Can't Watch Movies...Flickering Lights... - Epilepsy Message Board

ilovegod · 03-25-2006, 05:54 PM

You really have to wonder what genius decided every movie has to have super fast flickering lights in EVERY Hollywood movie this year?

We watched DOOM and about 30 minutes later, bham! I got a headache and then I got an absence seizure. I'm sure I'll have a complex partial tonight. (I'm weird I get complex seizures after absence seizures.)

I remember watching the Matrix movies, I had to have sunglasses on or close my eyes every 5 minutes. I just heard most of that movie

lol.

Anyone else have this problem?

Katrina

Travis from MN · 03-25-2006, 09:33 PM

Need to find that old news link...

Children in Japan I think it was were having seizures due to a popular kids cartoon. The rate of frames per second on the digital TV networks triggered seizures. It may have been Pokemon or one of those cartoons.

Unlike the rapid frames per second with digital TV in that childrens case where almost ALL were non-epileptic; Sounds like you are photo-epileptic. Flashing lights or rapid motion of light can trigger your seizures.

Do you have a pair of Polarized sunglasses to help with the long tube lights (flourecent) they could be a problem if you have not noticed that yet. People who are photo-epileptic often have problems in stores such as Target or Wal-Mart that use the tube lights.

Joy, I know :/

--Travis

bettyst · 03-27-2006, 07:06 AM

SAME HERE WITH MY SON,TRIPP!! I took him to the movie Friday and and he had several CPS in the night and they again Sat night. NEVER again will he go see a movie.

Bety

Travis from MN · 03-29-2006, 11:04 PM

Found the news article mention I was thinking of.

"The most popular example of photosensitivity occurred in Japan on the night of Dec. 16, 1997. Close to 700 children were admitted to hospitals, mostly because of seizures that occurred while watching the popular cartoon Pokémon. The cause of this seizure epidemic was a very short (four seconds) rocket-launch sequence, with flashing red and blue fields occupying the whole screen, changing at a frequency of 12.5 per second. This experience taught us all these factors are interdependent and can have powerful consequences when they occur in combination."

quoted from an article by Dr G. Erba M, published 2006

--Travis

ilovegod · 03-31-2006, 04:23 PM

Thanks everyone for your replies!

My mom bought me some super cool over eyeglasses polarized to the hilt sunglasses lol. I've noticed I get headaches inside of Walmart and Target. I have to wear sunglasses indoors sometimes.

Thanks again for the info and all!

Kat