My experience that leads me to believe that the flourescents at work are affecting me is as follows: After being exhausted (lack of sleep, jet lag, emotional stress and driving for an hour and a half) I went to work and stood in a room with no natural sunlight for 3 hours (has to do with direct mailing equipment requiring me to stay in this room with machinery). After leaving work at night time, I got into my car received a phone call while I was driving, and had to get off immediately because the person sounded like the wa wa wa wa teacher off the Charlie Brown cartoon. Then my eyes felt like they were crossed and I couldn't see the road because the stoplight's glare and moving cars were making me dizzy. I pulled over thinking I was just exhausted and then tried to drive again and the same optical symptoms occured. I almost put the car in park in the middle of the intersection because I had the feeling I was going to pass out (tingly fingers, cold sweat, dizziness, and loss of peripheral vision.) For a week thereafter, I could not drive my car because I kept experiencing the same "ill" and psychological feelings. In a world prevalent with psychotropic medication that will "cure" any experience of psychological/physiological symptoms, I feel like I have become more of a victim of science and technology than my eyesight failing me. I was treated for the anxiety with clonazepam, but am trying to ween off of it. Then, after working under these lights yesterday, my symptoms reoccured and I thought, a benzo isn't meant to correct for vision, and I could barely drive home last night. The bottom line here is that no one should have to be flagged as anxiety-prone or "crazy" by a doctor or any other professional, before we all consider what is really crazy here and that is that there are more people complaining about the negative effects of theses lights than speaking in favor of the light's energy saving qualities. Treating the symptoms is becoming more normal than treating the problem. It makes me wonder what else is out there that we have tech'ed up at our own health's expense. I guess I'll have to live by candle light and wear sunglasses at night after work (isn't there a song about that) once this bill goes into effect.

To Jane and all other sufferers, As long as we have free will we will have human error and we will have evil. There are thousands of things that we have been sold a bill of goods on and this just happens to be one of them. We need to fight every way we can. I am not a particularly political person but I think I am going to need to be. We get what is happening but where do we go to fight this where somebody will listen and it will not be a waste of time? People, if any amoung you has a sharp political mind please come forward with suggestions. Thank you in advance.

I have read, with tremendous empathy, many of the heartfelt concerns, personal health experiences and frustrations expressed by each of the authors above. I am not going to try and to sell anything here, merely educate and offer hope. I am an inventor with 35 years experience working in the field of ophthalmology in Southern California. I have a website that may be of great interest to those of you who have suffered for years, like so many of my patients, from working and living under fluorescent lights. Please visit: http://www.naturalux.com and if you have any questions for me, I would be happy to answer them for you. There IS hope!

There is a ton of information at:

www.naturalux.com

I too am glad to see that there are others. My annoyances with these lights are much more general and I have yet to have any seizures or violent reactions; instead, I get to work in an overly-bright environment that causes: Irritation, red eyes (people ask if I'm doing drugs), squinting, headaches, etc. Sometimes it feels like someone is rubbing sandpaper around in the front of my skull.

I'm a teacher, so unfortunately can't wear sunglasses all day, and they'd complain flat-out if I wore a hat (but sometimes I do this at my office desk). The fifteen-hour days are the worst, where I know I have to wear sunglasses as much as possible so I don't murder anyone before the evening is over. I cope pretty well by doing several things:

First, sunglasses as much as possible, outside, everywhere inside, until the moment that I start teaching. On a class break, I put them on when I walk out of the room, and take them off when I get back. No one asks many questions anymore.

Second, turn off the lights. If the room is empty, I turn off the lights when I get there. In terms of coworkers, I've figured out who wants the lights on, so I don't turn off the lights if they're in the office, but if those people aren't there and I'm aggravated, I just ask directly, "Does anyone need the lights on?" If no one speaks up, off they go.

Third, I'm fortunate to have gotten a coworker to agree to remove the tubes directly overhead. That helps some, but the lights elsewhere cause problems.

I have a pair of 'indoor glasses' that I wear at times that I had made via a special order. They are tinted and glare coated, etc., and are per my specific instructions and request. As they are a pair of prescribed glasses, it is my hope that no employer will ever be dumb enough to tell me to take them off; I'd consider that an ADA violation. They have sunglasses that clip on, so clearly they aren't sunglasses, right? They also cut down on the visible eye redness, so people don't notice how aggravated I am.

I've been trying to subconsciously train people to turn off banks of lights, and it is working slowly. With outlawed incandescents, however, things could get tough. Oh, there's so much more to say, so I think I'll post it on the yahoo group... low power lighting, how my incandescents will outlive fluorescents, are cheaper, etc.

Are there any specific lamps or colored lights for sensitivity to fluorescent lights? I need help, I cook in the dark by the light of the microwave.

Wow ! I have been suffering from this for years. Worse now that I am older. I sued to have sever migraines and one of my Drs. feels that some of it is related and now i am having silent migraines. I have the exact symptoms of many of you./ i am going to see a neuroophthamologist next week. Will keep you posted on this. Thank God I am not going insane !!!

I agree with everyone here.

I might describe my sympton's a little differently though. Fluorescent lighting seems to flicker and it gives me what starts as a blurry, "what am I looking at feel". It then intensifies and I become intensely confused often having a weird noise in my ear? (auditory hallucination like) and then it seems to become a full on panic attack. '

I am a college student and every class seems to have these fluorescent lighting- the long 3-4 ft long bulbs.

My freshmen year it never seemed to bother me. I also wear glasses as I have bad vision when it comes to reading and seeing things that are far away. But sophomore year I started to realize the anxiety and headache I get when sitting in class, especially if I am already stressed out at all.

All in all, my biggest symptom is that everything seems to get extremely blurry and I am always worried it might trigger a full on panic attack.

Any advice as I still have several years of college left and do not want to go crazy. Taking Klonopin seems to help with my problems but I do not want to become dependent on this benzo medication.

I can best describe the blurryness part which is my main symptom/ first symptom
by saying that your in like a garage with just one or 2 long Fluorescent light bulbs going and me saying to myself why does everything seem blurry. I often have to take of my glasses because I then get a headache feeling.

I am just extremely worried because I seem more and more sensitive to the Fluorescent lighting everyday now.

Any help with my situation would be graciously appreciated.
Sincerely- RJ

RJ, Look above and read Kevin's comments and then go to his site. You can e-mail or call him. He has some good inventions for our problems. Rita

I'm very interested in all these comments having suffered at work for so many years and management taking no notice at all. I could walk outside after a work period and found it difficult to walk in a straight line.
Now retired the problem has not gone away even at home having on government advice mostly energy saving lamps. I have spoken to my GP, A neurologist and my optician who offered no guidance at all.

Thank goodness, I finally found out why I have reacted with these symptoms while under these lights. I first noticed it in the '50s while in second grade when the classes moved into a new building which had the flourescent lighting. All my life I've had to forego work that placed me under flourescents. My family and friends never believed me. Last month two doctors from whom I received physicals told me about these hazards. How many children can not stay fully alert in classes and get chastized publicly for it as I did. Modern technology seems to create more problems than its worth. Where are we headed when we invent something without understanding the dangers?

Oh My Goodness! Why oh why if so many are suffering do more doctors not know about this. My problem started about 2 years ago, diagnosed with allergies, and this medicine did seem to help a bit. Allergra D, Nasonex. Now guess I've gotten used to it, but I first notice my ear clogs, then in fluoescent lights, I get a elevator feeling in my head, followed by chills down my body and then intense heat. Last doctor did notice an eye jump, with simple finger following procedure related to vertigo. Prescribed bactrim, and decongestant and nasonex. Still no relief. Just thought I would share though in case some of this may help you get through this more easily.
Hugs to all as i truly know how miserable and life changing this is and can be.
Beth

I am just happy to know I am not insane and I am not alone. I started searching for answers today after I changed all the lights in my craft studio to CF bulbs last night and then tried to work. I was immediately sick, disoriented, dizzy and unable to continue. It was such a scary feeling.

I used to always chalk the sick, dizzy feeling I got in stores to not eating enough, so I started making sure I ate well before going shopping. I still got sick, so my husband suggested it might be the lighting and try wearing shades and that has helped a bit. But I work under fluorescents all day, and I can't wear shades at work.

I also have been converting the lights in my house to CF bulbs and now I think i need to stop. I don't want to feel ill all the time at home as well.

Wow! I know my family thought I was crazy...everytime I go into certain stores I feel dizzy and light-headed. I dread shoppping now. It has recently started happening at work but I get releif when I shut off the overhead lights and just use a desk top lamp. When I went to see my optomitrist, he was very dismissive and told me to see my family doctor. Now, atleast I have some ideas to get relief!!!

Well, neurologist, and opthoneurologist, both agree, hyperactive cortex, from being a migrainer. There are a lot of things to try,but it is hit or miss. Topapamx made me mush yuck!!! So pink glasses, helped a little, hat a little, still not enough. I am now going to try Migrelief per my Dr. Will let you know soon. Also sleeping with a eye cover is supposed to help.According to Young & Silberstein in a book called migraines and other headaches migrainers brains are really different than other brains.

Pam,

What are the symptoms of a hyperactive cortex. I am very interested in this theory. Thanks.

I have rid my office of fluorescents, its the only solution.

These are all of the causes I've read so far: migraines, autoimmune diseases(ex. lupus), multiple medications (ex.psychotropic drugs), fibromyalgia, head injuries, unbalanced horome levels, seizure disorders. But my question is,"what if you have no known cause"? Are people being treated just because fluorescents are not compatible with human physiology? Should we have to be medicated with very dangerous medications to live in our world? So we can cover them up, cover us up, take medications. Why can't we eliminate them??? How can we eliminate them? Remember smoking in public places, remember asbestos, remember lead paint? One day s