# Contact Lenses?



## Fascinita (Jun 25, 2008)

Do you wear contact lenses? 

If so, is there a trick to wearing them comfortably?

I have been trying to wear contact lenses for twenty years, and I always give up in frustration. First I got a bad infection and stayed away for a decade. Then I went to weeklies, which worked out OK for a while, except my eyes started itching and feeling dry.

Then I tried the dailies. Those worked out OK, especially because I really hate the hassle of cleaning and storing the lenses. I like being able to use them and throw them out.

Still, sometimes my eyes didn't feel comfortable and I was afraid of getting another infection. So eventually I went back to glasses.

Any advice? I really want to get rid of my glasses, as they are just not flattering, no matter how pretty the frames I try.

I have also thought of LASIK, but am afraid, because I've heard there can be problems, plus the flap never fully heals. If you have experience with LASIK, positive or negative, I would be grateful for that, too.

Thanks everyone. I really want to move to contacts for the moment, and I want to make it as easy as possible on my eyes.


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## sunnie1653 (Jun 25, 2008)

I've worn contacts since I was 8 years old. I used to require toric lenses for astigmatism, but as I grew older, the amount of curvature in my cornea (causing the astigmatism) got to be less and less, and now I just wear basic spherical lenses. I've worn the Night & Day lenses that you can sleep in for up to 5 days out of the week, I've worn plain old biomedics (which I wouldn't recommend), I've worn colored, daily wear, acuvue 2, hydraclears, and now I'm wearing acuvue oasys lenses. (I worked in the optical profession for 5 years so I had the liberty of being able to try every kind of contact lens out there..) 

The oasys are my favorite so far. They're breathable, they hold their moisture, and you don't have to use any special solution on them. If your prescription doesn't require anything special (steep/shallow base curve, narrow/wide diameter or an astigmatism correction requiring a toric lens) then I'd give them a shot. Normally optometrists keep trials of these lenses on hand for you to try without purchasing boxes.


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## Gingembre (Jun 25, 2008)

I first had contacts when I was 12 coz I hated my glasses. I tried dailies but they hurt so had monthlies. They were never that comfy either so I went back to glasses. When I started uni, I wanted a change from my glasses. Monthlies were still comfier, but I was only wearing them around twice a week so it wasn't worth it, so I now've got dailies again! They're a lot comfier than they were before, but I have very dry eyes. I wear my contacts on nights out or in the summer when I want to wear cool sunglasses - I'm good for about 7 hours absolute maximum but then they have to come out. I find having eye drops with me (for dry eyes - it's only saline). They're comfier than I've ever worn before though. 

There are lots of different types out there (mine are johnsons i think, my friend swears by torrex lenses) so it's worth chatting to a good optician and trying a range. A couple of drops in each eye whenever they get a bit uncomfy really helps me though.


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## Fascinita (Jun 25, 2008)

Thanks, sunnie.

Are the oasys disposable? Or can you wear them for longer than a day? Or do you need to clean and store them every night?

A big part of why I've stayed away from them has been the fiddling with them every morning thing... lol I'm not lazy. I'm just paranoid of hurting my eyes by getting the lenses dirty or putting them in wrong.


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## Fascinita (Jun 25, 2008)

Thanks, Gingembre, too.

Yeah, I tended to find the monthlies slightly more comfortable than the dailies, but since I had to take mine out every day, it just didn't seem as convenient.

Anyway, I'll keep trying.


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## Sugar Magnolia (Jun 25, 2008)

I've worn soft contacts for nearly 20 years. I did have a problem and they tried to switch me to hard lenses which felt like pebbles in my eyes. I went to remove one and it flew across the room. I knew they weren't for me, so...

I switched doctors and found a wonderful one! Turns out my problem wasn't the contacts, but the SOLUTION I was using to clean/store them. I do have to be careful what I use to do that. My contacts are disposable Ciba Optix breathable lenses at the moment. They're the most comfy and they seem to last a little longer than others I've had. I don't mind popping them out every night. I have heard good things about the oasys and may ask to try those next time.

I've never really had an infection (allergy eyes, yes) but I'm really careful to wash my hands before I deal with them. Good luck in trying them again.


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## GoddessNoir (Jun 25, 2008)

I've been wearing soft lenses for about 12 years. They are pretty comfortable and I've never had a serious issue other than a bought of conjunctivitis which I got from one of my students then (duh!) reinfected myself when I didn't disinfect my contacts properly.

I also have an astigmatism so had to wear the toric lenses for a bit. I use the monthlies but honestly, I clean them really well so, I can usually get two or three months out of them.

My cousin had lasik about 6 years ago. The surgery itself was fairly simple, she was able to walk out of the office within the hour and was back at work in about a day. However, she currently wears glasses and contacts again. I'd stick with the glasses and contacts.


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## GoddessNoir (Jun 25, 2008)

Sugar Magnolia said:


> I've worn soft contacts for nearly 20 years. I did have a problem and they tried to switch me to hard lenses which felt like pebbles in my eyes. I went to remove one and it flew across the room. I knew they weren't for me, so...
> 
> I switched doctors and found a wonderful one! Turns out my problem wasn't the contacts, but the SOLUTION I was using to clean/store them. I do have to be careful what I use to do that. My contacts are disposable Ciba Optix breathable lenses at the moment. They're the most comfy and they seem to last a little longer than others I've had. I don't mind popping them out every night. I have heard good things about the oasys and may ask to try those next time.
> 
> I've never really had an infection (allergy eyes, yes) but I'm really careful to wash my hands before I deal with them. Good luck in trying them again.



Somethng else: Magnolia is correct, the solution can make all of the difference.

I use Renu and my eyes seem to like that. My partner uses whatever is on sale. On occassion, I may run out of solution and have tried to use his,  my eyes were all red, looked as though I had been up all night drinking.


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## Jack Skellington (Jun 26, 2008)

I briefly tried contact lenses in my teens. Just could not get used to them. Severe allergies and contact lenses do not mix. Learned that the hard way.


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## daddyoh70 (Jul 7, 2008)

I just saw this. I wore contacts for about a year, in 2005. My biggest problem was getting them in. I liked wearing them because they are more convenient than glasses, but I found it more cost effective to just buy a pair of glasses that will last me a couple years than to keep ordering the contacts. I've considered Lasik too, but I have the same reservations you have.


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## Flyin Lilac (Jul 8, 2008)

I wear Focus dailies and LOVE the convenience of not having to dick around with cleaning, storing, etc. They do get slightly dry after 8 or 10 hours, but nothing earth-shattering. I haven't tried using eyedrops with them to see if that helps, simply because it hasn't bothered me enough yet.

The only bad thing that's happened to me is once when I was taking one out, it tore and the other half was up under my eyelid and I had to go fishing for it. Not fun by any means, but it in no way discouraged me from continuing to wear them. I just had to learn to handle them more carefully is all. Oh, and you also have to remember not to open your eyes underwater when swimming!

I would never do Lasik. With a lot of people I've talked to, it fucks up your night vision, and you eventually have to wear some kind of glasses anyway for reading or some such. Meh, no thanks. I'll spend my money on the dailies.


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## Fascinita (Jul 8, 2008)

Thanks for sharing, everyone. The more I think about it, the more I think the dailies are the way to go now. 

Do you all who use dailies rinse them with solution before putting them in? Anyone have a favorite solution that they like a lot? I've used Renu in the past because that's what my doctors pushed on me, but it does get expensive.


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## Flyin Lilac (Jul 10, 2008)

I just keep a bottle of basic drugstore saline on hand to rinse them if i have trouble getting one in, or put it one wrong side out. I just take it out, splash it with the saline and pop it back in. 



Fascinita said:


> Thanks for sharing, everyone. The more I think about it, the more I think the dailies are the way to go now.
> 
> Do you all who use dailies rinse them with solution before putting them in? Anyone have a favorite solution that they like a lot? I've used Renu in the past because that's what my doctors pushed on me, but it does get expensive.


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