I wondered if anybody knows or has experienced anything with these light bulbs? I am not sure if it's coincidence and quite possibly it is (given my precarious health), but the person I am living with decided to put in one of these energy saving lightbulbs in the hallway (which is on permanently). I did notice a change in the light, but didn't look to check the bulb.

However, I have felt odd over the last week or so. Though it's been in for a wee while (not too long), I've just started to feel funny. Stinging eyes, dry taut feeling skin with itching, and just not right. I look like something that's been dug up too, yet I have no cold, no flu, or anything else that's happened that I can think of.....

I would be interested if anybody knows more about this and whether it's even possible. I'm typing this right now with STINGING eyes and it's just ongoing now....

Heavy metals (mercury) trapped in your body cause an antenna effect that attracts electro magnetic radiation (EMR). Fluorescent lights give of EMR. I feel awful when I go in Tesco's shopping because of all the fluorescent lights. Bex sounds like your suffering from electro-magnetic hypersensitivity, join the club! READ

Not sure about the bulbs, I use one in my studio all the time, real close to me on a stand and I love it I have had that for two years so that is definitely not bothering me.. but check this out.. you know I've mentioned about my fingernails, the ridges, well it's really mostly just my thumbs with that and when I was posioned there was this black burn like spot that showed up and grew out, and that relapse of toxins that exuded from that liver cleanse I did in february, I got another burn spiot in the same thumbnail, like a little black hole in the fingernail..

but anyway, my thumbs conduct electricty a little bit.. my other fingers don't. I've tested it.. a pot on the stove, a chicken in the rotisserie, anything plugged into an electric source, and I guess moist like that, if I touch it with my thumb I get a good zing, if I touch it with my other fingers I feel nothing.

a lot of mercury or something. could be copper too, there is a lot of copper in amalgam also and my blood tests showed pretty high copper. a mix of stuff in there.

Thanks for the responses. Not sure if it was causing issues, but it's been taken out anyway, as I really don't need to take chances with the way I am right now. I have a protective screen in front of my monitor too because of my reactions if I don't, so it's quite possible Weety that even the energy saving lightbulb may have been affecting me.

Sosick, you'd notice something if the bulb was affecting you, that's good that you're ok with it. I found oddly enough that I was not nearly as sensitive before I got this virus and could walk into dental offices without getting sick and poisoned from the vapor present. Yet now? I become worse/more poisoned. So I think alot of it is down to reduced immunity (much worse even when I was very mercury poisoned) and more sensitivity.

It's annoying, but something I have to deal with. My diet also never used to be so restrictive as it is now and never needed to be. So things have really changed. I also cannot exercise properly anymore without incurring flu symptoms like coughing, sore throat, fever, heart racing, brain symptoms etc.

So I have to watch every area of my life and be ultra careful. Really annoying to live like this, I don't recommend it ;-)

CFL bulbs contain a lot of mercury. We tested them several months ago with a mercury meter.

We broke an incandescent bulb and got zero mercury vapor readings. We broke a conventional fluorescent bulb and got huge readings. We then broke a CFL and the readings were off the scale.

However, we took readings from all types of bulbs before they were broken and got no mercury from them. We also conducted some tests a few years ago and got the same results from bulbs that were turned on inside boxes for 24 hours.

It's likely that what weety said was true. Fluorescent lights (of which CFL are a type) use high voltages internally and give off electromagnetic pulses (a type of EMF radiation). It's well known that those with metal toxicity react badly to EMF, especially those with mercury toxicity.

We believe that mercury is actually mobilized in the body in the presence of EMF. This is why mercury toxic people don't do well with CRT monitors. Flat screen monitors don't use a CRT. CRT (the big "tube" you actually look at when view this type of monitor) gives off EMF pulses much like fluorescent lights do because of the high voltages of AC (alternating current) they use internally.

There is also another issue that people often miss. Fluorescent bulbs (including CFL) also flash on and off too rapidly to see. Incandescent lights do not do this. This flashing can cause fatigue, especially in the eyes.

Hope this helps.

From my research each CFL bulb contains I think it was 5 mg of liquid mercury, about the size of the tip of a ball point pen. Its in vapor form though and its an extreme hazard if its broken.

I found this about CFL today click

At one point in my life I wasn't exposed to any fluorescent lighting in months, probably at least two. I finally had to go to the bank to start an account up, and the lights in there were fluorescent and I instantly became tired, brainfogged, and a bit grumpy. It certainly made me want to avoid those lights completely.

They do flicker at an irritating rate not detected by our eye.

I use incandescent but keep it to a minimum by waking up with the sun and going to bed shortly after it sets.

I used to find that whenever i was in a supermarket or mall or some sort of public place I would completely space out and get really tired and anaware of what was going on around me. It took me ages to link it to flourescent light bulbs. Here in australia they are phasing out incandescent light bulbs to be replaced by CFL flourescents by 2010. I wonder what sort of burden all that mercury in landfills is going to create!!!