FL-41 for blepharospasm and photophobic patients.

Anyone heard of this dye from BPI FL-41. I had an MD ask about this today and I said I would get them some info. Apparently it helps with light sensitivity by filtering the Blue and green spectrum. Cant see how someone drives with it but it may be worth ordering some in to try.

Anybody already played with it?


Here's the excerpt from BPI.

Rose-colored sunglasses. Preliminary research at the University of Utah suggests that specially tinted lens may help some people with photophobia. Anecdotally, many photophobic patients prefer an FL-41 tint on their sunglasses instead of green or yellow. The FL-41 tint, which has a pinkish look to it, is a mixture of colors that blocks the blue-green wavelengths.
"We randomized patients with blepharospasm to wearing FL-41 sunglasses for two weeks and then to wearing plain sunglasses for two weeks," said Dr. Katz. "The patients filled out questionnaires at the end of each period. We found that patients with blepharospasm definitely preferred wearing lenses with the FL-41 tint to wearing conventional sunglasses. So there does seem to be some therapeutic benefit."

In a new study, the researchers have used electromyography to measure blink frequency, duration and amplitude in blepharospasm patients while they read for five minutes at a time with regular eyeglasses, glasses with a light gray tint or glasses with an FL-41 tint. The results are still being analyzed, but Dr. Katz said they appear to provide more objective evidence that FL-41 does reduce blepharospasm.

"FL-41 lenses are non-invasive, they have no side effects and they're not expensive," Dr. Katz added. "So it's a cheap, easy way to improve the lives of these patients, who in some cases are very disabled by their disease."

Be sure glasses block blue-green. FL-41 lenses are available in optical shops, but Dr. Digre cautioned that some so-called FL-41 lenses are not the real thing. "You really have to know whether the lenses are real or not." she said. "Some lenses can look like FL-41, but they don't act like it. We have done spectral analysis of our lenses to make sure they are blocking the right light".

Ian Jordan, who is a member here, has done a lot of research on filter colours. You may want to do a search and contact him.

This tint was discussed here in some depth a while back. Ian was involved as well. We get the 'honor' of seeing some of those Rx's from the U of Utah and well...brother, you can have each and every one! ;) A little science mixed with a healthy dose of snake oil in many docs opinions. Which isn't to say it can't ever work...but tith the frequency that guy throws scripts out for it, well...

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Originally Posted by kcount

Anyone heard of this dye from BPI FL-41. I had an MD ask about this today and I said I would get them some info.

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Did one about four months ago. She bought the dye direct from BPI and had glasses made with naked cr39 ready to go, but couldn't find anyone to do it. No feedback yet.

http://uuhsc.utah.edu/MoranEyeCenter...are/FL-41.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19410958

I've made some lenses with this tint. The customer told me she thought it helped, but she didn't like the 40% density -- recommended by BPI. The Botox treatment for her blepharospasms has worked far better, and we were able to strip out most of the tint.

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Originally Posted by Robert Martellaro

Did one about four months ago. She bought the dye direct from BPI and had glasses made with naked cr39 ready to go, but couldn't find anyone to do it. No feedback yet.

http://uuhsc.utah.edu/MoranEyeCenter...are/FL-41.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19410958

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Moran eye center has a undisclosed financial interest. Look further into their site and theres a bit on how their happy to sell you lenses Rx or not with this tint. This being the case their findings become suspect at best.

And this from the other article.
Profits from the John A. Moran Eye Center Optical Shop help to support the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences.

So the second article also becomes suspect.

I'm seeing a pattern.

You know in the Professional Dispensing for Opticianry (The Blue Book) actually on page 335 of the second edition copyright 1996 actually states that in the case of yellow lenses there was a study of 136 marksmen done in overcast conditions to test the efficacy of tinted lenses on performance. Interestingly only one (1) individual showed any improvement. One wonders if this is the case here.

All the same today I ordered a bottle of the dye to play with and make up a pair for the doctor. We'll see how this plays out.

Anyone know how the lenses work when it comes time to telling if it's a red light or green? I have no experience with that particular dye. I use the diamond dyes 500/550 and the 540 I believe with decent patient satisfaction for ARMD pat's. Is that dye a premium price?

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Originally Posted by FVCCHRIS

Anyone know how the lenses work when it comes time to telling if it's a red light or green? I have no experience with that particular dye. I use the diamond dyes 500/550 and the 540 I believe with decent patient satisfaction for ARMD pat's. Is that dye a premium price?

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It is --about $35 if my memory serves me correctly (though it rarely does).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kcount

Moran eye center has a undisclosed financial interest. Look further into their site and theres a bit on how their happy to sell you lenses Rx or not with this tint. This being the case their findings become suspect at best.

And this from the other article.
Profits from the John A. Moran Eye Center Optical Shop help to support the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences.

So the second article also becomes suspect.

I'm seeing a pattern.

You know in the Professional Dispensing for Opticianry (The Blue Book) actually on page 335 of the second edition copyright 1996 actually states that in the case of yellow lenses there was a study of 136 marksmen done in overcast conditions to test the efficacy of tinted lenses on performance. Interestingly only one (1) individual showed any improvement. One wonders if this is the case here.

All the same today I ordered a bottle of the dye to play with and make up a pair for the doctor. We'll see how this plays out.

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You should see the letters we get coming in with patients from time to time from up there at the U. If you were to take much of what is written and sent off with the patients in the letters accompanying their Rx's from the Moran, you'd think this magic tint could cure everything from gout to herpes, make you a perfect driver, get you a five course steak and lobster dinner every birthday for the rest of your life, bring back your dead goldfish, and turn your kids into astronauts!

And with "a percentage" of each and every bottle of that tint sold going to the doc(s) up there...hand in the cookie jar much do ya think? :hammer::shiner::cheers:

It used to be common to prescribe Cruxite (rose) for comfort and contrast improvement, mainly to seniors. This has been covered on OB before. Irlen tints (sometimes rose, sometimes blue, sometimes others) are used for dsylexia, reading problems, ADD, and a host of other problems. When asked about this, Ian said, in essence, not snakeoil, but ineffective in the hands of unqualified prescribers. He also said that one size/one color does not fit all, that no one tint or spectral filter is always correct. Does FL-41 help? Sometimes, apparently, but not in some magic way.

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Originally Posted by finefocus

...When asked about this, Ian said, in essence, not snakeoil, but ineffective in the hands of unqualified prescribers. He also said that one size/one color does not fit all, that no one tint or spectral filter is always correct. Does FL-41 help? Sometimes, apparently, but not in some magic way.

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And that's the rub. It *is* a snakeoil remedy when the proper (and thourough/complete) testing isn't done beforehand. I can tell you up at the Moran - it's not. And yet the number of FL-41 Rx's that come pouring out of their practice boggles is pretty amazing. Ian makes some solid points certainly.

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Originally Posted by finefocus

It used to be common to prescribe Cruxite (rose) for comfort and contrast improvement, mainly to seniors. This has been covered on OB before. Irlen tints (sometimes rose, sometimes blue, sometimes others) are used for dsylexia, reading problems, ADD, and a host of other problems. When asked about this, Ian said, in essence, not snakeoil, but ineffective in the hands of unqualified prescribers. He also said that one size/one color does not fit all, that no one tint or spectral filter is always correct. Does FL-41 help? Sometimes, apparently, but not in some magic way.

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Ah Cruxite...cruxite...how I miss those drilled atrcraft mountings that used to fly out the doors when I first started. Those were good mountings to learn how to Multi-tool your way through an adjustment. The world is certainly less Rosy today. :-(

Used it for a young migraine sufferer we know - helps her 'survive' the day as she puts it. Doesn't eliminate the migraine but makes it more tolerable.