Follow up to "I was told I'm 'curable'".

[Ashley2387]

Hi everyone, here is a follow up regarding my post titled "I was told I'm curable".

I saw my doctor last Friday and she said my meibomian glands had improved 50% just from in-home treatment! She also did heated expression of my upper and lower lids, which helped a great deal. The doctor told me I could begin wearing contacts again for holidays and other special occasions. I felt very nervous, but decided to give it a try on Thanksgiving.

Unfortunately, the only contacts I had were my old Pro-Clears. The doctor said I could wear them as long as they were thoroughly cleaned. My eyes looked mostly white, but obviously when I went really close to a mirror I could see red veins. I didn't experience any discomfort, but I did notice that the next day my left eye lid was itchy and a little swollen. Nothing noticeable, but enough for me to feel anxious.

I have another appointment in January, and the doctor seems to think we'll be revisiting contacts again by that time. Anyone else have a similar experience? I would love to share tips & stories.

[savino]

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[littlemermaid]

Is this an optometrist selling contact lens trying to get you back on contract, rather than a medical doctor with your best interests at heart? Problems with contact lenses are unlikely to be just meibomian glands blocked. Optometrist trade literature focuses on how to sell contact lenses to people with eye conditions, even if it means using steroids with side effects in later years which they do not support. Best not to confuse that with trustworthy medical advice. Having said that, I would be sympathetic to my d. using moist daily disposable lenses one-off for prom for psychological benefit because she's had a hell of a teenage experience with her eyes, under extremely careful ophthalmologist supervision. Is it worth the risk? As Savino says, there's not enough tear film. 'It's up to you' is also the excuse when we think we've paid for unbiased specialist treatment which actually isn't; the law says there's a duty of care.

[Ashley2387]

Personally I would strongly advise against using contacts until your problems are resolved. If they got better so quickly then they might get even better further down the road. Contacts take a toll on pthe tear film which then promotes more inflammation due to the already present dry eye and you're back in the loop. You could lose the progress you just made. But it's up to you and how much you trust your doctor.

Good morning! After my experience on Thanksgiving, I don't plan on wearing them again any time soon. When I brought up my concern to my doctor, she said "if they don't feel right, then don't wear them". Is it possible that just 6 hours of wear could do irreversible damage again?

[Ashley2387]

Is this an optometrist selling contact lens trying to get you back on contract, rather than a medical doctor with your best interests at heart? Problems with contact lenses are unlikely to be just meibomian glands blocked. Optometrist trade literature focuses on how to sell contact lenses to people with eye conditions, even if it means using steroids with side effects in later years which they do not support. Best not to confuse that with trustworthy medical advice. Having said that, I would be sympathetic to my d. using moist daily disposable lenses one-off for prom for psychological benefit because she's had a hell of a teenage experience with her eyes, under extremely careful ophthalmologist supervision. Is it worth the risk? As Savino says, there's not enough tear film. 'It's up to you' is also the excuse when we think we've paid for unbiased specialist treatment which actually isn't; the law says there's a duty of care.

Good morning! The doctor I am seeing now is very well trusted (she's affiliated with Dr. Korb). She is by no means trying to push contacts on me, but rather understands how it has been a nightmare for me wearing glasses. However, my previous doctors, both an optometrist and ophthalmologist, did do the negative things you brought up. I was on steroid drops off and on for almost 6 months (what would the consequences be?) and they did try to put me on a Acuvue one-a-day disposable moist, but my eyes HATED them.

My new doctor has me on a strict in home regimen and this is the best I've seen my eyes look in quite some time. By February, she feels I could go back to contacts, but they would need to be "one-a-day". Although I've been dealing with the problem over a year, she said the damage is not as great as someone who has waited 20 years.