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I've known about my vision thing with fluorescents for decades - long before CFLs were invented. Every trick Irlen teaches about getting around the scotopic issues, I figured out by the time I was about 11, before the syndrome even had a name. I now know that I need to be well rested and have eaten substantially before being under these lights for a significant period of time. And what sucks is that they are everywhere. I took half a library with me on a cruise intending on getting some serious reading done, and every light was fluorescent or the annoying track lights. Can't do those, either. Shopping is even an issue. To rehearse music, I can't even use a practice module without feeling sick. Walk outside and 30 seconds later I'm fine.

Okay, let's face it - I'm too cheap to spring for the custom filters, and too vain to wear them regularly.

Oh, and as I've read up on LED - it's the same stuff packaged a little differently. I won't be able to use them, either, so it's stockpile, have no drapes or curtains to let in natural light and work from home as much as possible.

Oh, and as I've read up on LED - it's the same stuff packaged a little differently.

Not even close. Totally different technology and completely different materials.

Frequently Asked Questions:
Information on Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs) and Mercury
http://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/promotions/change_light/downloads/Fact_Sheet_Mercury.pdf

Learn About LEDs
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=lighting.pr_what_are

Incandescent bulbs create light by passing electricity through a metal filament until it becomes so hot that it glows. Incandescent bulbs release 90% of their energy as heat.

In a CFL, an electric current is driven through a tube containing gases. This reaction produces ultraviolet light that gets transformed into visible light by the fluorescent coating (called phosphor) on the inside of the tube. A CFL releases about 80% of its energy as heat.

LED lighting products use light emitting diodes to produce light very efficiently. The movement of electrons through a semiconductor material illuminates the tiny light sources we call LEDs. A small amount of heat is released backwards, into a heat sink, in a well-designed product; LEDs are basically cool to the touch.