How your Scleral feels?

[ebi1368]

When I wear my Scleral, the pain in my eyes does bot go away. My whole eye is painful. I really don’t know what to do. My pain is a bit different with Scleral but cannot say feel better.

How does your scleral feel?
I read in the forum that people feel real difference with them.

[Alix]

Can you describe the pain that you feel? Also is there any redness?

When I wear my sclerals the burning pain goes away but it is replaced by a feeling of soreness after a couple of hours.

If there is pain when you wear sclerals either the fit is not correct or your eyes just need to get used to wearing them.

[woodart]

I am new to these but once I get them in it is very comfortable. Some soreness when I first got them now I hate to take them out. Have you reached out to your doctor?.

[ebi1368]

Alix It is like my eyes are sore after 20 minutes. After that I just wanna take them out and when I take them out it is such a relief. A few minutes later, the dry eye pain starts again. I can feel my eyelid touching the lens all the time. Is it bc my eyes are so dry?
Also yes there is redness. My eyes are always red but get worse after wearing the lens.

woodart My doctor told me that the fit is good and I believe it as he made the lens based on my cornea shape.
I am happy that Scleral is working for you. Your persistence finally paid off.

Do you guys have Ocular rosacea? Can this be the cause?

[Hokucat]

ebi1368 What is your tear film and surface of your eyes like? At my worst I had virtually no tear film (Schirmer=0, TBUT=1-2 seconds), and the surface of my eyes were literally like sandpaper per my scleral specialist...so during that time I could no longer wear my sclerals. When I put them on, I had an entirely different pain. It was really sore, and felt like the lenses were like really tight suction cups sucking the life out of my eyeballs. I couldn’t keep my eyes open. Even after a short period wearing them in this condition, when I removed them there was no saline remaining in the lens bowl, my severe dry eyes likely absorbed all the saline.

It helped a little to put a few drops of PF artificial tears in the lens bowl and roll it around to coat the lenses before filling the rest with saline. Refresh Celluvisc, a thicker drop, is what my scleral specialist recommends to provide some extra cushion and seal out debris, which I as well as others in this forum find helpful. I’ve read some people find using more than a few drops helpful too.

What also helped temporarily was using a less thick PF drop like Genteal Tears over your sclerals while wearing them. I found putting a few drops on the white/sclera above and below the lens edge comforting. Sometime a few drops of saline over the lenses helps too.

Once I got a thin tear film back after probing+diet changes, I can wear sclerals comfortably again. So if you can’t wear them now, you might be able to in the future.

[ebi1368]

When I remove the lens there is no fluid inside the bowl. So not sure if I spill them or my eyes absorb them.

What is Schirmer 0 and TBUT 1-2 looks like? Where you able to look at screen at all? or go outside?

I was told my TBUT is really low. Not sure about Schirmer as I never did the test.

Thanks

[Alix]

When I remove the lens there is no fluid inside the bowl. So not sure if I spill them or my eyes absorb them.

What is Schirmer 0 and TBUT 1-2 looks like? Where you able to look at screen at all? or go outside?

I was told my TBUT is really low. Not sure about Schirmer as I never did the test.

Thanks

If there is no fluid left it is possible they are not sealing properly. I would go back to the doctor and ask again about the fit.

[ebi1368]

Thanks for the tip. I will

[Hokucat]

When I had 0 Schirmer and 1-2 TBUT I ended up homebound. Had to quit my job, could not go shopping, out to a restaurant, go to the movies, or go outside. Could not use the computer, read, cook, watch tv, help my kids with their homework, drive, or even look across the dinner table to talk with my family without having discomfort so could not keep my eyes open for more than a few seconds at a time. Both indoor and outdoor elements bothered me a lot, like slight wind, fans, heaters, sunlight, fluorescent light. The only way to reduce my discomfort was closing my eyes or sleeping.

I still have the same fit sclerals now as I did when I had virtually no tear film and could no longer wear my lenses, but now when I take my lenses off after 10-12 hours of wearing them there is still saline in the lens bowl. So for me, it was not the fit that dried up the saline, it was likely how dry my eyes were. But like Alix mentioned, it could also be the fit. Using PF Refresh Celluvisc in the sclerals can also help seal the saline in better.

[woodart]

I didn't think about the fluid. Also if their is an air bubble. I forgot I ran into that when I first started. I can tell better now by feel. Like Rebecca said I overfill now. If I don't get it right either I can't see right or my eyes get irritated. I am still in the learning process. Someone mentioned here about putting some saline in the eyes during the day to help with the lenses in. I haven't tried that. I do carry a kit with me at all times now so I can either just take them out or do a refill if needed. I also followed Rebeccxa's advice on these and her video. I am tired of learning the hard way. My doc had told me to take them out for a when I first started and give the eyes a break and then put them back in. I didn't do that. Took too much time and effort to get them in once right. Yesterday for the first time I got both in on one try. For me that's like a hole in one in golf. Hope yo find you answer and that you have a good doc that will work with you.

[farmgirl]

There were many factors for me that kept me from being able to tolerate them but one thing you need to consider is, are you sensitive to anything that you are using to clean/fill them with. IN the end I found I could not use any cleansers except for the peroxide system and I had to use the non preserved saline in the big bottles to rinse them with and then fill them with the non-preserved saline from the nebulizer tubes. Something to consider

[woodart]

Farmgirl reminded me of Rebecca. I believe she tolerates buffered solution for her eyes. But not so much the regular saline. Hopefully I remembered this correctly. I rinse mine off with the leftover addipak and then fill with fresh. I was never told I had to rinse them but it just seemed like common sense.

[Hokucat]

Yes, definitely rinse sclerals really well with non-preserved saline before inserting them. This is a standard part of the process taught by the PROSE and many other scleral specialists. Some people like me feel more comfort using buffered PF saline like Purilens, and otters unbuffered such as Addipak, so one should see what works best for them. The Dry Eye Shop has different brands and size options to choose from.

woodart when you say you fill your lens with “fresh” do you mean you fill your lenses partially or entirely with Refresh Celluvisc or something other than saline? Many of us use a few drops of Celluvisc with saline in our sclerals, and I’ve read a few who use half Celluvisc half saline, and only 1-2 people who completely filled with Celluvisc, so was curious.

[woodart]

Sorry, my meaning was a fresh opened addipak.Although I think day old should be fine. I put my open addipak in a prescription bottle that fits them well. I had asked about adding stuff but my doc says no for now until I get into it a little more and see how it goes. I overfill as I have read that Rebecca does and I am fine with that. I just got mine he beginning of February so still a little new at this. I am lucky enough to have a good doc who answers all my stupid questions and has patience. Plus this board which I have been on for many years being on mostly when my eyes let me. With sight I can now get on more often.