When I first experienced the horrible symptoms of vestibular migraine my neurologist recommended FL41 lenses as a natural solution to light sensitivity. So it was only natural when Theraspecs asked me to review their Audrey lenses, specifically designed for migraine patients, I jumped at the chance to test them out for my vestibular migraine symptoms. Here's what I found.
The Science Behind FL41 Lenses
FL-41 lenses are rose colored lenses that filter out certain wavelengths of blue-green light that are associated with photophobia. This is incredibly important for those of us who are sitting at a computer all day under fluorescent lights. In this study, FL-41 lenses not only improved florescent light sensitivity, but also helped with reading, overall light sensitivity, and blepharospasm frequency. When compared to rose and gray tinted lenses, it reduced the mean blink rate and “eyelid contraction force”, which is basically an eye twitch. In a 1991 study, these tinted lenses reduced migraine frequency in children from 6.2 episodes to 1.6 a month.
It’s important to note that not all rose colored glasses are equal and many can vary with the light that is filtered.
Although FL-41 lenses didn’t make this huge difference in my migraine frequency at the time, they did help me get through a day on the computer. I noticed when I wore them that my eyes were much less tired at the end of the day. Even now, I love to wear them for long days at the computer on if I’m on my phone a lot for the site. Another positive is that tinted lenses don’t increase your light sensitivity like sunglasses can if worn too often. So when TheraSpecs offered me a pair to try in exchange for an honest review on the site, I was excited to test them out!
How I Use Them to Travel
I selected a pair of the Audrey lenses, which are one of their most popular frames. In fact, I saw a lot of this style at this years Migraine World Summit live event. I was anticipating them being a little heavier on my face than they actually were, which was a nice surprise for thicker frames. My face tends to be very sensitive with certain pressure points, so this was a big plus.
Since I received these right before several trips to California and Kauai, it gave me lots of time to test it in airports, which are always a little difficult for me. Because we fly out of DFW, I feel like it’s just constant chaos from tons of people, loud noises, and lots of bright lights and open windows. In fact, a lady was getting tackled to the ground by police while screaming her head off right as we exited security. While TheraSpecs can’t exactly take away crazy, it can help with keeping you (and your brain) calm! Anytime I feel my eyes are strained a bit or start to notice that build up of pressure in my head, I would slide them on and it really helped take that edge off.
Grocery Stores and Light Sensitivity
Obviously I spend a lot of my time at the grocery store and lately with the cookbook, I’m there sometimes 2-3x a day. This used to be one of my worst triggers. I remember first starting the Heal Your Headache diet and feeling incredibly overwhelmed by trying to dodge carts and small children, plus read tiny little labels when my eyes felt like they were jumping around. When you have a vestibular disorder like vestibular migraine, these types of big box stores can be incredibly disorientating.
At the time I really didn’t think of using my FL-41 lenses and now I wish I would have. Most days I can handle shopping without them, but whenever I feel overly stressed or it’s a crazy day there with lots of people, I like to slid these on as a preventative measure. You know when you’re a kid and you pretend certain glasses give you X-ray vision or make you invisible? It’s sorta like that. I kinda like that it feels like I’m in my own little rose colored world.
Using TheraSpecs for Vestibular Migraine
The only downside I really noticed when trying TheraSpecs was that the rose colored tint is kind of dark and very pink. Now that I work from home, most of the lights in my house are off or dimly lit. I also keep the brightness on my computer screen turned down really low. This made it difficult for to me to use these inside my house when working on my computer. I'm also sure a lot of this has to do with my need to get accurate colors when editing photos!
Theraspecs seem to be better suited for extra bright and busy places like the airport or grocery stores. Perhaps if you’re in an office with a ton of florescent lights that you can’t control, it would be a good fit.
If You're Extremely Light Sensitive...
Since these are the darkest out of all the migraine glasses I’ve tried, I think they would be great for someone who is incredibly sensitive to light or for those who depend on wearing their sunglasses everywhere. Also, if you’re someone like me who cannot take a preventative medication while trying to conceive or perhaps other health issues, FL-41 lenses are a great natural remedy to test out. The nice thing is that they offer 60 day money back guarantee so you can test them out and see how they work for you.
And for those that are thinking they might be embarrassed by wearing these at the office, just remember that Rocketman is about to come out. So instead of having to explain to your coworkers (yet again)that they’re for your migraine disorder, you can always just start singing “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” and they should shut up fairly quickly.
You can find the Audrey TheraSpecs on Amazon or shop TheraSpecs through their site. For Migraine Awareness Month, TheraSpecs is giving readers 15% off using code DIZZYCOOK_15. Valid till end of June 2019.
Other natural migraine treatments:
- Scientifically Proven Migraine Supplements
- Magnesium Threonate (for brain fog)
- Ballet and Vestibular Therapy
- The Heal Your Headache Diet
- Mindfulness
- Massage Therapy and Acupressure
TheraSpecs sent me a free pair of Audrey glasses in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
Jeannie says
I’m going on 2.5 years of vestibular migraine with head pain. I cannot control the lighting in my office and often find myself just turning the light off and working in the dark. They are currently remodeling and individual offices are going away, so I will have even less options for lighting control. When I work remote from home, I can adjust the lights as needed.
I have always been very light sensitive with both sun and snow glare and lights in general. My job is computer based, so reducing the screen time is really not an option. I wear prescription lenses, although struggling with that right now as well, as my vision is blurry and I need near and far sighted options- progressive lenses made all things worse. Any suggestions for where to start?
John says
What contact lenses are best at helping with photophobia? Thanks!
Sarah says
I wear theraspecs, which I agree I like for grocery stores. You mention you have tried others for indoors. What have you had success with/which ones do you like? I wear my theraspecs at work in my office, but I control the lighting with lamps so I could probably use something lighter. I could buy a random pair on amazon, but thought you might have a suggestion.
Alicia says
Hey Sarah - for indoors/low lighting I like BluTech. They're not FL41 tinted but are blue light blocking. I'm the same. I can control my lighting so that's why I like those so much for the computer.