Red Light Therapy- any negative experiences?

[Froggirl]

Hi

Firstly, I just want to make it clear that I am all for red light therapy. Loads of people on here have now posted their postive experiences of red light therapy. It's clear that RLT has the potential to really help Rosacea and flushing, which is really fantastic.

I have trialed Red Light Therapy over the last week and have had to discontinue because it seemed to give me nerve type pain. During and after each session, i got weird nerve type sensations in the treated area. They stayed longer and longer after each session so i decided that at this time RLT is not for me.

Maybe this reaction was just me, I had already been having nerve problems on one side of my face so maybe all my facial nerves are way too sensative...who knows!

I'll proably end up giving it another go at a later date.

Given that no treatment works the same for everyone. I'm just interested in if anyone else has had similar experiences.

For that reason could I ask that posts be limited to people who have experienced RLT themselves and to those who have had any negative experiences, if indeed there are any?

[Twickle Purple]

Hi Froggirl,

I am so sorry that this didn't work out for you. I hope you find something that gives you relief soon.

Big hugs!
Twickle Purple

[IowaDavid]

Hi

Firstly, I just want to make it clear that I am all for red light therapy. Loads of people on here have now posted their postive experiences of red light therapy. It's clear that RLT has the potential to really help Rosacea and flushing, which is really fantastic.

I have trialed Red Light Therapy over the last week and have had to discontinue because it seemed to give me nerve type pain. During and after each session, i got weird nerve type sensations in the treated area. They stayed longer and longer after each session so i decided that at this time RLT is not for me.

Maybe this reaction was just me, I had already been having nerve problems on one side of my face so maybe all my facial nerves are way too sensative...who knows!

I'll proably end up giving it another go at a later date.

Given that no treatment works the same for everyone. I'm just interested in if anyone else has had similar experiences.

For that reason could I ask that posts be limited to people who have experienced RLT themselves and to those who have had any negative experiences, if indeed there are any?

Wait awhile, give it another go. It does seem to help more the longer you use it. It's tough, given how many triggers we have to juggle with this disease, to tell what's helping or hurting--especially after just a week. Well, unless it's like a topical that causes a reaction in a day. Then it's pretty clear. Good luck!

[fut]

When you say nerve pain, does it feel like a small vein is pulsating under your skin? I get that sometimes witht he RLT, but it doesn't hurt.

[Peter]

Hello Kate

I hope you do give it another go at a later date. Perhaps your facial nerve problems were caused by something else as you said you had previously been having problems? In my experience with RLT I haven't come across this reaction before but I suppose there will always be the exception to the rule and I admire you for being so honest by pointing out that no treatment works the same for everyone.

Not sure how bad your rosacea is or whether you are allergic to bright lights etc? Also which type of lamp were you using, how close were you to it and how long were the sessions in the first week?

If you do decide to try again perhaps just use it a couple of times in the first week for 2 - 3 minutes at say 8" away. Assuming there are no problems then slowly increase the frequency, the time and reduce the distance to what you feel comfortable with. Might take a month or so but there is no rush is there? See how it goes and let us know how you get on. I always say to people treat RLT the same as if you are using a new topical for the first time by doing a patch test and taking it's introduction slowly until you feel confident that there are no problems.

Best wishes

Peter

[Froggirl]

Thanks for the kind wishes everyone.

I will give it another go later on, and will try holding the unit further away from my skin. My main issue is flushing, when i'm not flushing my skin looks pretty normal. If i can control my environment and stay away from all triggers I still flush badly at least once a day.

The nerve pain is hard to explain. It's a sort of uncomfortable twitchy tingling feeling under the skin. And was actually the worst in areas where I don't ever flush or get pain, like my chin. The only thing i can think of is that somehow the increased blood flow was triggering the nerves. The effect stayed for at least a few hours after using the RLT even though i never flushed from the RLT.

All very odd really!

[Peter]

Hello Kate

Well as we all know with rosacea all sorts of odd things can happen without a logical explanation.

Was your lamp LED and can you tell us what make and model it was? If it's LED than David might have some views?

As well as increasing the distance from your face I think it's also a case of slowly introducing yourself to this treatment. Just my thoughts anyway.

Good luck

Peter

[Twickle Purple]

Hi Froggirl,

There's some powerpoint presentations and other docs you might find interesting here: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/rosacea-support/files/
that discuss nerve pain and different meds.

Twickle Purple

[hozer2k]

I would encourage you, if you decide to try again, to treat just one particular to area. This will help isolate if the experience is due to LLLT or something else that may be occuring.

I have had increased redness so far, but it is still very early in my experimentation. I am still far away from a conclusion.

[Froggirl]

Thanks for the suggestions Peter. My unit is a Elixa 64 red led light array. I'm not too sensative to fluro lights although they do always make my flushing look worse! I will give it another go and hold the unit further away.

Thanks for the links TP, they were really useful. I am having luck with Anaprox at the moment which is a NSAID. I didn't expect it to work but it seems to take enough of the edge off to really help. My doctor doesn't want me to try anything else new until my crazy body flushing totally goes. It's got much much better but will proably be another month or so until it totally goes.

I would encourage you, if you decide to try again, to treat just one particular to area. This will help isolate if the experience is due to LLLT or something else that may be occuring.

I will do this for a bit too, i do like a scientific approach and my skin is so variable at the moment anyway.

[Steve95301]

I am having luck with Anaprox at the moment which is a NSAID.

There might be an interaction between the red light and the NSAID.

Medical Precautions:

[snip]

Individuals using topical or systemic steroid or N.S.A.I.D's for pain or skin conditions may experience mild "flare up" of their symptoms and should discontinue DPL therapy.

Source (http://www.makeupartistschoice.com/dpl.htm)

Without the NSAID, it should be beneficial, unless the nerves are perhaps too sensitive.

Evidence of changes in sural nerve conduction mediated by light emitting diode irradiation.

Lasers Med Sci. 2005; 20(1):35-40 (ISSN: 0268-8921)

[snip]

Based on these results, it can be concluded that LED irradiation, applied to intact skin at the described irradiation parameters, produces an immediate and localized effect upon conduction characteristics in underlying nerves. Therefore, the outcome of this in vivo experiment yields a potential explanation for pain relief induced by LED.

Source (http://www.medscape.com/medline/abstract/15895289?prt=true)

[Froggirl]

Thanks for the info. Very interesting.

I wasn't on NSAIDs at the time but it's good to know for when i give RLT another go.

I'm seeing a neurologist soon about my facial nerve pain so might ask him what he thinks. Maybe my nerves are too sensative at the moment but maybe eventually they will calm down.....in the meantime i might try it on the areas where i get seb derm but no nerve pain...

[Twickle Purple]

Froggirl, I hope it eventually sorts itself out for you. One of the best surprises I had with RLT was that it relieved my facial pain. I no longer take NSAID for anything, haven't for months (since I started with the RLT).

[Tioh2001]

Twinkle Purple,

Same with me.....thanks to RLT, the terrible pain in my face from "neuropathic burning" is just a bad memory. I rarely feel even a slight pain in my face any more.

Heather

[Froggirl]

I don't just have nerve pain in my face anymore but also in my hands and feet, and as of this week forearms, so there is no way it was caused by red light therapy. Something else is obviously going on with me....

[redhotoz]

Sorry to hear that Kate. I hope it wasn't cause by becoming a Mod! :wink:

Jen

[Froggirl]

Damn, i never read the fine print before agreeing to be a mod!! Lol :wink:

[Artist]

My only negative experience with RLT is when I don't use it. waaaaa ha ha ha ha! Seriously, no negative effects at all for me...just positive.

Artist