How you use preservative free saline.

[aLensUsr]

For those of you who use preservative free saline how do you use it? Do you manage to find Lens Plus Rewetting drops? Do you ignore the "do not use as a rewetting drop" caveat on Unisol? Do you spray the aerosol on a clean finger and let drip into your lower lid?

While I have found Night and Day contact lenses largely GREAT for dry eyes I have found that the artificial tears I used to use don't work as well (too thick?), Clerz Plus is irritating, and preservative free saline is too hard to find (Lens Plus Rewetting drops) or too inconvenient (aerosol or Unisol (not using as a drop after the 1st day))

[kitty]

I use either preservative free saline (OcuFresh) or saline for sensitive eyes. I irrigate both eyes with the saline when I first wake up in the morning in order to get them open! I occasionally use it later in the day as well if I feel I need a rinse out. Sometimes, my eyes crave that drink of water that only saline can provide. I use the stuff straight from the bottle it comes in. Of course I am careful not to touch the top of the bottle to anything.

[shells]

You can also use an eye cup to do saline rinses. I used to just tilt my head to the side and try to squirt the Unisol in, but that got very messy. With an eye cup, I can just fill the cup, place it around my eye (it fits nicely), and then tilt my head back and slosh it around. For me, the eye cup makes it much easier.

[Rebecca Petris]

Do you ignore the "do not use as a rewetting drop" caveat on Unisol?

Hmmm, I wonder if we're talking about the same Unisol? I can't find that language on mine?

I squirt a nice cool stream of Unisol on my eyes first thing in the morning, at least on bad eye days. There are times when I just like that very wet light feel. During the day I usually use NutraTear over my lenses but in the evening sometimes I'll squirt a little Unisol over them.

[aLensUsr]

i.e., how long do you hang onto a unisol 4 bottle

Rebecca,

I assume by Unisol you mean Unisol 4 (4 ounce bottles).

From Alcon's website:

http://www.alconlabs.com/us/eo/produ...c/Unisol.jhtml
"Because UNISOL® 4 contains no strong preservatives, it will not remain sterile indefinitely after opening and, therefore, should not be used as an eye drop. "

Ostensibly this product stays reasonably sterile for 30 days. However that is only for rinsing contact lenses before disinfection.

While I think this is a great product, it is hard (for me) to use 4 ounces in 24 hours. Do you assume it is safe for a few days? While I have personally done just that I also wonder how much Russian Roulette I am playing.

[Rebecca Petris]

From Alcon's website:
http://www.alconlabs.com/us/eo/produ...c/Unisol.jhtml
"Because UNISOL® 4 contains no strong preservatives, it will not remain sterile indefinitely after opening and, therefore, should not be used as an eye drop. "

Funny, because at the same time the bottle says it's fine to put the lenses in after soaking in this stuff without rinsing it off. Whatever.

Personally, I've always just gone with the 30-day rule (never thrown out a bottle before that).

[Lucy]

I use Unisol as the lubricant for my Boston Scleral Lens. The lens holds 16 drops of the saline in the bowl. This fluid is up against the eye while wearing the lens, not merely a drop or squirt. I was told to use a new bottle of Unisol every 48 hours. Yep, that means throwing out a lot of saline.

Not meaning to say this need be the case of every day use. It's just indicative of how the saline MAY become contaminated after opening and use.
So, being the mostly compliant patient I am, I follow these instructions.

If Unisol is being used as a drop or rinse, I doubt it has the "constant contact" with the cornea as it is when used as a contact liquid bandage.

As an aside, I use other drops while using the lens, but the bowl holds saline.