TheraSpecs

JJTL · Oct 22, 2015

Oh. Forgot to mention my mother bought me the TheraSpecs indoor+outdoor bundle ($300) Due to being sick and all that I really haven't had a chance to test them.

Today I decided to go into town to where my father works (which has ok but not the best fluorescent lighting, office building constructed circa 2000-2005) The good news is that I got no headaches whatsoever - which is big news for me.

Normally I would get one within 5-10 minutes and it would last the day without medication. My father has two old model HP flicker free monitors at his desk and I was able to use those just fine, able to visit and talk to the IT department, etc. Although his office has no interior windows and lots of natural light, but still I'm pleased.

Hhelloworld · Oct 23, 2015

Lucky you.

I bought Theraspecs too but they don't seem to do any difference whatsoever. At least when using them in the computer. But I definitely seem to position in the minority. People on /r/migraines seem to do well with them.

JJTL · Oct 23, 2015

helloworld Ah yes. I don't really use them at my computer except when my eyes are strained by other things, seems like you have multiple problems going on with your eyes :/

JJTL · Oct 23, 2015

PS: I found the model of my fathers old monitor and it's LA2205wg . Seems to be an older CCFL based model at 22 inches with 1680x1050 resolution. I don't have any problems with flicker free LCD backlights though, such as BenQ, this MacBook Pro, etc.

Hhelloworld · Oct 23, 2015

Yeah. i'm pretty sure I'm just light sensitive, in a broad way. And by some reason I find LED lightning more aggressive than CCFL. I can't use CCFL desktop monitors without getting migraines, too. The only monitors that don't give me noticeable problems are laptop CCFLs and I believe that's because they're comparatively small, so less light is required to light them.

JJTL · Oct 23, 2015

Good point, maybe a smaller desktop monitor?

Hhelloworld · Oct 23, 2015

I've been thinking in that. On the other hand, I have both an iPhone 4s and iPod3 and the iPhone is way more aggressive on my eyes than the iPad. It doesn't make any sense at all!

As you stated, I believe I have several issues playing simultaneously, and that's one of the reasons it's particularly hard to pinpoint the root causes of my pain.

JJTL · Oct 23, 2015

I've heard claims that not all Apple screens are created equally, especially around the iPad3 time, some of them having different amounts of PWM than other batches (only plagued older models 2012-2013), maybe dithering depending on screen type, etc. My 2015 Macbook Pro has a Samsung screen I believe, maybe find a friend who owns one/find a way to test one in a safe environment.

If all else fails go the small CCFL monitor route/refurbished 2009-2010 laptop.

Ddegen · Oct 30, 2015

I am thinking of picking up an HP 8530w I see on eBay. I only need it for reading.

I have a pair of FL-41 tinted (this tint was specifically created to help migraine sufferers in fluorescent lights) sunglasses from Axon Optics. They work VERY well if I am in a mall or warehouse with harsh lighting but they don't seem to prevent headaches when looking at a screen.

My headache type is a bilateral cervical headache which shoots from the back of my neck to behind my eyes and is accompanied by motion sickness and some odd epileptic overlap with changes in time perception and sometimes deja vu and jamais vu as well as sensory changes.

JJTL · Oct 31, 2015

degen My father has the exact laptop he used from June 2009-May 2011. Still has it and it works great. Iis faster than most cheap Intel Atom/AMD E series APU laptops.

Is CCFL based I'm 95% certain.

Ddegen · Oct 31, 2015

JTL You wouldn't happen to know what model your father used do you? Thanks for your post and good to that old laptops are still up to the task.

JJTL · Oct 31, 2015

degen I'll confirm the model soon. Has a broken hinge though (which can be replaced for $10) and I think he only had 2GB of RAM in his.

JJTL · Oct 31, 2015

JTL It is an 8530W

Ddegen · Oct 31, 2015

Thank you so much for checking!

JJTL · Oct 31, 2015

degen No problem.

http://i.imgur.com/DhKz9Qy.jpg

Ddegen · Oct 31, 2015

I'm talking to a guy on eBay and we are trying to determine if the screen assemblies he has are the old CCFL backlit style. (He doesn't know, and I was worried that some refurbs would swap for a new panel)

JJTL · Oct 31, 2015

degen Excellent idea.

How is that BenQ monitor working for you?

JJTL · Nov 30, 2015

degen Confirmed. The EliteBook can be LED type, my fathers 8530W is LED type with awful PWM (I just really never noticed as I rarely used it) CCFL panels do exist for it.

AAGI · Apr 9, 2019

JTL Oh. Forgot to mention my mother bought me the TheraSpecs indoor+outdoor bundle ($300) Due to being sick and all that I really haven't had a chance to test them.

Today I decided to go into town to where my father works (which has ok but not the best fluorescent lighting, office building constructed circa 2000-2005) The good news is that I got no headaches whatsoever - which is big news for me.

This is an old post. I would like to know what is your current opinion about Theraspecs glasses. Do they really help out with regard to fluorescent lighting? Right now I am quite okay as to computers, I seem to be able to use pretty much anything, but fluorescent lamps in the office are killing me. I have some cheap blue light-blocking UVEX glasses and wonder what the Theraspecs differ by. Do they contain more than one filter or just a longpass one? Has anyone tried to look at what light they actually let pass, using a spectrometer? Thanks.

GGurm · Apr 9, 2019

I found Theraspecs helped with lights, but not with displays. Since I have other mechanisms for dealing with lights, I returned them (they were pretty pricey).