I have decided I'm going to check out Sclerals

[farmgirl]

So finally I have had about all the fun I can stand with babying my eyes. Being a Sjogren's sufferer with at least 30 more years to live (God willing) I have decided to investigate Scleral lenses.

I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and at my last appointment with my corneal specialist he suggested that sclerals were possibly an option for me and told me that Alberta Health had agreed to fund scleral lenses. The other good thing is that there is apparently a man here who is an expert on fitting lenses. He is semi-retired and only takes difficult to fit cases. Unfortunately I am far sighted with astigmatism and as such am difficult to fit with lenses. He said he could probably correct the distance problem but I would still need reading glasses which I am totally OK with. I have an appointment to see him on Monday so wish me luck...cheers....F/G

[Rebecca Petris]

Wow. Wishing you the very very best f/g. We're all rooting for you here

[indrep]

yay! I hope there is success.

[farmgirl]

Thanks guys.

So I went for my appointment today. The good news is he tired me with a miniscleral which popped in pretty easily and felt fine while I was there. I got him to try the eye that was burning a bit and it immediately felt better with the lens in. The bad news is that the lens gunked up with an oily film within about a minute and clouded my vision. He took it out, cleaned it and popped it back in and the same thing happened. He is going to order up a pair with my prescription anyhow as he says that maybe the real lens which has different coatings will react differently. I will try not to use any drops that AM, other than maybe some saline, to try to minimize any oiling resulting from the drops.

Has anyone else had this experience and if so what came of it? Maybe I should make that a new post as probably many wouldn't see it here. Rebecca I know that you have sclerals for sure.

My follow up appointment is Thurs the 3rd so I have my fingers crossed that it will work...F/G

[Guest]

Fingers crossed for you!

[dryeyedave]

I experienced it at first and it was related to using night time ointment. I switched to freshkote at night and the filming problem disappeared. If your night time problems are too sever for freshkote try Oasis tears plus at night it worked as well for me as anything else and it will not cloud your lens the next day. Your tear film will also adapt to the lens which takes about two weeks. Also make sure he is not using any cleaner on the lens other than peroxide. All of the other cleaners and "conditioners" especially Boston caused me irritation.

The scleral lens was a life changer for me and I can function again. It is worth the effort and expense.

[farmgirl]

Thanks for the input Dave esp the parts about the cleaners. The last thing I want to have is a failure due to something as simple as a cleaning product. One would think that since you are not actually putting the cleaner into your eye it wouldn't be that likely to be bothersome.

I usually just use systane drops at night but have to put them in about 3-4 times per night as I am so aqueous deficient that I can't go the whole night. I had tried Genteal Gel and was severely reactive to it so have been afraid to waste any more $$$ on gels. Are the Oasis tears plus a drop or a gel?

[dryeyedave]

Thanks for the input Dave esp the parts about the cleaners. The last thing I want to have is a failure due to something as simple as a cleaning product. One would think that since you are not actually putting the cleaner into your eye it wouldn't be that likely to be bothersome.

I usually just use systane drops at night but have to put them in about 3-4 times per night as I am so aqueous deficient that I can't go the whole night. I had tried Genteal Gel and was severely reactive to it so have been afraid to waste any more $$$ on gels. Are the Oasis tears plus a drop or a gel?

Genteal gel was the best option for me at first but like you I am now allergic to it. Nighttime relief is one of our hardest issues. What we need is a light lipid drop but none is available now.

Oasis tears plus is a semi-viscous unpreserved gel in sigle use droppers(you can actually get a good four drops from the vials). You can only get it from the net and it is expensive but it works well. I have not had any sensitivity problems with this product. I use this drop in both eyes right after I rinse out Restasis.

Here is the site: http://oasistears.com

You might also try refresh celluvisc I use this during the day in my right eye.

http://www.allergan.com/products/eye..._celluvisc.htm

FYI: this is the cleaner I referenced: http://reorder.aclens.com/display-pr...1&zmap=AC18302

LIke I said I now use only freshkote at night. You will find that your eyes wont feel great but what I have learned is even if they don't feel lubricated the freshkote still covers your cornea so your eyes will be protected. When you put it in close your eyes and put on a soft mask and go to sleep. If your eyes wake you up just try to go back to sleep and ignore the sensation. Don't try to open your eyes. Then first thing in the AM put in a few drops of saline then go to your sink and rinse out your eyes with salt water or UNISOL.

Lastly I have found that 4 thousand mils of flaxseed and 4 thousand mils of omega 3 oil per day improved my night time dryness. I would also suggest sea buckthorn oil you can get it at any good health food store or on of the Vitamin Shop chains. This combination worked very quickly for me--less than four days into it if I recall.

[MLE]

Goopy/Cloudy Sclerals

Thanks guys.

So I went for my appointment today. The good news is he tired me with a miniscleral which popped in pretty easily and felt fine while I was there. I got him to try the eye that was burning a bit and it immediately felt better with the lens in. The bad news is that the lens gunked up with an oily film within about a minute and clouded my vision. He took it out, cleaned it and popped it back in and the same thing happened. He is going to order up a pair with my prescription anyhow as he says that maybe the real lens which has different coatings will react differently. I will try not to use any drops that AM, other than maybe some saline, to try to minimize any oiling resulting from the drops.

Has anyone else had this experience and if so what came of it? Maybe I should make that a new post as probably many wouldn't see it here. Rebecca I know that you have sclerals for sure.

My follow up appointment is Thurs the 3rd so I have my fingers crossed that it will work...F/G

Hi Farmgirl,

I've worn Prose lenses for about 7-8 months now, and the occasional goop/cloudiness is something that is just part of it. Some days are worse than others- if my allergies are bad I tend to have more "cloudy" days. Once you have worn the lenses for awhile you get very good at popping them in and out, and on those cloudy/goopy days I just do a lot of removing, cleaning, and refilling. I still would trade this minor inconvenience for what I was experiencing before any day of the week. For me the lenses were a lifesaver. I also make sure to thoroughly flush my eyes with unisol when I get up and am preparing to insert the lenses, and each time I have to change them. If your experience is anything like mine, the tradeoffs are worth it.

Best of luck,
MLE

[farmgirl]

Thanks guys, all info duly noted....F/G

[farmgirl]

UPDATE: This is a bit of a repeat from another post but I thought I would put it here also for those considering Sclerals to find.

YAY! I have good news. I tried the minis today and had NO problems. I was very careful not to put systane in during the night. I got up and used my serum drops. I could get them in and out no problem at all. Took a couple of tries but I did it. I could see perfectly after the first 1/2 hour and I was able to wear them for a full 4 hours, no problem. I felt a little bit bullet proof, kinda like Wonder Woman. I didn't even need to add any additional drops for lubrication for my eyelids during the 4 hour time. I think this is going to be good. If it all works out the cost will be cheap - $550 for the pair.

Interestingly enough Alberta Health will pay (were I to qualify) for me to go to LA to the Boston Foundation all expenses including travel and lenses but won't pay the $550 for the lenses here


I AM HAPPY SO FAR....F/G

[farmgirl]

Latest update: I haven't added any updates recently because I was waiting for my lenses to be adjusted so wasn't sure of the final outcome. I bought the lenses today and they have proved to be a mixed blessing. I can wear them comfortably for at least 10 hours but am finding that if I cross over that 6 hour period that the left eye gets quite bloodshot. The other annoying thing is that now I need to keep on hand MORE glasses, since I need different sunglasses if I am wearing them as they correct my distance and my good old Wiley's have my distance prescription in them, plus I still need correction to read so I have to carry alternate readers for closeup work...sigh

The 6 hour thing is kinda limiting so, since evenings are my worst time for burning, I tend to put them in at about 5 or 6 pm and wear them till 11 or 12 when I go to bed. I also find my eyes feel kinda crappy when I take them out as in being moist all day didn't really help. They are a Godsend for public venues where there is a lot of air movement though. I am anxious to take them to Panama with me as I really struggle in the evenings, particularly when I am out with friends and can't choose where I sit as there are always overhead fans or air conditioners blowing on me.

So long story short, they are not the answer to my prayers but they help enough that I bought them and will use them...F/G

[dryeyedave]

Latest update: I haven't added any updates recently because I was waiting for my lenses to be adjusted so wasn't sure of the final outcome. I bought the lenses today and they have proved to be a mixed blessing. I can wear them comfortably for at least 10 hours but am finding that if I cross over that 6 hour period that the left eye gets quite bloodshot. The other annoying thing is that now I need to keep on hand MORE glasses, since I need different sunglasses if I am wearing them as they correct my distance and my good old Wiley's have my distance prescription in them, plus I still need correction to read so I have to carry alternate readers for closeup work...sigh

The 6 hour thing is kinda limiting so, since evenings are my worst time for burning, I tend to put them in at about 5 or 6 pm and wear them till 11 or 12 when I go to bed. I also find my eyes feel kinda crappy when I take them out as in being moist all day didn't really help. They are a Godsend for public venues where there is a lot of air movement though. I am anxious to take them to Panama with me as I really struggle in the evenings, particularly when I am out with friends and can't choose where I sit as there are always overhead fans or air conditioners blowing on me.

So long story short, they are not the answer to my prayers but they help enough that I bought them and will use them...F/G

after reading your post I am questioning whether your lenses are properly fit and if they could be adjusted. Your wear time is not out of line with severely dry eyes. But if the lens is not comfortable when you first put it in it is a sign things are not right. Also if you have some areas of discomfort/annoyance in one spot only somewhere around the lens there is a problem. Your vision correction should also be adjusted to let you see well at least in one way for instance far away vision should be corrected as close as possible to 20/20 but your close up vision will still require correction so you may need readers but you should not need distance correction over and above what the lens provides. I would address your concerns to your doc. Red eyes after removal is normal. IF the lens is properly fit your wear time will improve some over time as well. Also remember you may still need to apply lubricating drops even with the lens in. Give your lens about three weeks and see how it is doing if every thing else seems ok to you.

[farmgirl]

Actually Dave, no the lenses are quite comfortable when I put them in, for sure that is not a problem. I am pretty sure that the fit is pretty good especailly considering that I have a small pterygium on both eyes that runs interference. Also, he has corrected my distance so I no longer need to wear my glasses for driving etc. but do need them for reading. The problem is that the astigmatism correction has decreased the strength of the readers that I need so I can't even wear my old glasses for that which means that I need new glasses to pair with the contacts. Ergo I have 2 new pairs of glasses to keep track of. The Wiley's with no correction and the readers for the lenses...argh-h-h-h.

If I could just pop them in and leave them for 12-14 hours this would not be an issue but since I need glasses in the day and use the contacts at night I am always hunting down a pair of glasses for the occasion. Hopefully like you say I will be able to extend my wear time as my eyes adjust...F/G