Does anyone else have absences or black outs due to sensitivity to light?

[msBrightside]

I do think tiredness maybe be the trigger. In my college class today there was bright lights in the classroom, natural light from outdoors and a PowerPoint. I felt really dazed like I was staring into space and couldn't help but just look out the window. Just there I sat down with heated chocolate fudge cake though the light was on I felt I couldn't move to turn it off then I blacked out long enough for my cake to go cold lol until my sister came in and asked if I was ok and if I wanted the light off I could only nod to her to communicate eyes still shut. Once the light was off I came around after a few minutes, my body felt as though it had been back dropped against the wall. I felt slighty limp I'm not really sure what these episodes are so would be helpful if anyone can relate Thanks

[Tazzy2]

Can fully relate, light sensitive myself and although rareish it is a known trigger.

[msBrightside in reply to Tazzy2]

Thanks for your reply I do feel I'm finding new triggers all the time.

[Tazzy2 in reply to msBrightside]

That is good because the more you know the better you can control it and not feel controlled by it.

Also never let anyone dismiss what you know to be true, we are all different and this is a very individual condition.

[6002athome]

In the past the combination of fluorescent lighting and tiredness would have brought on an absence seizure.

At that time I had a lovely manager who made me sit by large windows in meetings which definitely helped. I also found buying a pair of really good polarised sunglasses made a big difference. I now wear the sunglasses whenever any light is too bright. Taking medication has made a big difference too.

[msBrightside in reply to 6002athome]

Oh sunglasses are a great idea in the summer I wore my dad's alot indoors to stop me feeling ill.

[AmyBadd]

In the past I have had absence seizures brought on by tiredness, the same for my other seizures, too. I had a good long time (7 years) where I had not episodes, but in the last year I have had two tonic-clonic seizures plus a few episodes where I've felt strange in various ways and I think could be epilespy-related. All of these have happened when I am tired, but a couple of time recently I have had "dizzy spells" when I have been working at my computer for a long time and also once when I was watching ice hockey (very fast moving) on TV. I don't know if these might also be to do with light, or just my brain struggling to process things like work/watching a fast sport when it is already very tired.

[msBrightside in reply to AmyBadd]

Yeah It does sound similar to what you are experiencing. My body still feels shaken up and tired from the one last night. I feel they are happening more often my body doesn't like me doing anything seems to be since I started college they have flared up. Probably is just due to tiredness though.

My head, behind my eye and down the back of my skull hurts. After last nights episode Think my head drooped down in a weird way last night woke up lying in an awkward position.

I slept for 5hours when I came in and now I've had 11 hrs sleep and I'm still tired and feel woozy like it could have happened in my sleep woke up with a bump on my head on Monday too. It still hurts lol

I'm going to phone my GP and make sure I have been referred to my neurologist. I feel it really needs to be investigated.

[Tazzy2 in reply to msBrightside]

Interesting flared up since started college as stress plays a major part in this condition.

[Hidden]

I have heard repeatedly that fluorescent lights can cause seizures. Since I have also heard estimates that there are at least 40 different kinds of seizures, you might actually be having brief absence seizures in response to the fluorescent lights in the room.

[msBrightside in reply to Hidden]

Yeah that sounds very possible. Really don't feel great today these episodes have really worn me out.

[msBrightside]

Had another episode last night woke up with my dog lying across me missed 20 mins of my program lol

[BrecklandRanger]

In my teenage years, fluorescent lights trigged some kind of aura (that one experiences prior to a seizure).

[msBrightside in reply to BrecklandRanger]

I can relate to that feeling this morning with the white sky due to snow and the indoor lights I felt dazed like I was half present and felt as though my brain was swelling. It is what I usually get before a seizure and I did black out for a minute not so long ago do feel better now it's a bit dark.

[LearningMoreAbout]

My daughter has epilepsy with a photosensitivity. Lights, tierd, stress and food all trigger seizures. She has many a day but they never last as long as you are saying. I would definetly go and see your Dr. Absences usually last 15 seconds. She has had one episode that lasted 15 mins but she was going in and out of them, not fully blacking out. Good luck and take care.

[msBrightside in reply to LearningMoreAbout]

I've had them since I was 14 they calmed down after I left school due to me having several a day at times.

I did go almost 2 years without one at one point and in the last 5Years they haven't been too bad just short ones every couple of months.

Last week it was happening too often. They do seem to be short too. I think it might be stress and tiredness that is causing it.

I'm going to call today and see If i can get an appointment.

[Cavallo]

The first blink of a flashing white light I close my eyes and turn away.