Artificial light sensitivity

[kirbymarsha]

Hi All,

I suffer from light sensitivity to artifical light which one of my main migraine triggers., luckily I do much better with natural light. Fluorescent lights, computer screens, mobile phones being the worst with my headache pain intensifying rapidly.

I have headaches nausea and light sensitivity everyday but it does fluctuate so on the better days i can get away with a bit of light exposure.

I currently take 100mg nortriptyline a day as preventative, zolmitriptan 5mg and am following a low histamine diet. The combination of these plus the long summer days has reduced my worst migraine attacks to approx once every couple of weeks from 2-3 a week.

But in the last few weeks these seem to be increasing in frequency again

I’m debating changing medication but as current combo is helping. Is it hoping for too much?

I wondered if anyone else experiences this and whether they found a medication/ treatment that significantly helped?

Things I have tried:

- reducing brightness on screens and using f.lux or different coloured filters ( makes slight improvement but still unable to use screens for more than 20 mins on a good day)

Antiglare filters on screens

Wearing a hat and sunglasses in fluorescent lit areas

vision checked by optician

Rosey red tinted lenses, yellow glasses/ migralense overspecs

Medications - pregabalin and gabapentin

Low histamine, gluten and dairy free diet ( my threshold for triggers drops a lot if I ignore my diet)

Supplements Magnesium, coq10, vitd3, probiotic, ester c, multivitamin ( as recommended by nutritionist)

[Richpain]

HI. I also am sensitive to fluorescent lighting. My company were very generous and paid for specialist filter glasses from Axon Optics from USA (they have offers periodically).

With the import tax from memory they cost about £230. They have really helped me, without them I wouldn't be able to cope in the office.

I also take pregabalin 300mg x 2 a day and velafaxine 37.5mg x 2 a day. My migraine symptoms haven't totally gone, but I am able to function well on most days. I am considering replacing venlafaxine with nortriptyline based on advice from the Migrane Consultant.

Hope this helps.

[kirbymarsha in reply to Richpain]

Thanks for replying. I’ll have a look at axon optics and show them to my optician too. Unfortunately due to screens and lighting at my work I wasnt able to stay in the office for more than 5-10 mins or wfh. I only just managed to avoid being dismissed by negotiating a non paid sabbatical, unfortunately means I’ll have to foot the bill! Do you wear prescription lenses?

I have high myopia (-12) so sometimes it costs another fortune to have lenses thinned out

[babs1234]

I found a combination of chelates magnesium and vit B2 helped though I don’t think I was taking the right dose. Since doubling the dose my headaches have almost stopped. It’s only been a couple of weeks so not holding my breath but here’s hoping xx

[kirbymarsha in reply to babs1234]

Will ask my nutritionist about experimenting with mg levels. In some forms makes me need to visit the loo very suddenly! I’m currently taking mg 116.7mg in magnesium malatr split into three doses. What form do you take and how much mg is it daily?

[Hidden]

I had a colour test with an optometrist & was prescribed precision tints which help. Optician couldn't do anything to help nor prescribe these type of lenses.

My neurologist prescribed epilim which has been effective.

[love4godsword100]

Headfree multi vitimain has been working wonders for me. It is taken twice a day and it had magnesium.. B2 and a bunch of other vitimains all in one. It's 27 dollars on Amazon.

I went from having migraines three times a week to having them about every 3 weeks. Best of luck!

[Onthemove1971]

Kirbymarsha- wow, what a list.of things you have tried. I just wanted to add 2 things. Please look at

Www.noirmedical.com. This is a wonderful company that sells glasses in many types. I think having glasses with a shelf above their eyes. Frame #72 or #38. These do not allow light to enter from where your eyebrows are. These go over your regular glasses or you can put an RX in them.

Second is, have you tried eating almonds? I was in a training and getting a migraine and started to eat unsalted almonds. My migraine started to go away.