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Flashing Lights In Grocery Stores
Thu, 03/08/2007 - 20:52I don't have epilepsy. I have a severely debilitating migraine problem. One of my triggers is flashing lights. All my local grocery stores have recently installed these little coupon dispensers with little red flashing lights on them. Something about the way the flashes are spaced so far apart or at random makes these things the worst migraine trigger I have ever encountered. I was wondering if any of you are having seizure trouble with these things as well, and have any ideas about what can be done about it. I have been complaining to all the local general managers and emailing some of the grocery store corporate offices about my problem, but so far nobody seems to care about one person who can no longer go into their grocery stores because of something so stupid and unneccesary as a coupon dispenser. Now my poor husband who is already too busy with work has to take over the grocery shopping.
Comments
Re: Re: Flashing Lights In Grocery Stores
Submitted by troublecat on Fri, 2007-03-09 - 15:29
Yes, it would be worth it. We have thrown piles and piles of money at my migraine problem over the last 4 years and still haven't found a good drug or treatment that is a viable long-term solution. The cost of your suggestion would be just a drop in the bucket at this point. I will ask my eye doctor about the blue tint. If it works, it would also be nice to be able to go to weddings and parties again, as I currenlty have to avoid anyplace or situation where people routinely take flash pictures.
My mother suggested to me today that I might qualify under the american's with disabilities(?)act for my local grocery store to be required to make "reasonable accommodations" for me. The federal government already officially considers me disabled because of my migraine problem, as I get disability for it, so I am going to give it a try.
Re: Re: Re: Flashing Lights In Grocery Stores
Submitted by kathyc on Sat, 2007-03-10 - 14:11
I get migraines too, flashing things seem to bother me as well, and definitely my husband's seizures are triggered by them. We don't go to the movies anymore, even the commercials and shows on tv are so flashy that he has to turn away while the "flashy stuff" is going on, and camera flashes are also a trigger for him.I can't look a lot of the time, too. I have recently been taking Maxalt-MLT 10 mg, the quick disolve ones work the fastest. They are hideously expensive so my dr. helps out w/samples because my insurance won't cover them at all! I have had migraines all my life since 12-13 yrs old, I'm 50 now and this is the 1st time I've had medication for them. What a difference. Otherwise it's suffer for at least 2 days that you just want to pull your brains out so the hurt stops and then a week to recover from the fact I had the migraine in the 1st place. I also avoid things like MSG and some other food items, too much cheese, red wine. I haven't found them all yet, and apparently my age is also a factor too. His seizures seem to be more frequent in the last 2 years (we're the same age) and I wonder if we are just going to get worse & worse?
Do you know why you have migraines? Injury, just because, anything? They don't seem to know exactly why I have them, it's always been just deal with it & avoid the stuff that I have found can start one.
I have never heard of the blue tint either. Let us know if it works.
Re: Flashing Lights In Grocery Stores
Submitted by Gina Marie on Fri, 2007-03-09 - 13:36
Flashing lights of any kind are a huge problem for me. Although in most stores it's the flourescent lights flickering that make me ill. I get migraines too. I was reading that there is a tint you can get over your lenses, blue I think, that stops that color that is present in the flashing lights before it hits your brain triggering that spot for seizures. Since I'm hearing that seizures and migraines have alot of similarities, I would speak to your eye doctor about looking into this, if it allows you to go into a store and not end up incapacitated from a migraine it's be worth it right?