Lenses + Lacriserts

[HSK2020]

Hey does anyone know whether contact lenses can be worn with lacriserts?
If you have tried this please tell me your experience
or if you have found success with just one of these treatments (bandage lenses)
I have dry eye but no underlying cause for it I currently take xiidra and have punctal plugs
please share

[Hokucat]

Hi there. The Bausch & Lomb instructions say you can use them with contacts, but to put in the contacts first (see blue box entitled "Application Tips"):

http://www.bausch.com/Portals/69/-/m...tion-sheet.pdf

My scleral lens doctor had prescribed Lacriserts for me, but she told me I should not use them while wearing sclerals...maybe because the lenses cover up most of the sclera and the Lacriserts needs to be on the sclera.

Of course, that didn't stop me from trying both at the same time :-). The morning I tried it, it seemed ok, but then when I started driving off to work I guess the Lacriserts started dissolving more and moving around. It got stuck to my lenses and was uncomfortable and I couldn't see, so I had to turn around and go home, and take out my sclerals and Lacriserts, and never tried that again.

Using Lacriserts by itself initially seemed to help a little, but nothing material. As my tear film and TBUT got worse, the Lacriserts didn't dissolve very well, I think it needs the eyes to have a little moisture. I have since read some people have had success adding a few drops of preservative-free artificial tears when first inserting the Lacriserts to help it start dissolving, and then periodically adding drops after. Also read people remove it before it is completely dissolved, and put in a new one if needed. In general, have not read a lot of success with Lacriserts, but a few people swear by it.

Now that I'm better and have some tear film, sclerals help very well with remaining dryness I have due to some lost/atrophied meibomian glands. It helps to put a couple drops of PF artificial tears in with the saline before inserting the lenses for increased comfort. Many people use Refresh Celluvisc which is a thicker drop, perhaps providing some extra cushioning like what Lacriserts with lenses would do.

I don't know how familiar you are with sclerals...not everyone can tolerate them, but they have been used increasing to relieve dry eye symptoms, since they vault over the cornea and bathe them in saline, with the lens edges sitting on the sclera. Here is a good description in general for the Boston PROSE sclerals I wear 12+ hours a day:

http://www.bostonsight.org/PROSE/PRO...y-Eye-Syndrome