Help - looking for a new lens!

[Zarla]

Following changes to the way zero 6 are manufactured, I'm looking for a new lens for my pesky dry left eye. Its stats are as follows: -9.50; base curve 9; diameter 14 or over. No astigmatism. It should ideally be only 38% water, although I am open to suggestions if the base curve is OK. Proclear has been suggested, but does anyone know if it comes in a 9 curve?

[Rebecca Petris]

You might want to try the Optiboard forums.

[dianat]

Dr. G who posts on D'Eyealogues can answer this for you.

[calli66]

I replied to your other post---

However, I wanted to add that lenses like ProClear are more flexible due to the material, thinness and higher water content, so they conform to different corneal curves---they don't have to be manufactured in so many different base curves because the fit is good over a wider range.

No matter where you post on forums, you'll find that most people will recommend that you go to your doctor for fitting---you can research the brands and their qualities online, and take your list of the possibilities you want to try. That's what I did, and it worked out OK. Try to find someone that specializes in dry eyes or hard-to-fit patients.

Calli

[Zarla]

Thanks, Calli - UK opticians not the best in the world for dry eye!! They are terrified of people getting eye disease and sueing them, leading to them uttering the dread words 'stop wearing contact lenses' at the slightest provocation.

[Maenad1]

Hi Zarla, I'm new here so forgive me if this has already been suggested. But what I sometimes do, when I'm interested in finding out about CL parameters of various brands, is to go to one of those online contact lens discounters' sites (ex: visiondirect.com; discountcontactlenses.com) and pull up the type of lens that interests me and pretend to put in an Rx. Those sites will show you what powers, diameters, base curves, etc., each lens comes in.

From what I can tell on ProClear, it doesn't seem to come in a base curve any flatter than 8.7.

Good luck trying to find the right lens. I've got flat-as-a-pancake, high minus eyes and a tendency toward protein deposits, so I can empathize with your hard-to-fit situation.

ETA: On a separate thread, Stanza said her dr. is getting custom ProClear lenses made; so I guess it is possible to get them in different powers and base curves. The custom lenses would probably have to be ordered through your eye doctor, though. Thanks Stanza!

[Stanza]

ETA: On a separate thread, Stanza said her dr. is getting custom ProClear lenses made; so I guess it is possible to get them in different powers and base curves. The custom lenses would probably have to be ordered through your eye doctor, though. Thanks Stanza!

Hi, my optician orders them. Actually, it was fun as in her magazine they didn't have the proclear custom lenses mentioned but I said a my old opticain there (who had just left) - had had me try one before, but we'd gone with the Zero6. Anyway...what she did was she put in a prescription for the ProClear one in the magazine which didn't do my prescription, and the manufactuer basically just did the custom one in place of it - takes 3-4 weeks for them to make them but it's worth the wait.

It's worth trying out as my base curve was 8.7, 8.7 in the Zero6 but she's put me in 8.0 and 8.1 in the Proclears and they seem fine. I didn't get the lid rim irritation in the trial I've done so far either which I got with the Zero6 and made my right lens almost unwearable. I think my Zero6's were also custom. And they're not more expensive than regular lenses in the end. Perhaps the industry is kind to us high myopes sometimes...

Still, I've to do a real test of them but the first impression was at least I'd have something for special occassions. My prescription is very high and I have astigmatism. It's just about trying, trying, trying.....and being careful, I won't over-wear them, I have to accept my dry eye condition, but when you wear very thick glasses you do need something for that special night out...

Oh, and Rebecca has suggested scerals before to me - there's loads of info on them on this board. I.e. if the soft lenses don't work out there are more options. I think the important thing is to realize there are new things coming/available.... at the moment I'm not really living somewhere where I can investigate scerals but maybe in some time and as they are more known in Europe.

good luck!!